The Square Table

Interview with Andrea Del Conte
By Dina Di Maio

I was surprised to read that you are from Rochester, New York. I was expecting Spain. You took dance lessons beginning at age four, but what made you decide to go to Spain to study dance when you turned 18? Is your family background Spanish?

I began studying classical ballet at age 4. When I was 12, I was performing with the Mercury Ballet Company at the Eastman Theatre the Chocolate Variation from the Nutcracker. Anton Dolin, a famous English choreographer saw me in that performance and suggested that I become a Spanish Dancer. And so I took his advice and started pursuing studies both in New York and Spain. I am of Italian descent, by the way.

You received your undergraduate degree in Spanish from Nazareth College of Rochester and your Master’s Degree in Spanish Literature from New York University (I’m a fellow alum!). In 1979, you started your own dance company Danza España to bring Spanish dance and music to a wider audience in this country. In 1996, you received Attitude Magazine's Ethnic Dance Award and the following year, the National Foundation for

Advancement in the Arts Award for excellence in teaching. Plus, your dance company is constantly receiving accolades and awards. One could argue you are an expert in Spanish culture. Yet your Web site says that you continue to study in Spain with teachers including Carmen Cortes, Carmela Greco, La Cintia (Madrid) and Toleo (Barcelona). Why?

I study constantly with certain choreographers or dancers whose work I love. In this way, my movements are always fresh and vital. Flamenco dance changes. It is not a stagnant form.

You also do extensive educational programs for children. You’re a member of the Arts&Culture/Board of Education of New York City, ArtsConnection, Young Audiences of New York City, New Jersey and Rochester, NY. In 2000, you created a training program for girls ages 9-14 from the Lower Eastside Girls Club in Manhattan to study flamenco with your company and to perform. Why is it so important to you to teach youngsters about flamenco?

I feel that it is extremely important to impact children's lives with art. I have seen them transform in front of my eyes after learning flamenco. It is also a way of passing the tradition and heritage on for future generations and of leaving a legacy.

The Flushing Times likened your passion to a "priestess performing a rite that was not quite safe," saying you "danced with a Martha Grahamish simplicity and gravity." It sounds as if you put everything you have into your dance. Do you feel that that is something one can learn—does it come from training—or is it more innate?

My skill as a performer comes from literally years of being onstage and a willingness to be totally who I am when I dance. Now more than ever, I dance for myself and less for the approval of others. Can these skills be learned? In a sense, yes. However, it does take a tremendous amount of dedication and exposure in front of audiences of all kinds to really become comfortable with one's self onstage.

In June, you perform at the Alegrías Flamenco Theater in New York City. What can we expect from this show?

The season at Alegrias is a cabaret type of performance. Flamenco seen in this type of venue has a certain earthiness and richness. The "tablado" or cabaret is where flamenco was first performed in the 1850's. There is a vitality and sense of improvisation that happens more easily in this environment.