2019-06-01+Woman+and+Home

JuaniGarcia,64,is theprincipal
dancerforVivaFlamencoand
teachesherownclasseswith
comedanceflamenco.com.Juani
livesinWimbledonwithherhusband,
JoseGarcia,whois alsostillteaching
andperformingattheageof86.
“WhenI wasseven,mymother
tookmetoseea flamencocompany
performin HollandParkTheatre.I loved
everythingaboutit – therhythms,the
colour,thecostumes.I thought, ‘That’s
whatI wanttodo.’
At18,I trainedforthree
yearsin danceat theRoyal
Academy,thenwentto
Madridtospecialisein
flamencoandlearnfrom
theworld’stopdancers.
Sincethen,I’veperformed
everywhere– I havea strongworkethic
soI’lldothebigjobsandthelittleones.
Thatmightmeandancingin a restaurant
ordoingworkshopsin anoldpeople’s
home– it mightevenbedancingat the
BarbicanortheRoyalAlbertHall.I’ve
dancedontheWoganshow,worked
withBoyGeorgeandSade,anddone
worldcruises.It allgoesin thepot!
Withflamenco,youcanbetall,small,
fat,old...it doesn’tmatter.In Spain,most
of the revered dancers are elderly. Age

hasmademea betterdancer.When

I wasyoung,themusicianscalledme‘The

Storm’becauseI dancedsofast.Now

I havemoresubtlety.Insteadofdancing

fulloutfor 10 minutes,I buildit up.

WhenI doa show,peoplealways

comeupandsay,‘I hopeyoudon’t

mindmeasking,buthowoldareyou?’

I’mvegetarian,I don’tdrinkorsmoke

andI dolotsofyoga.I alsohaverescue

dogswhoneedlotsofwalking.I’m

rushingaroundallthetime,teaching

andperforming– I thriveonit.

I knowdancerswho

wouldstamptheirfeeton

concrete,orspinandland

ontheirknees,andthat

hasbeendamagingover

time,butif you’renotsilly,

flamencowillkeepyouin

goodnick.It’sweight-bearing,goodfor

thebonesandthebrain,plusit’ssocial

andcultural.Mystudentsareallages

• mostofthemstartat around50.The
  oldeststartedat 72andshe’snow91!
  Someonewillringmetoenquireabout
  classesandsay,‘I’m66,I’vegotthis,
  thatandtheotherwrongwith me...’
  I say,‘Yousoundperfect!’
  Dancinggivesmesucha buzz– it takes
  metoanotherdimension.I’llneverretire.
  It’s what gets me up. It’s what I am.” >>

‘Agehasmade

me a better

dancer’

‘Flamenco gives me such a buzz’

in our experience

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