Uncovering the essence of flamenco

María del Mar Moreno conducts her Siguiriyas flamenco dance workshop at Alegria Academia in Birkirkara with fiery passion.

She says of her work: “I am free to create my own world and portray it in a natural way”.

But beneath her dominant and fiery presence lies a profound vulnerability which she wishes to instill in the students. I sat there in awe, almost regretting not having taken my flamenco shoes as I was rather tempted to join the class and learn the taxing footwork she was demonstrating.

Still, Del Mar Moreno kept me on my toes and it was a privelege to witness the empowering and mysterious nature of flamenco as seen through the eyes of a passionate teacher and dancer.

The principal facets of flamenco include cante (singing), toque (guitar playing) and baile (dancing). It is the fusion of these three which inspire this southern Spanish artist “to go beyond and express all that one has within”.

Born in Jerez and into a family of flamenco enthusiasts, Del Mar Moreno feels fortunate enough to have started dancing in festivals and theatres at the age of 10.

Her career has since taken off as she travels, performing as well as imparting all she has learnt. But for the professional artist, being centre stage is not at the forefront of her flamenco universe.

“Flamenco is an artistic medium through which a human’s instinctive and internal energy is expressed and shared.” To this she adds the importance of “drawing the audience into your performance, inviting them to witness the emotions”.

The integrity and and true essence of flamenco is what Del Mar Moreno holds close to her heart. “It is not just about knowing the pasos (steps) nor about appraising a dance intellectually. It is something natural, real and human which takes us back to our roots and drives us to live and breathe it day after day.”

Oozing with passion as she refers to flamenco as her mundo (world), she stresses on the difficulty for a dancer to maintain a heightened intensity throughout a flamenco dance.

“For someone born outside of Spain, it is not easy to possess a natural affinity for flamenco but I believe it is still possible to experience it in the same way”. Interestingly, she talks about the genre as a means of soul-searching, a belief he wishes to spread and elicit from flamenco lovers.

With an expressivity that is unique and distinct, it is no surprise that flamenco has recently been highly recognised by Unesco declaring it a ‘Masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity’.

Del Mar Moreno values the universality of flamenco dance and believes it can touch anybody and everybody around the world.

On her experience in Malta she says: “It has been incredible. I feel loved, respected and at home.”

Impressed by the genuine commitment of local teachers and dancers at Alegria Academia,Del Mar Moreno has high aspirations for the local flamenco scene.

Together with a strong team of Alegria members, she wishes to form a closer bond between her company Jerez Puro and Alegria, a kind of “temple of flamenco”, as she rightly puts it.

“Such an affiliation currently exists in Milan and Bordeaux where I travel and deliver workshops on a regular basis.”

She says for Malta this will be an ongoing and hopefully long-term project which would enrich the art of flamenco on the island as one may encounter in Spain. It would evenutally offer more paths for local dancers and teachers to develop in the field and to get in touch with the reality of flamenco.

“This does not only include learning the dances and other various techniques, but experiencing the flamenco lifestyle in Jerez during festivals, for example.”

Ardent and committed, Del Mar Moreno remains true to herself and does not promise anyone they’ll turn into a star from one day to the next.

Free from any materialistic or glamour influences, she notes that “the best gift rewarded is to be on stage and to pour out all you have got inside” .

One hopes there exist many archetypal flamenco artists as her who shield the limelight for pure artistic and spiritual creativity.

www.alegriamalta.com

Watch clips of María del Mar Moreno's workshop on www.timesofmalta.com.