I've always loved dancing. I was very young, around 7 or 8, when my parentes realized I had a drive for it, so they enrolled me in a dance school. Jazzdance was fashionable those days, because of the movie Flashdance. I remember my teacher's name, Carlos, I can even remember the warming up song he always played, I was born to love you, by Freddie Mercury . I also took up ballet classes, upon the teacher's advice.
After 1 year, my dad regreted and went back on his decision, because he didn't want me to follow that career, although I believe it was out of jealousy. I felt miserable, but nothing could change his mind.
I only entered a dance classroom again when I was a teenager, and never stopped. I tried several styles: tap dance, classical ballet, street dance, social dance, salsa, belly dance, but I found a real connection in Flamenco.
It took me three years from the decision to really looking for a school because I was really shy and believed it wasn't for me.
I remember going to a class at a university psychology course, meeting this girl and chatting about dance classes. We shared the wish of taking up Flamenco and she told me about this school, just next to the university. After the class we headed there and enrolled. That was 22 years ago and I can tell it has changed my life for sure. I can't remember my personnality before that decision!
The Flamenco also took me to Spain twice and the first trip was a kind of independence move, because I wandered around the country with a backpack in an internetless time, if you can understand what I mean. I'm very thankful!