Celebrating My Students

María has been a student of mine since 2013. As a flamenco dancer, María has connected deeply to flamenco as an art form that represents a people, a culture, and a long history of oppression, resistance, and survival. She embraces the importance of transmitting emotion and energy through her dance above all else, be it grief, sadness or joy. It is this quality that makes her dance so beautiful, her energy so captivating, and her dedication so full. When María comes to class, her smile and authenticity brighten the whole room and nourish every movement we explore. In her own words…

“In 2001, I watched a film called Latcho Drom ("safe journey") The movie was about the Romani people's journey from northwest India to Spain. It begins in Northern India and ends in Spain, passing through Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and France. These people were persecuted, discriminated against, and oppressed.  One scene that stood out for me took place in Spain at the plaza (town square). A boy and his mother sing mournfully of the centuries of persecution, repeatedly imploring the “porque me escupe en la cara?” or, "why do you spit on me?" Latcho Drom, La  Kaíta, "El pájaro negro" Tony Gatlif as her query echoes out over the town. It reminded me of my own people’s oppression. I related viscerally to their experience. Having been in the USA since 1985 and enduring racism for 36 years, it felt as if I was there mourning with them. I also felt deeply moved by how at the same time they were proud of who they are. The racism and white supremacy of that era has not ended, it is alive and strong. It continues to oppress people of color all over the world.

Later in the same year, I watched a Flamenco performance at the Portland Museum of Art. I was fascinated by how the performer transmitted her emotions through her body and dance. It inspired me to learn this dance. I took one of the workshops she was teaching, but couldn’t do the weekly classes because it was in New Hampshire, too far for me to drive.  

In 2012, I attended a performance by Olas (a group that Lindsey led), and immediately felt alive again. I could feel grief and joy. I asked Lindsey if she thought of ever teaching, she told me she was studying in Spain and that she would be teaching as soon as she was done. In 2013, Lindsey started teaching classes at El Centro Latino. I enjoy studying with Lindsey, she is an amazing teacher. I like her empowering approach of teaching. She breaks the steps down so we can learn it step by step, building on what was learned the week before, making learning doable and enjoyable. Although she focuses on techniques, her emphasis is on transmitting feeling/emotions, confidence, and pride. Even if I do not know the choreography well, I always feel confident at the end of class. 

As I learn about the origins of the Gitanos and the Flamenco dance, it makes sense to me that I resonated so much with the Gitanos. As a survivor of colonization, poverty, sexual and domestic violence back home in Peru, later moving to the USA, I have felt a sense of being homelessness landlessness. Even after 36 years living in the USA I still have not felt a sense of belonging. 

Flamenco helps me connect with deep feelings such as rage, grief, sorrow, and also joy. It helps me express them in a healthy and artistic form. Celebrating life in all its forms is very freeing. The way I can use my body to tell my stories is empowering. When I express my emotions through flamenco, I feel my soul returning to my body. Dancing flamenco for me is a form of resistance. I dance for the nobodies. I dance to claim the right to be here, the right to take space and be worthy of joy and happiness. 

Although Spain was the country that colonized and subjugated the indigenous people of South America and committed the genocide of my people, I relate to the Gitanos because they were also marginalized, persecuted, discriminated against, and oppressed.  

Throughout my life I have had three major losses: the loss of my childhood, the loss of my land, and the loss of my mother. The loss that hurt the most was when my mother passed away. The feeling of being motherless was very painful. It felt as if something from me left when she died.  I mourned my mother for years. Through this grief, I was still dancing. Lindsey helped me choreograph a piece for the first anniversary of my mother’s passing. My mother was a generous and selfless person, always extending a hand to someone in need even if she didn’t have enough herself.  Dancing this piece helped me move the grief through my body, giving space to heal ancestral wounds, to celebrate my mother and to carry on her legacy.”

Fall Flamenco Dance Classes Begin September 15th!

Fall Classes

Click on each class to learn more & to register…

Beginners Technique & Choreography

Intermediate-Advanced Flamenco Technique

Flamenco Repertory Class

A Note for Intermediate-Advanced Students:

You are encouraged to sign up for the Full Series Combo Pass, which allows you to attend both the Intermediate-Advanced Flamenco Technique Classes and the Flamenco Repertory Classes at a reduced rate and is designed to prepare you for the 2022 Student Showcase. Intermediate-Advanced students who plan to perform in the Student Showcase are required to take the Flamenco Repertory Class unless you have made another class arrangement with Lindsey.

