Carola Myers is a flamenco mom.
Her twin 10-year-old girls practice traditional Spanish dancing five hours a week, and Myers, a professional makeup artist, pitches in when needed to sew costumes and apply makeup before performances.
"It's not just the dances. The music is so beautiful," said Myers of Fairfax, whose daughters Carolina and Nicole, have been members of the Danzamarina troupe, a Spanish dance group based in Fairfax County, since 2002.
A native of Bolivia, Myers was drawn to the art form of flamenco and other Spanish dancing during a performance by dancer Michele Golden three years ago.
"It took my breath away, it was incredible," Myers said. She signed her children up for lessons, and now they are part of the troupe, which numbers close to 40 members.
"At the beginning, it seemed to be a little tiring for them, but I was able to tell them that this is an art, it's not like you go and play on game and that's the end. It's about practicing and getting better," said Myers.
It also helped, she said, that the group's founder and teacher, Golden, was passionate about her art form.
"They're never wrong to her. They're always learning," said Myers.
GOLDEN, WHO graduated from George Mason University this spring, has been dancing since she was 5 years old and was drawn to Spanish dancing, specifically flamenco, when she saw a video.
"It's a beautiful dance, very expressive, and very different from other dance forms," Golden said. "It's not as constraining as ballet. There's a lot left to the individual, and everyone's style is different."
Golden graduated from Flint Hill School in Oakton and founded the company in 2002 with 15 people, mostly adults. Soon, said Myers, word of the group spread.
"I don't think she imagined it to be that explosive," she said.
The group performs a variety of traditional dances from Spain, including flamenco. Spanish folk dances are characterized by hand movements as well as toe and heel clicking, finger snapping, and even the use of castanets. Other instruments like guitar are also incorporated into productions.
Currently, Golden said the group has 37 performers including musicians, of which 15 are children under 12 years old, and eight more are teenagers. Many of the students in the class are part of the Spanish immersion program at Laurel Ridge Elementary in Fairfax.
Marie Pasquel of Fairfax Station said her 9-year-old daughter Natalie, a student at Laurel Ridge, has changed dramatically since she started with the group in February 2004.
"It emphasizes so much beat and rhythm, and she now has an amazing rhythm," said Pasquel. "She's constantly practicing at home. Her passion has just grown enormously."
Golden, who teaches many of the students in private lessons in her basement, while the group rehearses together at Leewood Health Care in Annandale.
"There is a certain amount of discipline involved, and they get a sense of accomplishment after performing. I think they have a good time coming together and working as a group," said Golden.
Danzamarina has performed for the past two summers as part of the International Children's Festival at Wolf Trap in Vienna, and at the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College.
Although it is popular in pockets of the United States, Golden said flamenco dancing has never achieved widespread popularity. She plans to travel to Spain again this year to study dance, and believes that the dance training will benefit her students.
"They learn castanets, regional dances, where in Spain they come from. It teaches them a lot of great skills they can apply to anything in their life," she said.
Pasquel said while the future of the group will be up in the air once Golden leaves, she appreciates her daughter's experiences.
"She's so passionate about her dance, and I think she's passed that on to the children," she said. "Even if it does come to an end, it's been a great experience, really worthwhile."