Andrea Williams
Flamenco Dancer and Instructor
“Williams expresses the energy and passion of flamenco through her whole body – all the way to her fingertips. Every movement is deliberate, infused with feline grace and extraordinary control. She is absolutely captivating.”
Andrea began her flamenco career in St. John’s, Newfoundland. In Vancouver, Andrea trained extensively with Oscar Nieto and Kasandra “La China”, joining Mozaico Flamenco Dance Theatre in 2004 and becoming one of the Academy’s beloved instructors in 2008.
As a performer, Andrea is known for her classically-influenced and artistically precise style. Her grace, clean lines and control have distinguished her as both an exceptional ensemble dancer and a soloist. Her professional career includes performances in dozens of events including Vancouver International Dance Festival, the Dance Centre’s Discover Dance series, Jondo Flamenco Festival, North Shore Folk Festival and the Vancouver International Flamenco Festival.
More recently, Andrea has taken the lead in Vancouver as one of BC’s most promising and innovative choreographers. Her highly acclaimed Raices y Alas (Roots and Wings) project, has seen Andrea take on the roles of dancer, choreographer, producer and Artistic Director. She continues to explore and redefine the boundaries of flamenco in Canada while respecting the origins and traditional techniques of the art.
She was honoured in 2011 with a performance grant by BC Buds, a program dedicated to presenting new works by emerging BC dance artists. The recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts grant in 2010, Andrea travelled to Spain where she enhanced her traditional Sevillan bata de cola, manton and castanuelas technique and choreography at Escuela Matilde Coral. She also immersed herself in the exploration of contemporary styling with the innovative bailaora, Angeles Gabaldon.
Teaching Style
Andrea is an engaging, encouraging teacher who is known for balancing her emphasis on technical precision with a sense of humour and an honest dedication to students’ development.
Her many years of rigorous training with Oscar Nieto and Kasandra “La China” are further enhanced through her academic background. University-trained as a French language instructor, Andrea easily transfers those skills to teaching flamenco. Her degree in kinesiology also gives her a unique set of tools to explain body awareness and movement, and to break down technique for students in a comprehensive manner.
She is particularly respected for her flamenco technique classes, intensive bootcamp workshops and for her mastery of bata de cola.