The Fine Print:

• Registration Deadline for Full Series Passes: September 8th

• Class Limits: Classes will be limited to 15 students, with priority given to series pass and class-bundle holders. Drop-ins are limited to 5 per class. If purchasing a drop-in at the door, please call Mayo Street Arts ahead of time for availability 207-879-4629

• Registration Inquiries & Assistance: Please Contact Mayo Street Arts Directly at:

  207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org

• Questions about Class Content or Attire: Please Contact Lindsey Directly at:

  207-409-4070 or Info@LindseyBourassa.com

• Financial Assistance: No one will be turned away for lack of funds; contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org for information on their sliding scale admission policy.

• COVID-19 POLICY: Mayo Street Arts is committed to the safety of everyone and will adhere to all Federal & Maine CDC guidelines. As they anticipate mid-season changes to our COVID-19 policy, please click here to visit their website and view the most current information.

Join the Online Flamenco Dance Studio by August 31st

The online flamenco dance studio demystifies flamenco without diminishing its wonder, providing the tools and knowledge needed to be able to express flamenco’s magic through your own expression, unique only to you.

The studio celebrates flamenco as an art form that embraces all ages, genders, and bodies; an art form we can grow into and old with, our passion and expression ever deepening.

New to the Online Studio This Month

Tangos de Triana: we are about halfway through our Tangos de Triana choreography! This month we learned 2 more full letras (verses) and 1 falseta (guitar solo). We will spend the next weeks completing this piece, online AND in-person, with new lessons each week until it is complete!

Fandangos Complex: the multimedia slideshow exploring the Fandangos Complex has now been added to the online studio Musical System of Flamenco theory course. Next month, I will add the Folkloric Complex to complete this theory course, giving you a well-rounded understanding of the 5 musical groupings in flamenco that make it the genre that it is!

Flamenco Shows & Workshop at Mayo Street Arts

Flamenco Performances

October 2nd & 3rd | 7 PM | Mayo Street Arts

We have an amazing line-up of flamenco artists coming to Mayo Street Arts this October. I am so thrilled and excited to perform again after such a long hiatus accompanied by three of the most sought-after flamenco artists in the US — flamenco singer Bárbara Martínez, flamenco guitarist Andreas Arnold, and flamenco percussionist and singer Mario Rincon — for two performances that highlight the interconnection between flamenco dance, song and guitar through traditional styles such as Livianas, Tarantos, Sevillanas and Bulerías. Having collaborated regularly, we strive to celebrate and honor the power of flamenco's storytelling ability through an emotive call and response of melodies, rhythms and movements.

Purchase Tickets Here

Flamenco Dance Workshop

Mayo Street Arts | October 10th | 3-4:30 PM

Have you always enjoyed watching flamenco performances? Think you might like to give it a try but are too hesitant to commit to classes? This workshop is the perfect opportunity for you to experience first-hand the beauty and strength of flamenco performance! Designed with the complete novice in mind, this workshop will provide you with an opportunity to learn some basic steps with Lindsey.

Register Here

Intro to Flamenco Guitar | With Andreas Arnold

Mayo Street Arts | October 3rd | 1-2:30 PM

This workshop is designed for guitarists that have little or no knowledge about flamenco but do have a basic level of playing guitar (chords, strumming, basic music theory). Students should bring their own guitar (nylon stringed, classical, or flamenco).

In our time together, we will examine the particular ways that flamenco works rhythmically and harmonically, especially within the context of the guitar. We will learn rhythmic patterns of different flamenco palos (styles), how to play palmas (hand claps), and translate these ideas to the guitar.

Your Teacher: Andreas Arnold was born in Germany and lives between Andalusia, Spain and Brooklyn, NY. He has been working as a professional flamenco guitarist for the last 12 years. As a jazz musician who penetrated flamenco from the outside and deeply studied this music for years, he understands the difficulties that musicians might have when first trying to get a grip on flamenco. He can relate flamenco concepts in western terms and de-mystify some of the sounds of this fascinating art form. More about Andreas: www.andreasarnold.info

Registration Info Coming Soon at: MayoStreetArts.org