Blumenfeld has a wealth of information she is hungry to pass on, and is working on building ABREPASO, which is only possible with dancers who have a strong foundation in flamenco. Through the training program, participants acquire an understanding of flamenco technique & musicality, improve coordination & rhythm for all dance forms, experience learning choreography, learn flamenco history and teaching artist skills. Whether you’re looking to learn more about flamenco or add a new skill to your resume, or just explore new expressive ideas through movement - this can be the way for dedicated dancers to take their dancing to the next level.

Audition Announcement

ABREPASO Flamenco Pre-Professional Training Program 2022-2023

Audition deadline: August 31st 2022

Notification of acceptance: September 7th 2022

Program dates: Sept 12th 2022 - May 31st 2023

Audition requirements: 

1. Fill out audition application, including attachment of CV/resume: 

2. Send 3-10 mins of video footage of dance performances or rehearsal footage (can be any dance style) if group footage make sure it shows which one is you.

3. Upload video of audition material in application form.

   1. Video of audition prompt available here: https://youtu.be/XvwlmUWYAAI

      This is just a mini taste of flamenco and a creative prompt. It’s suggested you warm-up before diving into this video. Wear fitted dance clothes. If you have character shoes, folklorico shoes, or flamenco shoes you can wear those. Otherwise, you can wear no shoes or jazz shoes. You can use any song from Omega by Enrique Morente as the music for the creative prompt. Video will be adjudicated based on creativity, commitment, and movement quality, not on access to a studio or flamenco floor/shoes or quality of video. You can film on a phone or camera, upload the file to YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive or another cloud service and submit the link, making sure it is accessible to be viewed.

Promising candidates will be contacted via phone or an interview. 

Details:

This is a part-time pre-professional training program focused mainly in flamenco dance. Participants will study flamenco technique, history, and culture, and learn both contemporary and traditional flamenco repertoire from nationally acclaimed choreographer and instructor, Alice Blumenfeld. Participants will receive a minimum of 200 contact hours of instruction. 

Location:

Participants are required to be in Cleveland from September 15th - December 18th and January 23rd - May 31st. Participants are welcome to take advantage of the various dance programs/companies in the area, supplementing ABREPASO’s program as they see fit. This is not covered in the program tuition. The training program will take place at various studios in and around Cleveland.

Program cost: $2,750 of which $500 will be returned to the participant upon completion of the program. A basic flamenco costume made for the student is included in tuition costs. Work-study and scholarships are available to those with financial needs. 

Included in the training are:

-Pre-recorded flamenco history courses

-Pre-recorded flamenco poetry course

-Classes on flamenco improvisation skills & musicality

-Flamenco technique classes

-Contemporary movement training

-Dance wellness/stretching/strengthening tutorials

-1 complete dance in a traditional flamenco structure

-1 contemporary flamenco piece 

-Understudy ABREPASO repertory

-Skills in K-12 Arts Education - classroom management, curriculum design, and lesson planning

-At the end of the program, participants will perform with live musicians and receive a certificate of completion

This is a unique opportunity unlike any other flamenco programs offered in the U.S. Participants receive individual attention and in-depth study of flamenco. Through the intensive year of study, participants will gain basic proficiency in flamenco technique, increase their musicality, and expand their perspective on dance as a cultural art form. Participants broaden their skill sets to include a unique and highly sought after dance form. Students will have the opportunity to teach K-12 classes as a Teaching Artist, one of the most in-demand professions in the dance field. 

Tentative schedule:

Tuesdays 7-9:15pm - flamenco classes at Cleveland City Dance

Wednesdays 6:30-7:20 - assistant teaching artist at Julia de Burgos CAC

Wednesdays 7:30-8:20 - Sevillanas classes at Julia de Burgos CAC

Fridays 6:30-9:30 - rehearsals/repertory

Saturdays 2:30-5:30 - technique, flamenco improvisation, rehearsal

On your own time: view pre-recorded classes on flamenco history, culture, and poetry

What we’re looking for:

We are especially interested in dancers who have proficiency in another dance genre but have little or no flamenco experience and who will be fully committed and dedicated to the program. We seek dancers of all ages with a sense of professionalism and determination, a growth mindset, and willingness to take risks. 

Future Apprenticeship:

Previous participants have gone on to apprentice with ABREPASO flamenco, during which time they have a flamenco solo choreographed for them and perform in regional performances. That is not guaranteed; however, participants who show dedication and promise will be asked to continue with ABREPASO, a nationally recognized and regionally based contemporary flamenco company that is growing its dancer base and repertory. 

More on ABREPASO/Alice Blumenfeld:

Alice Blumenfeld is known for a unique and “fierce presence (her movements seem to arise from several feet beneath the ground)” (Thinking Dance) and her “sharp and exhilarating” energy onstage (Philadelphia Inquirer). Blumenfeld is the founder and artistic director of ABREPASO flamenco. The company’s name means to break open space and their mission is to deepen appreciation for flamenco and create original choreographies, finding new entry points into and new pathways within the art form. Blumenfeld’s recognitions include: a Fulbright recipient in dance in Spain, a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and a two-time Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award recipient in choreography (FY20 & 22). She toured nationally with Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana, and has been a guest artist with Nélida Tirado, the American Bolero Dance Company, Antonio Granjero, Jácome Flamenco, among other companies and she has performed in Berlin and Spain. Blumenfeld holds an MFA in Dance from Hollins University and a BA in Comparative Literature from New York University where she graduated summa cum laude, with highest departmental honors, and Phi Beta Kappa.

From Blumenfeld: In 2016, I began ABREPASO because I wanted to create theatrical flamenco performances, delve into messy collaborative processes, discover new connections, tell stories—all of which would require pushing the boundaries of flamenco from within, drawing from the avant-garde artists with whom I had studied in flamenco and contemporary dance. I wanted to explore what it meant to be an American flamenco dancer—to acknowledge, rather than hide, the complexities therein. As I contemplated what going back to the U.S. might look like, it hit me—I didn’t have to wait around for the boundary-breaking flamenco company to come into being, I could start one. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of a journey and more fulfilling than anything I could have imagined from the get-go. I’ve been able to share flamenco with so many dancers and communities, and through ABREPASO I’ve realized my love of training new generations of dancers and creating choreographies for them. 

And for more on flamenco, check out Blumenfeld’s TedX talk: