Northwest Flamenco Academy

Meet NWFA’s August Student of the Month, Kathleen! We sat down with her to learn more about her journey with Flamenco and how this art form has made an impact on her life. Take a look at some of the highlights of the interview, and watch the full video on our YouTube channel! Thank you for being part of our community, Kathleen!

Music: “Bulerías”
Artists: Pepe Romero, Chano Lobato, Maria Magdalena, Paco Romero

Flamenco Fun Facts 4: Did you know… that there are many forms of Flamenco?

Flamenco has many styles or forms, called palos. In Spanish, the word “palo” is defined as “stick” or “branch,” which in relation to flamenco means a palo is a branch of the flamenco “tree.”

Many palos are offshoots of other palos. In the flamenco tree, the main branches allude to the major categories of palos, such as Soleares, Cantiñas, Tangos, and more. The smaller branches depict the various rhythms belonging to each category.

Visualizing flamenco styles as a tree can help in understanding the different influences that have marked and developed the flamenco arts, as one can see how each palo formed out of another!

Follow Northwest Flamenco Academy for more Flamenco Fun Facts!

Flamenco Fun Facts 3: Did you know… that Flamenco is recognized by UNESCO?

In 2010, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) recognized Flamenco as one of the world’s Masterpieces of Intangible Cultural Heritage. But what does this honor include in the definition of Flamenco?

Flamenco is a complex art form combining poetry, singing (cante in Spanish), music and guitar playing (toque), dance (baile), polyrhythmic clapping (palmas), and finger-snapping (pitos). All of these elements are part of what makes Flamenco the unique art it is! In addition, there’s a call-and-response aspect inherent to Flamenco, known as jaleo, which includes clapping, foot-stomping, and encouraging shots from the audience. (If you’ve ever heard an audience yell “Olé after a really cool section during a Flamenco show, you’ve witnessed an example of jaleos being used!)

Follow Northwest Flamenco Academy for more Flamenco Fun Facts!

‼️ DON’T MISS OUT ‼️

This weekend, NWFA is performing in “Dance This” at the Moore Theatre! Here’s a word from our maestras on this exciting occasion:

“Attention all students! NWFA has been very busy preparing for an amazing opportunity to perform in this year’s ‘Dance This’ at the Moore Theater. If you’re not familiar with this program, read on to learn more about what we’ve been doing!

“‘Dance This’ is Seattle Theater Groups’s signature dance program, which is celebrating its 28th year of bringing together youth and adult performers from diverse communities for collaboration and sharing their culture through the art of dance. 10 NWFA students along with Eve, Amelia, and Jackie have been deep in rehearsals preparing for this epic event. That includes a total of 8 rehearsals in Seattle with STG, on top of weekly NWFA rehearsals where we have prepared an original choreography combining three flamenco palos including Malaguena with castanets, Abandalao with bata and manton, and a fiery Jaleos erupting into a frenzy of footwork, as well as a traditional tablao piece with Amelia, all to live music!

“Amelia, Eve, and Jackie are so proud of the students who have been so dedicated to this project. They’ve had to alter their busy lives and rearrange schedules to be at so many extra rehearsals on top of their regular academy classes. With all this hard work, the results of what we are creating together have been incredibly satisfying, especially the special collaborations and connections we are making with the other performers from such a diverse community.

“We guarantee you’ll be surprised at what you’ll see NWFA bring to this show and mesmerized at all the tremendously talented groups that will be onstage. So, we invite all our NWFA students to support our dancers by showing up and representing our flamenco community. We love you all, and you won’t be disappointed!”

🗓️ When: Friday, July 10th at 1pm and 7:30pm
📍 Where: Moore Theatre—1932 2nd Ave, Seattle
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.stgpresents.org/events/dance-this-2026/

Meet NWFA’s Student of the Month for July, Ann! We sat down with her to learn more about her journey with Flamenco and how this art form has made an impact on her life. Take a look at some of the highlights of the interview, and watch the full video on our YouTube channel! Thank you for being part of our community, Ann!

‼️ STARTING TOMORROW ‼️ Flamenco Guitar Fundamentals with Sebastian Quintero!

The Flamenco Guitar Fundamentals Summer series will be held on Wednesdays at 7-8:30pm, July 1-September 2, 2026 at the Flamenco Haven music studio. Students must have knowledge of the basic first position cords to be eligible to participate. Following the series, students will have a chance to perform a Rumba at our studio show on October 3rd with Tablao and Por Fiesta program participants!

💃🏻 Pricing
- 10 x 90min classes $360
- 1 drop-in 90min class $45
- Register through your NWFA Mariana Tek account
- Email questions to [email protected]

💃🏻 About Your Instructor
Internationally acclaimed guitarist Sebastian Quintero is a musician and composer working in Seattle, WA. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Sebastian regularly performs around the greater Seattle area with a wide variety of groups. Since he was a small child, Sebastian has dedicated his life to the study of the guitar. Sebastian holds a degree in Instrumental Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, as well as placements in several International competitions. He has had the fortune of studying with acclaimed teachers such as Marc Teicholz, Elizabeth Brown, Marcos Carmona, Julian Lage, and many others. Sebastian can most often be found playing with Sabor Flamenco, the Tango group Sol de Noche, Arte Flamenco, and as a soloist.

💃🏻 COMING SOON!! 💃🏻 Join NWFA in these ALL-AGES Flamenco Community Flashmobs taking place at various locations and dates throughout our community, starting on Sunday July 26, 12:00pm (location TBA)!

Participants will learn a 3-minute Bulerías palo choreographed by Yume Azcarate and Jackie MacLin
by attending three Wednesday classes on July 1, 15, and 22 at 6:00-7:00pm, with a final group rehearsal Saturday July 25 at 4:00-5:00pm, all at Flamenco Haven in Bellevue.

Participants who can’t attend all four classes should attend at least one in-person class as well as purchase the instructional video via Vimeo to practice at home.

All participants must know the choreography well enough to be able to perform it on their own, because they will be dispersed in various areas and possibly facing different directions depending on the venue, so in-person attendance is recommended!

More specific details about both the in-person class and the instructional video will be provided after registration. To register, sign up via the Northwest Flamenco Academy website nwflamencoacademy.com
using your existing Mariana Tek account, or set up a MT account if needed.

Purchase options:
💃🏻 Option 1: Four in-person classes using an NWFA gift card for a discounted rate of $110.
💃🏻 Option 2: Single in-person drop-in $40 rate for one technique class.
💃🏻 Option 3: Instructional video via Vimeo for $20.

Classes start soon, so sign up today! We hope to see you there!

TOMORROW!
Bulerías por fiesta Cante Workshop @ North Bend Music Studio
Saturday, June 27, 2026
with guest artist Jose Moreno followed by a Flamenco Juerga
REGISTER NOW!!!