The following post is in collaboration with Mr. D Math. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I'm pretty excited to share today's new resource!
After I graduated from college, I spent time traveling abroad. One of my stops was in Spain where I spent months with my family in Sevilla. While I was there, I took flamenco lessons and it was fabulous. But they were over before I could learn as much as I wanted.
Still, the experience was just wonderful and flamenco remains close to my heart. In fact, I have a post dedicated to flamenco lesson plans, crafts, videos, books, and more here.
So when I discovered that there is a self-paced flamenco class available online for students, I was crazy delighted to test it out and see if it was a good fit for MommyMaestra readers. It TOTALLY is!
It's a little confusing because the lessons are housed on the Mr. D Math website. But this site isn't just about math classes (although there are a LOT of great ones!) - it also has dance, music, sports, sign language, and more. The company is based in Spain, so it's no surprise that flamenco dance and guitar classes are included!
Quick Overview
Self-Paced Flamenco Lessons
I love that these classes are recorded and that students can follow along at their own pace. When you register for a class, you'll gain access to your own student dashboard. From there, you can click on your class and begin lesson 1.
The flamenco dance lessons are taught by the remarkable Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer,
Marta Fernández. She's a fantastic teacher. Super personable, she shares her own story with the student and then launches into the lessons.
Each lesson has several short videos that focus on a different aspect of the dance. And then there is assigned homework. For example in lesson 1, students are asked to investigate the different palos of flamenco. (Palos are the traditional musical forms of the dance.) And then they are assigned to practice the foot and hand movements they were shown in the video for a specific amount of time.
There are 10 lessons in total. The first also discusses what equipment you need (flamenco shoes) and includes links on where to purchase them in the U. S. (Alternatives are mentioned.)
Then you will be taught beginning footwork, hand movements, and body posturing. You'll also learn specific terminology such as zapateados, marcaje, and more. Marta gives instructions for both male and female students as they sometimes have different movements, hand positions, etc.
Marta demonstrates all of the dance moves herself in the videos. And she does them slowly for you to see and replicate. You can then practice them over and over to get comfortable and faster.
By the end, you will have learned all the elements necessary to perform the choreography for basic tangos. And they encourage you to film yourself and submit your performance directly to Marta - but it's not required.
These lessons are in English
Although Marta teaches the lessons in Spanish, these classes are designed for English-speaking students and the lessons have subtitles or are dubbed over in some sections.
I realize that there are many of you who are looking for a Spanish-immersive experience. So if this sounds like something your child would enjoy doing, I encourage you to reach out to the company and ask them if they have any plans to offer Marta's classes without dubbing or subtitles.
The BEST part!
As a homeschooling family with one income in the middle of COVID, I'm not able to send my kid(s) to Spain to study flamenco. I'm guessing that the majority of you can relate. So the fact that I can have my kids do these self-paced lessons online for only $97 (that's less than $10 per lesson!) from an actual professional flamenco dancer and choreographer who has lived and breathed it her whole life - that's UNBELIEVABLE! What an incredible opportunity this is. It's like having private lessons in your own home from an actual artist and expert in the field.
Homeschoolers, this should also count as a P.E. credit! Seriously, it's win-win all around.
Want to find this review again? Pin it!
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
