When flamenco knocks at your door

Years ago, on a very hot English, August day, I came across a book - "Duende" https://amzn.to/3OBmWos by Jason Webster, a book that inspired me - finally - to look for a flamenco class, a dance class that I've been wanting to try for a very long time. The name of the flamenco school I found while browsing the internet was .....Duende Flamenco :)  Coincidence or what?

Sometimes, not always, when one is determined and when the time is right things happen!

A week after I finished the book I was already attending the first "beginners" class ... in my own town ... :) It always amazes me how many things take place in small towns, how many things I kept finding over the years but this is another story for another time. On the surface, some are tempted to say that Eastbourne is a retirement town, a place where only dinosaurs live and you are not far away from the truth. It is a very difficult place to understand, a melange of people from different economic backgrounds, countries, UK areas of origin trying to make sense of their lives around and with the local population, people who have a deep sense of belonging as .. hey they can trace their ancestors for hundreds of years and this is … their land.

To say that I felt accepted and welcomed from the very first moment by my new flamenco dance class colleagues is an understatement. I suddenly felt that .. i belonged, a word very dear to me. You know how it is when you are the one joining late a class, a school program, a job and so on.

The teacher, Helena's personality was infectious and I loved that she combined hard work with motivation, humour with attitude, and used to introduce us not only to a dance but to a whole new world! What I've realised is that flamenco is just like painting, something you can practice all of your life!

It was amazing, it was uplifting, it was joyful! Watching the advance group whizzing and turning and being able to express the flamenco spirit not only through crafted movements and castanetas but also through facial expression and hand movements seemed surreal! Yes, at the time, I thought this will be part of my life forever. Forever, what a tricky word … If forever meant about 7 years, yes it was a kinda forever :)

Those 7 years are times I will always treasure and because of my exceptional it is something I encourage people to do … dance, connect with likeminded people because, it has the potential to change your life or make your life just a little bit better.

My message is do what you want to do, when you can, expect nothing but the now and live that moment with a deep feeling of appreciation and connection.