Portland Flamenco Events is proud to sponsor workshops with reputable flamenco artists from Spain and North America.  These intensive workshops give students opportunities otherwise unavailable in Portland.  All workshops are open to the public. 

2009

Melinda Hedgecorth

Sepetmber 13 & 14

Guajiras with abanico

The New Day Center for the Arts

5516 SE Foster Rd.  Portland, OR 97206-3956

Melinda  Hedgecourth

Melinda began dancing at age eight in her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.  Her first love was ballet and as a child she started performing in local theaters.  In college she was exposed to more diverse dance forms including modern dance and flamenco.  It was during this time that she began dancing with a company run by David and Debbie St. Charles of Alvin Ailey.  She also met and studied with Tamara Carson who gave her key roles in her flamenco dance troupe “Ole”.

In 1997 she graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Missouri, Kansas City and moved to Seattle to look for new opportunities.  There she broadened her knowledge by studying and performing with “Carmona Flamenco.”  Anxious for more experience she was also dancing with groups in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Canada as well as appearing as a guest artist in Kansas City.

In 1999 Melinda began yearly trips to Madrid and Jerez to cultivate a more profound understanding of flamenco at the source.  There she studied with talented teachers such as Mercedes Ruiz, Belen Fernandez, and La Truco.  Five years ago she moved to Sevilla, Spain and began to perform in the local tableaus (flamenco bars) as well as participating in a series of performances of young artists held in the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo.

Although her imagination is spurred by artists such as Israel Galvan, (one of the most important innovators of modern flamenco today) she is also very conscientious about maintaining the roots of flamenco in her movement and expression.  Today she continues her development as an artist in the cradle of flamenco but travels internationally to give workshops and performances as a guest artist or with her own group “Flamenco Mio”.

To register or for more information contact:

laura@portlandflamencoevents.com or call 503.956.7712.