Learn to dance like a pro at Mendes Flamenca. Make sure to swing by their open day

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Rosario Mendes’s (a.k.a. Retha Minnie) love of flamenco dancing came at a very early age by watching her two sisters’ dance. At the age of 6 she started classes with Helena Montoya and also joined José Montoya’s classes at the age of 8 years.

She completed the traditional Spanish Dance Society syllabus in 2004 and the new Flamenco syllabus in 2010 plus one year of Alianza Flamenca in 2008. In 2015 she joined Alianza Flamenca to finish the grade Assessments and started her Teachers training with them as well in 2016.

Rosario participated in all the Montoya productions from 1992-2013. She had the honour of performing with the SABT (South African Ballet Theatre) and the Black Tie Ensemble in A Valentine’s Enchantment in 2004-2006. In 2005, 2009 and 2011 she danced with the Tshwane Youth Ballet Theatre as a guest artist in their production of The Nutcracker.  She was invited to dance at the FIFA World Cup final in 2010 for the Adidas Loyalty tent and have also danced at the Chinese New Year celebrations at the Chinese Heritage temple from 2009-2013.  In 2015 she was invited, along with other Alianza teachers, to dance in the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Spanish Dance Society in Espana 50th as well as Alianza’s own 20th Anniversary Celebration where her own students got the opportunity to perform.  She also joined El Rincon Flamenco in 2019 for Essence Flamenca.

She also completed many courses with professional dancers from Spain and South Africa like Inmaculada Ortega in 2007, Carolina Rosa in 2006 and 2007, Rosa Jiminez in 2010, Angel Munoz in 2011 and 2015, LaTruco in 2012, Rosana Maya in 2014, Linda Vargas in 2015, Leonor Lean in 2017 and Che Adams in 2018.

Rosario always dreamed of starting her own dance school and finally after much thought Mendes Flamenca opened in May 2019 after many years of teaching at Dynamic Show Dance Academy (2009-2013) and Dance de Art (2011-2018).  She became a qualified teacher for Alianza Flamenca in 2019 under El Rincon Flamenco studio.  Since 2014 she’s been a freelance dancer with Rosana Maya for Alianza Flamenca and together they had their first Flamenco Studio show in 2018 called Viva la Familia directed by Jonathan Pienaar.

Want to be a dancer yourself? Well, why not join in on the fun.

Join by the Mendes Flamenca Open Day

When: 11 January between 10am and 3pm.
Where: Lynnburn Centre Unit 1, 69 Lynburn Road, Lynnwood Manor
Styles: Pilates, Flamenco/Spanish Dancing, Adult Ballet Classes and Burlesque Dancing

For more info call Rosario Mendes at 064 669 7579 or email [email protected].

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