INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
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
Its like finding out a language, she says, you have to discover the steps, the technique, like its grammar
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
For Karina it& rsquo; s easy: I cant envision a life without dance
