When I asked Cristina Hall what piece of advice she could offer flamenco dance students she told me she didn’t like giving advice “because I think it’s all relative; who am I to say anything?”
Still, she was willing to recommend the following:
First she encouraged listening to a lot of music,
Cante,
Guitar,
A lot of music.
“It’s good to take classes and learn the steps and technique and all that stuff, but I think it’s very important also to be very aficionado in flamenco…
Opening your ears to the music is going to help you understand how to use those steps that you’re learning in classes, where to place them, why they are that way,
So understanding that music is a huge part of the communication that happens within the dancing.
It’s not just about learning a choreography and performing and putting on a nice dress and all that stuff.
It goes way beyond that.
So I recommend listening to a lot of music,
And going and seeing performances,
And practicing all that you learn in the classes on your own.”
Cristina says it’s not just about the number of classes one takes,
“You really have to get into the studio by yourself and understand how your own body works because your body is different from the person next to you or from your teacher.”
Watch her dance, and be blown away, below:
“It’s not just about learning a choreography and performing and putting on a nice dress”
In this clip Cristina is accompanied by:
Sebastian Sánchez (cante)
Juani de la Isla (guitarra)
Peter Basil Bogdanos (percussion)
Check out the full interview with Cristina here.
Study with Cristina
💃🏽Join us for flamenco dance workshops happen August 15-17, 2025 in Portland!
💻 If you can’t make it in person, join us online.
Get the details here.
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