Benidorm celebrates World Dance Day with a masterclass on Paseo de Poniente

Benidorm's Paseo de Poniente was the stage where the World Dance Day was celebrated yesterday. However, the celebration was marred by the nationwide power outage that left all planned activities unfinished.

However, students from the city's dance academies and schools gathered on the promenade to be led by international dancer and Benidorm native Andrea Méndez Criado in a master class in front of several hundred people who didn't want to miss the show. In addition to the class, a flash mob had been organised on Paseo de Poniente, which failed to take place because minutes before it began, the power outage affected the entire country.

At the start of the activity, which was attended by the Councillor for Culture, Jaime Jesús Pérez, and the Councillor for Education, Maite Moreno, some students read a manifesto defending dance, in Spanish and English. The young dancers, however, had the opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable class under the direction of Andrea Méndez.

The teacher, who completed her dance studies in Barcelona, ​​became a member of the National Dance Company 2 in Madrid, directed by Nacho Duato, after her training. Two years later, she was already a member of the National Dance Company, where she worked with choreographers such as Duato himself, Jirí Kylián, William Forsythe, and Mats Ek. From 2009 to 2013, she was part of Ballett Mainz under the direction of Pascal Touzeau, working with choreographers such as Rafael Bonachela, Forsythe, and Georg Reischl, among others. She currently works as a teacher, dancer, and choreographic assistant for various companies and choreographers.