Creative Profile: Diana Reyes
Diana Reyes, a renowned flamenco choreographer and dancer, has dedicated her life to the art form, from her early inspiration at 16 to her ten years studying and performing in Spain. Now a respected teacher and leader of her own dance studio in Sydney, Diana continues to inspire future generations of flamenco dancers while advocating for the survival and growth of the art in Australia’s multicultural landscape.
“I always believed I would have a career in dance. I had already performed in ballet, jazz and contemporary. When I saw the flamenco performance, I was captivated and knew that was for me.”
Diana was drawn to the expressive, emotional and rhythmic world of flamenco from the age of 16, sparked by a performance from a touring flamenco dance company . She eventually moved to Spain in order to “truly immerse” herself in this art form.
Following her heart and passion for the dance form, Diana originally studied in dance before heading to Spain at the age of 20. With flamenco traditions rooted in Spain, the vibrancy of its day-to-day culture with the dance, allowed Diana to hone her skills, and she immersed herself in studying and performing in flamenco venues in Madrid.
“I lived in Spain for 10 years and I continue to travel back to the country around every two years to study and see performances. It is important to my craft that I remain connected with the country and art form.”
It’s a practice she shares with her students, encouraging them to travel to the southern European country to study the art form to fully grasp the essence and vibrancy of Flamenco.
Diana is now a well renowned and highly respected choreographer, producer and dancer – creating successful shows for the Enmore Theatre, Seymour Centre and Performance Space in Sydney. She has taken flamenco dancing around Australia and the globe. She has also worked with a raft of highly respected artists including singers Jesus El Almendro, Eva Duran and guitarists Jose Luis Monton and Paco Cruz. She also worked closely with the dancer Antonio Vargas – who played the lead in Strictly Ballroom – their 15 year relationship culminated in a number of collaborations including Carmen with the Victorian State Opera performing in Sydney and Melbourne.
Diana remains a doyenne in the flamenco community in Australia. Her wisdom about the dance form now sustaining and fostering groups of passionate flamenco dancers at her Flamenco Dance Studio in Newtown where she teaches students– from absolute beginners to advanced dancers. What sets her school apart is the live music – guitarists and singers that perform in the advanced classes.
“It’s something, I like to impart with my dance and personality. Certainly, for the advanced classes, I have a flamenco guitarist and a flamenco singer. I don't like to work with CDs. When you perform flamenco, it's never just about the dance, It’s very much about the music with the guitar and the singing behind that performance.”
One of her most rewarding experiences as a teacher is seeing her students embrace a “love and commitment” to flamenco. “You can work hard but you can still have a lot of fun.” She also is thrilled when they travel to Spain to further their career, a pathway that mirrored her own. She also sees men attracted to the “macho” quality of flamenco dancing. “It’s a great way to express themselves.”
Like many other artistic communities, flamenco dancing has confronted its own challenge. To sustain this dance form, arts and multicultural communities are key to its resilience.
“In Australia Flamenco really had its moments from about 1980 until early 2000, when we had more migration from Spain. Having said that, we still have schools teaching flamenco of a very high calibre in every state. With Australia being so far away from Europe, it’s certainly an accomplishment to all flamenco teachers and performers that we are still able to keep flamenco strong and alive.”
A more immediate challenge now is the fall in government funding for artistic organisations and the Diana Reyes Studio is no exception. Here, Diana sees the crucial need for multicultural festivals backed by local councils.
“It’s been challenging post COVID particularly as dance classes are considered now a nice-to-have rather than a necessity. We need the visibility to attract the people. Multicultural festivals can really boost this visibility. Again, this goes back to the need for a vibrant multicultural community, and we don’t have that strong migration anymore. Financial support from local governments makes a difference.”
Diana remains optimistic about the future of the dance form with solid enrolments at her school and performances and workshops in the pipeline.
Her wish for the flamenco community would be to be more widely recognised and have a stronger presence in major festivals in Australia.
“I continue to be very inspired by flamenco. The joy I get from seeing the next generation of dancers who will continue to promote this art form fills me with a lot of satisfaction and hope for the future.”
Written by Priyanka Smithfied
Priyanka Smithfied is a creative writer and former journalist. She lives in the inner west and enjoys the myriad of cuisines on offer as well as the vibrancy of her neighbourhood.