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“Rocio,
I love that you give us details about arms, head, hips. It's so well done and taught!
”.
Agnes Roux
Dancer/Artist from Cirque Du Soleil's Zumanity
& Flamenco Dance Student at 'To Live The Moment Flamenco Studio'
January 2009, Las Vegas NV
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"tremendous raw talent"________________________________________________________________________
Many students said Flamenco was their favorite class. Student Katie Albin liked it because “Ms Ponce has a good sense of humor, even when she’s correcting you.” Student Ernest Reynolds liked it because he got to make noise; Student Nikki Ghazimorad added, “Ms Ponce was my favorite teacher because she made the class fun and loud. She was very easy to learn from.”
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"fiery enough to entertain"________________________________________________________________________
Bringing its unique blend of Flamenco to the famous ‘El Cid’ flamenco tablao, L.A.’s longest running flamenco nightclub, the ensemble merges flamenco with their tight interplay which includes dancer Rocio Ponce.________________________________________________________________________
Having studied with some of the best in New York city, I can say that Rocio Ponce's teaching is superb. She is methodical with her techniques, and constantly reminds students of their posture & core, which is fundamental for any dance form. Without that, the rest is not worth much. You can see that her study in Spain has given her a natural ease with the dance and cutting-edge knowledge. She obviously has a strong understanding of the complex rhythmic structures of flamenco music & dance, and helps her students to gain a natural comfort with accents & countertime by immersing us in the sounds of the hands & feet. The combinations that she gives at the end of class really help students to feel they are dancing, and furthers our rhythmic understanding. Above all, Rocio's positive & upbeat attitude make the very difficult task of learning flamenco feel easy & fun. After one class, students are hooked!
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"stunning"________________________________________________________________________
“Rocio Ponce’s performance ignites the desert landscape with fiery grit and rawness and exudes sensuality as well as power. Her recent performance at the Cirque du Soleil Cabaret was reminiscent of the flamenco cafés that I frequented in Montreal and in Puerto Rico where the local Spaniards feel right at home. She easily commands the same respect. The passion of the guitarist and singer made us yell in support as they all touched the savage chord in all of us! Their interrelatedness was intuitive as they fed off of each other, escalating their respective excitement and communicating this excitement to the audience. This was a testimony to the uniqueness of their savoir-faire! Bravo!
”.
Eliane Vivace Miller
Dancer/Choreographer
Montreal, New York & Las Vegas
July 21, 2008
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“Rocio Ponce’s hip-hop-tinged bulerias was HOT! and left the audience wanting more. Rocio puts her heart into everything she does. Do not be surprised if you see a fire extinguisher nearby when she performs; she has been known to leave the stage a pile of smoldering ember, with hoarse and spent admirers in her wake”.
- revista Planetflamenco.com, 2003
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This is great to learn authentic flamenco from talented and exciting teachers such as Rocio Ponce, who was trained in Spain. Break out the castanets!
~ revista Ciudadmag.com, 2006/2007
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“With it's rapture, graceful trait, raw and in your face dynamics, A VIVIR EL MOMENTO FLAMENCO will magnetize all viewers. The captivating performers fill the stage with their flairs and intensity fabricating an energetic and moving sense for the viewers.”.
~ La La Land magazine - California & Texas, 2006
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I recently directed a play, "You Don't Know Me" with Rocio in one of the lead roles at Casa 0101 Theatre, in Los Angeles (casa0101.org). Rocio is an amazing actress, extremely sharp, talented, charismatic and sexy!
It was a pleasure to work with Rocio as she took directions very well, was on top of her lines and worked well with the other actors!
- Casa 0101 Theatre, casa0101.org
Emmanuel Deleage, edeleage@earthlink.net, 2007
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I worked for the first time playing guitar for Rocio Ponce six years ago on tour with the Arte Flamenco Dance Company. Since then, I have accompanied her on numerous occasions in a wide variety of venues from Spanish restaurants, large and small theatres to private parties and corporate events. She has always displayed a very professional work ethic as well as being a talented and gifted performer. One of the things I most admire about her is her dedication. She has spent years studying and ultimately went to Sevilla Spain to study dance with Juana Amaya, one of the greatest flamenco legends of our time. She is an experienced performer and teacher well known by the flamenco community.
- Flamenco Guitarist,
Gabriel Osuna, gabrielosuna.com, 2006
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My name is Jose Tanaka and I am a professional flamenco guitarist. In reference to Rocio Ponce, I am glad to say that Rocio Ponce is a great model for professionalism. I am happy to say that working with Rocio on a professional level has been a successful excursion with performances in private and public events. She is a dynamic and strong dancer and always fulfills her end of the bargain by giving her best in live performances, by cooperating with her team of musicians and dancers, and by giving the audience a great show. She is very well admired by the flamenco community and artists around. When you hear the name Rocio Ponce, you are hearing words like artist, strength, dynamics, professionalism, achievement, endeavor, and joy. To have Rocio Ponce on your team is to have a well-rounded entertainer as well as an educator for the flamenco arts. I am glad to have her on my team as well as to be part of her team.
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About Ms. Ponce
What can one say? I met her a couple of years ago, and was immediately drawn to her friendliness, openness, and totally upbeat personality. I hadn't seen her dance but had heard from the Los Angeles Flamenco Grapevine that 'the new girl in town is good'. When the Los Angeles Flamencos say "good", they mean very good! It's not an easy nod to get from them.
I first saw Ms. Rocio dance at a professional concert featuring four different women, dancing four different styles of flamenco. Rocio Ponce knocked me out of my seat. She was totally and totally and completely authentic as if from "over there", over there being Sevilla or Jerez, the centers to be from if you're a "name" in the art of Flamenco.
