Welcome to the official site of Alegria Flamenco

The Directors

Rosana Maya P.d.B. Dip./ Prof. Asesora

Roseanne began her dance studies at an early age in her town of birth, Cape Town, South Africa with Barabara Holden School of Royal Ballet. Here she completed the Elementary level thereafter attending open classes with various highly acclaimed teachers in this field. Her ballet training was later continued in Malta where she obtained Honours in the Cecchetti method of Classical Ballet under the tuition of Chev. Tanya Bayona of the Princess Poutiatine Academy of Ballet.

In 1975 Roseanne entered the Marina Lorca School of Spanish Dance where she completed the Advanced level of the Spanish Dance Society examinations. She thereafter qualified in all the teachers certificates, acquiring the Profesor de Baile Diploma in 1995.

Besides an extensive academic program, Roseanne spent two years specializing in flamenco in Madrid Spain, during which time she studied in the famous Flamenco school 'Amor de Dios'. Her teachers include world reknowned maestros of the art such as Maria Magdalena, Cristobal Reyes, Jose Antonio Ruiz, among others. She thereafter spent some time in South Africa and England giving various guest classes in Flamenco.

In 1990 Roseanne accepted an invitation to teach at the prestigious school in Malta, Tanya Bayona Princess Poutiatine Academy of Ballet, where she held the position as head of Spanish Dance for nine years. During this time she offered her services in the first free-lance teaching capacity and was invited to four other dance schools in Malta, The College of Jazz, Alison White School of Dance, The Dance Academy and Mary Jane Bellia Theatre School. Two years ago, in 1999, Roseanne opened her own school of Flamenco, Alegria Academia Flamenca from where she now directs her own dance company 'Alegria'.

Her professional dance career began in South Africa where climbed to soloist capacity in various dance companies namely Danza Lorca, Mercedes Molina Spanish Dance Theatre, Hazel Acosta Spanish Dance Company in South Africa. Later in Spain she toured with Maria Velasquez y Paco Mundo Classico Baile Espanol in Europe as well as with Fiesta Flamenca de Londres. Following the invitation to Malta, she has performed with Tanya Bayona Dance Theatre Company, The Y.A.D.A. Dance Company and her own cabaret group Danza Romaya.

Since her arrival in Malta Spanish dance has increased in popularity. She has also been invited to lecture an optional credit at the University of Malta in a regular freelance capacity in the Hispanics Department on the Evolution of Spanish Dance. In the year 2000 she opened Malta's first Spanish Tablao (restaurant with live Flamenco), she has introduced live music to dance classes, cabaret and theatre employing our local Flamenco guitarist Pepe el Tiburon as well as providing a professional platform for much of our local Maltese talent to perform. Most recently she was invited onto the board of examiners for the internationally acclaimed Alianza Flamenco introducing a new and innovative method of dance study to Maltese students and has introduced a scholarship for study in Spain for a local student also.

There are various areas in which Roseanne has experience such as costume and stage design, visualization, direction and production of numerous projects stemming from cabaret, theatre, festivals, foreign tours, film and TV. She performs and guest teaches both locally and abroad. She was the winner of the Malta Choreographic Awards and her choreographic video was presented at the Grand Prix International Video Danse in Paris in 1992.

Roseanne's aim is to bring more academic research and understanding into dance and to bring Malta in alignment with the level of professionalism internationally by introducing opportunities for foreign exchange of dancers, musicians and singers in the magnificent cultural art of Spanish Dance and other methods of dance. Five of her Maltese students have obtained teachers examinations for the Spanish Dance Society and are now teaching in Malta.

TRAINING
Classical Ballet: R.A.D.: Barbara Holden
Cecchetti :Tanya Bayona, Theresa Lungaro Mifsud
Other Classical: El Kike, Jean-Claude Mathieu, Elvira Kokorina
Spanish Dance: S.D.S. Dame Marina Lorca/Mavis Becker, Sherrill Wexler, Carlos Bain, Rhoda Rivkind, Dame Marina Keet, Carmen Arroyo
Alianza Flamenca Hazel Acosta, Carlos Bain,
Maestros de Flamenco: Maria Magdalena, Cristobal Reyes, Jose Antonio, Belen Maya, Javier Latorre, Angelita Gomez, Paco Romero, Fernando, Nuria Ramos, Vicky Ramos, La Carmela
Greek national: Antonin
Tap: Felicity Carlene
Contemporary Dance: Francesca Abela, Vivienne Fielding Refalo, Sara Pardo
Argentinian Tango: El Diablo, Charlene

Nicola Henson

In 2001 Classical ballet was introduced under the direction of Nicola Henson A.I.S.T.D. Dip. Children are accepted from three years of age with classes twice weekly from the age of five years and over. International examinations are held at the end of each scholastic year and internationally recognized certificates are awarded to successful candidates. All students will have the opportunity to perform on stage during annual school productions and other events throughout the year.

Born and raised in Malta, Nicola started classical ballet at the age of four with the Tanya Bayona academy, later the Tanya Bayona Princess Poutatine Academy of Ballet, where she trained in the Cecchetti method up to Advanced level. She also took up other forms of dance within the school namely Modern dance and Jazz, National dance, Contempory dance and of course Spanish dance.

She was awarded several scholarships to attend the Bush Davies College and the London Studio Centre both in the United Kingdom.
Her greatest experience however, was an invitation to study at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Vaganova Ballet Academy- the school of the Kirov Ballet- has seen the names of Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky to name a few of the famous world over and in the late 50's and 60's produced the renowned Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Barishnikov.

Nicola continued to establish her career in dance forming part of the Tanya Bayona Dance Theatre Company performing both locally and abroad taking on many solo roles and obtained her qualifications to teach classical ballet in the Cecchetti method in August 1991 after which she joined the Tanya Bayona Princess Poutatine Academy faculty and was responsible for the junior section of the school.

In 1999 after a short break in which she married and had a son, Nicola joined the faculty of the college of Jazz Dance assisting Alison Bird in the ballet section of the school and in the year 2000 opened the ballet section within Alegria Academia Flamenca joining Rosanna Maya in her pursuit to develop dance in Malta.

It is here Nicola intends to continue to pass on her knowledge and experience and carry on developing the beauty of dance amongst our youngsters.