Did you know Cristina Hall, who will be teaching in Portland this weekend, and YES, you can still join us, was named one of Dance Magazine's 25 to Watch?
I asked Cristina three questions about teaching, inspiration, and performing.
Here’s what she had to say:
Cristina Hall teaching flamenco dance
Teaching
What do you enjoy most about teaching flamenco?
I enjoy observing students personalities and helping bring it out in their dancing. I also enjoy seeing the evolution in students and seeing how my creations look from an outside perspective.
Inspiration
What inspires you to create and dance?
My own life experiences inspire me to create and dance. I like to observe myself a lot, people and nature. Emotions that I feel or life experiences of my own inspire me to communicate my feelings through my dancing.
Cristina Hall Photo by Paco Sánchez
Performing
Do you prefer performing on the big stage or a small tablao?
I enjoy both, for me they are both different and offer very different experiences. A tablao is more intimate and you can really feel the audience close by. A theater setting helps me experiment a lot more with lighting, sensations and space. I enjoy both in their own way.
Now be wowed as you watch her dance in a tablao setting in Sevilla. (Stay tuned to see her in a theatrical setting in the next post.)
““Cristina Hall crafts the lines of her body like an architect, no detail slipping her awareness. In traditional flamenco settings, she commands the space with her precise footwork and explosive energy. Her choreographies weave together unique body percussion with never-before-seen footwork combinations, using nontraditional production elements and addressing decidedly contemporary concerns…As an American flamenco artist in Spain, Hall has relentlessly fought to prove herself. Perhaps that struggle fuels her palpable emotion onstage: Her willingness to be vulnerable lends an honesty and realness to her presence. With her dazzling originality, Hall is breaking boundaries in flamenco and beyond.” ”
What do you want to know?
What do you want to know about Cristina? Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll ask her when she’s here and report back to you in Part Two.
If you're in Portland this weekend, you don't want to miss this opportunity to study with this incredible dancer and woman.
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