My Favorite Funky Diva Flamencas

I remember when I was living in Madrid, I would go every day to a dance studio to practice before heading over to my flamenco classes. The studio was called Arte Jondo in the Embajadores area. The owner, Diana, and I would talk every morning since the studio was empty. We would talk about flamenco, of course, and what kinds of dancers were the most stirring and inspiring.

She would say that it was the simplest dancers that were the best. It was their inner strength that made minimal movement or even just standing there seem so incredibly great. I agree. Of course, there are plenty of dancers that do alot of “stuff” and are gorgeous to watch. But I’m talking about watching the dancers who make you want to cry and you don’t know the reason. It’s usually their souls that are shining through their movements, the “aire” and their “pellizcos”. They seem to simmer and get to a boiling point then explode with movement….. but also, they got the funk.

Here are a few of my favorite solid dancers with tons of “aire” or “da funk”. Enjoy.

I know there are so many more. Who’s your favorite? Who would you add?

1. Pilar Ogalla