Flamenco dance causes tightly closed flowers blossom into a thousand petals , Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca when wrote.He said it was The oldest tune in all Europe, bring echoes of an oriental past.
Lorca was Karina Yaos first introduction to flamenco too.She encountered his work while studying Spanish in your home in 2012 in Taiyuan city, Shanxi province in northern China, around an hours flight from Beijing.Fascinated, that same year she flew to Spain.
It was the very first time I saw a flamenco class, in Seville, and I was like, wow, its so real and so passionate, Karina informs CGTN.Were in La Corrala dance studio in the Lavapies community in central Madrid where she& rsquo; s about to teach a class.
It was unlike anything I ever saw in China where the culture is more conservative, and coming from a standard family like I did.
When I dance, I can reveal the real me.
Like among Lorcas flowers, flamenco used a way to open up.
So when I dance, I can express the real me.
I can reveal my pleasure, my grief and my past, my experience, she says.Her Chinese name 姚 天 慧 (Yao Tianhui) held a small oracle for the future, the Chinese character for her household name Yao 姚 is close to the character 跳 (Tiao) which forms half of the mandarin word to dance - 跳 舞 (Tiaowu).
In 2014 Karina chose to relocate to Spain full-time after falling in love with this centuries-old art kind and at 21 she started to dance in earnest.
Its like finding out a language, she says, you have to discover the steps, the technique, like its grammar.
It takes some time.
Its the cultural difference too, flamenco is gestures, mindset, not simply choreography, its daily life, how Spanish individuals express themselves, in Chinese culture we dont use our bodies, our hands, to reveal ourselves the method the Spanish do.
Years of piano assisted her comprehend the rhythm too, and gradually, flamenco became her life, touring the world with the group Flamenco Sin Fronteras (Flamenco without Borders) with a Chinese guitar player and palmeras or supporting singers and percussionists from France and the United States 10 years later shes sharing her passion and experience with other Chinese women, teaching them to dance, initiating them in this Spanish art form and method of life.Some remain in Spain to work or study, others see her videos on Chinese social networks like Xiaohongshu, Weibo and Douyin (The initial Chinese TikTok) and then come specifically for the classes and to learn from her.
Everybody has their own reasons, states Karina, like when I started it was just a pastime too, nobody begins believing I want to be professional, thats impossible.
Some of them want to get out of their routine, some wish to discover more Spanish culture, and some treat it as a gym workout, she laughs.You can see why, the intense actions and stamps thunder around the entire building and the balletic shoulder rolls are seriously physically demanding.Ru Jie is among her students, by day shes a mergers and acquisitions expert, by night in Karinas class shes a budding artist, totally concentrated on el zapateo (the tapping) los giros (the turns) and el braceo (the hand and arm motions).
I like flamenco due to the fact that its a combination of passion, anger, fond memories, and all these feelings, Ru tells CGTN.
I have actually been studying for 7 months and I want to continue as long as I have a possibility.
But what does Karina desire her trainees to remove from the class? I desire them to leave saying, Ive found myself more.
Karina is also seeing an increase in interest in China.
I return to China once or twice a year to teach some workshops in Beijing, Shanghai, and even now in Chengdu, Shenzhen.
Increasingly more individuals started to get thinking about this art.
Flamenco has a place for everyone - conquering racism and rejectionFollowing a dream and taking a various path is never simple and Karina has actually had to overcome rejection, prejudice and bigotry in Spain too.
That isnt just Spain, like its all over the world, she states, thats everywhere.
Sometimes people say racist things and they do not even know theyre being a bit racist, you know? In flamenco circles likewise in some cases you will experience a kind of racism towards foreigners due to the fact that people will say its a Spanish art.
My argument constantly is: Im Chinese, however I do not know how to do Kung Fu.
In the beginning I might barely do correct footwork, so at the time, individuals would state, ah, alright, Asian people cant do flamenco, now I dont hear that so much anymore.
People often state things due to the fact that it actually does not cost them anything.
If you withstand them next time they might offer it a doubt, I withstand it and then I simply forget it, everybody needs to live their life.
Ive been through some problems, so yeah, I can share that with my students so that they can at least attempt to prevent it.
Flamenco is a dialogue in between artists and dancers, Karina teaches her trainees, but in her class its likewise a discussion between cultures, and shes had countless favorable experiences too.
All my Spanish pals, they love my dance, she states, but I can understand that due to the fact that as a Chinese individual, if I see a foreigner practice Chinese opera or Kung Fu, I would be like, wow, too! I would say like this is what I desired back at the time and this is what I desire, yeah, so I live a life I want to live.
Nani Hernandez is an expert dancer from Cordoba in Andalucia, the birthplace of flamenco.
Shes visited China with a top production of the classic Carmen with the Ballet Flamenco Madrid company.Shes pertained to Karinas Thursday night class to satisfy these brand-new Chinese flamenco aficionadas, they have a hug and a photo together and Nani views them dance.
I simply like seeing individuals from other cultures engaging with our culture.
Im truly impressed and I think although flamenco is very much our thing, it belongs for everyone and its really enriching to see individuals involved in our art.
Honestly, I enjoy it.
For Karina it& rsquo; s easy: I cant envision a life without dance.