Chinese dancer Karina Yao discovered the magic of flamenco through the evocative words of Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca, who once described the dance as a burst of "tightly closed flowers blossom into a thousand petals." That poetic image sparked a passion that would change her life.
Growing up in Taiyuan city, Shanxi province, Karina first encountered flamenco while studying Spanish at home. In 2012, fascinated by Lorca’s work and the art’s fiery spirit, she hopped on a plane to Spain. In Seville, watching her first flamenco class, she felt an overwhelming sense of connection: "It was so real and so passionate," she recalls. The experience contrasted sharply with the more reserved cultural expressions of her traditional upbringing.
For Karina, flamenco was more than just dance—it was a language of the soul. "When I dance, I can express the real me. I share my joy, my sorrow, and my history with every step," she explains. Years of piano training had already instilled in her a deep sense of rhythm, making the transition to the expressive nuances of flamenco feel almost like learning a new language, complete with its own grammar and style.
Even her name hinted at her destiny. Her Chinese name, 姚天慧 (Yao Tianhui), carries a subtle connection to dance; the character for Yao (姚) resonates with the idea of movement, almost echoing the Mandarin word for dance, 跳舞 (Tiaowu).
By 2014, at the age of 21, Karina moved to Spain full time, embarking on a journey that took her around the world with the group Flamenco Sin Fronteras. This multicultural ensemble, featuring a Chinese guitarist alongside supporting vocalists and percussionists from the U.S. and France, blended diverse influences to celebrate the art of flamenco without borders.
Today, a decade later, Karina shares her passion by teaching flamenco to other Chinese women, inspiring them to find the freedom of self-expression through dance. Her story is a vibrant reminder that following your passion can break cultural barriers and transform your life.
💃✨ Let Karina’s journey inspire you to step outside your comfort zone and embrace the art that sets your soul on fire!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
