Tango–Guitar–Flamenco Week: Workshop, Flamenco Dance: Bata de cola technique for advanced dancers

Tango–Guitar–Flamenco Week: Workshop, Flamenco Dance: Bata de cola technique for advanced flamenco dancers, Mario Ruiz.

Flamenco is an art form with deep roots in Andalusia, but is now performed all over the world. Traditional flamenco at its purest consists of singing, guitar and dance, in which the performers "conversate" with each other in an organic and intuitive way, sharing a common compás – rhythm or swing – and palo, the style of flamenco.

Bata de cola is a traditional long-skirted flamenco skirt used in dance performances.

Flamenco dance workshop, which you can participate in as a dancer or as a spectator. Duration approximately 90 min. Instruction is in Spanish/English, with Finnish interpretation if necessary. Advance registration required. Course fee is invoiced in advance. The organizer reserves the right to cancel the course if there are not enough participants.

Teacher Mario Ruiz

Mario Ruiz is part of a new generation of flamenco artists who transcend borders. Born in Mexico, Ruiz began dancing at the age of five and has since deepened his studies in Spain under the guidance of key flamenco masters. His dance combines the physical strength of youth, refined technique and strong stage presence. In 2024, Ruiz won first prize at the Manolo Soler Flamenco Dance Competition in Seville and received an Acciona scholarship to study at the Fundación Cristina Heeren.

Mario Ruiz & Co.'s flamenco concert Carta a mi madre (Letter to my mother) will have its world premiere in Tampere on Saturday, September 19 at 7 pm in Pyynikki Hall. The central character of the work is the young Mexican dancer Mario Ruiz, around whom a guitar and vocal ensemble based in Seville is built: Eloy Cito Gonzales, Silvia Reina and Antonio Hurtado. Together they bring an emotional story to the heart of flamenco, where footwork, silence, melody and the sheer power of the voice tell what words alone cannot.

The event is part of the Tango–Guitar–Flamenco Week program. Tampere Tango Festival, Tampere Guitar Festival and Tampere Flamenco Week together form the Tango—Guitar—Flamenco Week, which will be held from 11–20 September 2026.