Rocio Ponce is a complete professional, but she is also an artist with feeling on and off the stage. Consummate in her dancing, she exudes great human warmth in her performances. This is one of the most important elements in good Flamenco Dance. There are dancers who are technically great, doing the latest steps, but totally cold with a great absence of feeling. It is that feeling coupled with excellent technique that makes watching a "good" Flamenco Dancer an unforgettable experience.
Rocio Ponce is one of the "Good Ones!" Ole, Rocio.
Since our frist meeting I have now had the great opportunity of sharing stages with her and it has always been a thoroughly satisfying experience.
Ms. Ponce is thoroughly professional, thoroughly Flamenco, yet completely human. That is good. Very good!
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This is regarding Rocio Ponce. I contacted Rocio last year to help me fuse flamenco styles with my modern dance choreography in order for my company to perform it. Rocio fused a fierce style of flamenco and modern dance that blended very well together. It wasn’t an easy ride, but she made our learning experience smooth and easy to understand. Her methododical technique helped us understand the essence of flamenco, and therefore made it easy for us non-flamenco dancers to understand. We got a great standing ovation, and I am glad my company and I had this awesome experience.
- Artistic Director Chalene
Electric Tanz Co. Saltlake City, Utah, 2001
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A special thank-you to Rocio Ponce for organizing this event and making Cinco de Mayo a memorable day at Hollygrove where the dancers invited Hollygrove children to dance with them.
- Hollygrove Happenings Newsletter
Hollygrove.org, 2003
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Rocio is a fiery, energetic, and dedicated teacher. Her personal artistry and powerful spirit emerge through both her teaching and dancing, even as she remains committed to preserving and sharing the traditional techniques of flamenco dance. Her classes are rigorous, lively, and well-balanced, working students both physically and artistically, providing you with the core strength to dance this challenging and captivating dance.
- Christina Zanfagna, Student
czanfagna@yahoo.com, 2007
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I went to see Rocio Ponce perform during an evening of art, flamenco, belly dance....it was fantastic. The atmosphere for the event that I attended was so incredibly intimate. The passion and strength of the dancers and the musicians was overpowering being so close. It was really AWESOME. I loved to hear the flamenco singers voices reverberate through the cozy room and fill it up, wall to wall, ear to ear. The crowd that night was eclectic and interesting, warm and funloving. It was a wonderful treat to see such high caliber performance artists up close and personal.________________________________________________________________________
In regards to Rocio -Rocio Ponce is in a word AWESOME ! I hired her to do a flamenco show for my daughter’s quinceneara and also for private lessons. She is not only very professional, but she has a true passion for flamenco dancing. She is a great teacher with a lot of patience. I cannot imagine my daughter’s party without Rocio and the wonderful musicians and other dancer. They made our event extra special. I enjoyed the process so much that now I want to dance flamenco. Thank you Rocio!
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Hi Rocio -I am so happy to finally find a teacher who is fearless in expressing herself in flamenco dance. Rocio incorporates moves that are exciting and funky. With a college degree in dance, her knowlege for the human body and muscles used specifically for flamenco , help us become stronger dancers. Her travels to Spain also help to strengthen her technique, and in turn ours. She is very patient in her teaching, and makes our class learning fun. Thank you Rocio.
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I'm getting to understand that the beautiful movements of Flamenco require a lot of hard work on tecnique and that's what Rocio Ponce focuses on her teaching. She also inspires her students with her dynamic style and I'm beginning to see some difference in my dancing: The grueling arm and footwork routines are finally paying off. I think I'm getting somewhere.
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Rocio: Tus clases son muy buenas, porque eres una persona muy positiva con tus alumnos, y porque trabajas mucho la técnica, que sin duda es muy importante. También tú, como artista de flamenco, tienes un estilo muy especial y muy fuerte, y transmites mucho al bailar.
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Rocio:The Sierra Canyon kids and I were thrilled by your explosive and energetic footwork. Your interpretation of flamenco exhilirated passion and emotion. I will always be thankful for the time you took to come to our school to share, perform and educate our kids. Bravo!
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Lo que mas me gusta de tus clases es el estilo tan gitano y auténtico que tienes. También la pasion, la gracia con que mueves los brazos, el hecho que nos corrijas continuamente, ya que a veces nos olvidamos de la postura, pero ahi estas tu para recordarlo. He aprendido a mejorar mi postura y estoy aprendiendo a mover mejor los brazos. Gracias por todo!!________________________________________________________________________
Hi, Rocio::
Thank you for returning my phone call yesterday. I have heard so many terrific things about you. I would like to start learning from you. Please provide me information regarding your workshop and new current class schedule...
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Hola tia, excelente alegria en Alegria's! You, Catalina and Jose put on an excelent show last Friday. I'll definitely see you again. :)
The Show was excellent!!________________________________________________________________________
"Rocio has helped me improve both my upper body and heelwork technique. While working with her I have strengthened my leg muscles which has helped me build my stamina when doing long, intricate footwork."
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Great personality, totally down to earth, which makes it easier to connect and creates a comfortable learning environment. Her style is unique and funky which makes it interesting. Her classes are a nice combination of strenthening, technique and baile. She also incorporates sexy hip movements which of course makes the class as well as the learning process all that much more fun. Rocio meets you where you are, meaning she pays attention to what you are doing and helps you through. At every session, she motivates you as well as praises your efforts. I always leave with an interest to return.
Gracias por todo!!________________________________________________________________________
Jan 24, 2006
It was great to see the show in Venice! Rock on.
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