Spanish dancers teach flamenco to students in rural Taiwan

Spanish dancers teach flamenco to students in rural Taiwan

2025-05-14

Genio Dance Group is a Taiwanese dance company specializing in flamenco. Earlier this month, they collaborated with the Spanish National Dance Company to organize a Flamenco dance festival in Taiwan, showcasing the artistry of Spanish and Taiwanese performers. They also held workshops in Taiwan’s rural areas to bring the dance to students there. FTV reporter Stephany Yang spoke to the dancers to find out more about the exchange.

Flamenco dancers José Manuel Benítez, a principal dancer from the Spanish National Dance Company, Ana Almagro, a rising choreographer, and Taiwanese flamenco dancer Hsueh Yu Hsien take to the stage. The crew performed in Taiwan and taught flamenco with students in Taiwan’s rural areas.

Ana Almagro
Flamenco dancer
Regarding the cultural exchange, we felt an overwhelming sense of love and warmth from everyone’s enthusiastic reception. It has truly been a wonderful experience. For example, as Ms. He Lian-hua mentioned earlier, she was influenced by the works of Carlos Saura Atarés. This reminds me that, on the other side of the world, I also began my career, marking the start of my journey into the world of flamenco. This beautifully illustrates the universal language shared within the arts.

José Manuel Benítez
Spanish National Dance Company
We are truly honored to share a glimpse of our flamenco lifestyle and artistic expression, and experience the flamenco and local traditions here. As I leave Taiwan, I carry with me a heart full of love and lessons. I hope to leave a meaningful imprint here, just as I take away countless moments of emotion and inspiration.

Hsueh Yu Hsien is a Taiwanese award-winning flamenco dancer who has gained international recognition for being the first Taiwanese student to be admitted to the Royal Conservatory of Dance in Madrid at just 12 years old. In 2022, she won first place at the 31st Spanish Dance and Flamenco Competition with her work “Eternal Return,” and later joined the Spanish National Dance Company, becoming one of the few Asian dancers in the prestigious troupe.

Hsueh Yu-hsien
Flamenco dancer
I hope that it’s not just about grand performances in the theater. Over the years, beyond creating performing arts productions, the development of arts education and the practice of artistic care in various spaces have also been essential. In our dance studio in Nan’ao, we have been committed over the past five years to teach children flamenco, all thanks to the guidance of teachers from the Genio Dance Group . Before I was accepted into the Spanish National Dance Company, I taught at the dance space in Nan’ao. A student once asked me, “Teacher, will you come back?” I promised them, “I will definitely return and bring the world back to you.”

Genio Dance Group is a Taiwanese dance company renowned for its dedication to Flamenco performances. Founded in 2000 by He Lian-hua, Hsueh Yu Hsien’s mother, the group blends flamenco with ballet, modern dance, and traditional Taiwanese music, creating unique performances that fuse Spanish and Taiwanese cultural elements. Driven by a passion for education, they teach flamenco to students in Taiwan’s rural communities, hoping to inspire the next generation of dancers.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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#flamenco #佛朗明哥 #精靈幻舞 #geniodancegroup #spanishnationaldancecompany #dance #spain #taiwan #danceexchange #education

精靈幻舞舞團編演出屬於台灣的佛朗明哥

2025-05-14

精靈幻舞蹈團是以佛朗明哥表演而聞名的台灣舞蹈團。今年五月，他們與西班牙國家舞團合作，在台灣舉辦西班牙佛朗明哥舞蹈國際盛典，展現西班牙和台灣表演者的豐富藝術才能。他們還舉辦工作坊，將佛朗明哥舞帶給台灣偏鄉地區的學生。

西班牙國家舞團的首席舞者荷西．曼努埃爾．貝尼特斯、舞者安娜．阿爾馬格羅和台灣佛朗明哥舞蹈家薛喻鮮等佛朗明哥舞者，登台表演。他們不但在台灣進行演出，也前進偏鄉為，教導學生們佛朗明哥。

[[舞者安娜．阿爾馬格羅]]
“關於這次的文化交流，我們感受到滿滿的愛，感受到大家熱情的接待，真的是非常美好的經驗。舉例來說，就像剛才賀蓮華老師提到，她受到卡洛斯•索拉的作品影響，這讓我想到，在世界另一端的我，也是以某種相似的方式，開始了我的職業生涯。所以，這讓人感受到藝術界中，那種共通語言的美妙”

[[西班牙國家舞團首席舞者荷西．曼努埃爾．貝尼特斯]]
"能夠分享我們對佛朗明哥與藝術的生活方式，並且感受這裡對佛朗明哥及其本土傳統的獨特詮釋，我們深感榮幸。我在離開台灣之際，承載著滿滿的愛與學習，希望我也有在此留下些許足跡，因為我將帶走無數的感動與啟發"

12歲時，薛喻鮮以亞洲首位華人之姿，考上西班牙馬德里皇家舞蹈學院，2022年，率領精靈幻舞舞團以作品「永恆的回歸」，拿到第31屆西班牙舞蹈及佛朗明哥大賽團體組第1名，現在考上西班牙國家舞團。

[[舞者薛喻鮮]]
"我希望不只是在劇場的舞蹈盛典，一直以來，除了做表演藝術創作的演出之外，表演藝術在各個角落，藝術教育的發展，藝術關懷的實踐，也是非常重要的核心。精靈幻舞在南澳的舞蹈教室，我們長期以來，在這五年以來，我們也有孩子會學佛朗明哥，都是藉由舞團的教師教導，我在考取西班牙國家舞團之前，我在南澳舞蹈空間擔任老師，我記得當時學生問我，老師你還會回來嗎，我就給他一個承諾，老師一定會回來，我也會把世界帶回來給你"

以佛朗明哥表演而聞名的精靈幻舞蹈團，由薛喻鮮的母親何蓮華於2000年創立，將佛朗明哥與芭蕾舞、現代舞和台灣傳統音樂融為一體，創造出融合西班牙和台灣文化元素的獨特表演。出於對教育的熱情，他們在台灣偏鄉地區教授學生佛朗明哥舞，希望激勵下一代舞者。

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