In 2010, UNESCO listed Flamenco as 'an item of intangible cultural heritage to humanity'.
For Chachy Penalver, it's a pathway into the soul.
“Flamenco has become my life. It's what I dream of, it's what I do all days and it's how I think,” she says.
It was with this passion that she begun Sydney Flamenco Studio, a dance school focused solely on the traditional Spanish art form.
But the path to building a business in Sydney wasn’t easy.
Growing up in Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas, Chachy fell into Flamenco almost by chance.
“I was waiting for a friend outside her dance class and I saw them practising Flamenco,” she said.
Sydney Flamenco Studio owner, Chachy Penalver. Source: Supplied
“It was love at first sight; I suddenly felt the urge to stand up and dance!”
From that moment, she dedicated her free time to perfecting the art and began training as a professional dancer, while studying literature at university.
“I was touring all over the world: the USA, Europe and Latin America,” she said.
“So I finally made the decision to start dancing full time. I knew my university studies would always be there to fall back on.”
Between touring, Chachy was teaching at reputable flamenco schools in Caracas and was at the peak of her career.
However, in 2012, Venezuela’s political and socioeconomic climate rapidly deteriorated, leading to years of violent protests. Many citizens fled the conflict, migrating to countries like Australia.
“Venezuela was in a very unstable position, politically and economically, and it was too dangerous to stay,” Chachy said.
The country was once the richest nation in Latin America, but is now in its fifth year of a brutal recession, suffering one of the world’s steepest economic declines, and a sharply-rising inflation rate.
Chachy says all of her siblings fled Venezuela and her parents are planning to move as well.
“My mum and dad are going to leave our family home in Puerto la Cruz. Even though they are very old, they know they must leave,” she says.
“I miss my family and I miss my friends. It’s very hard to say you cannot go back. At least not for a long time."
After migrating to Australia in 2013, Chachy yearned to start her own flamenco school.
“When I first moved here, there were very little flamenco classes in Sydney,” she says.
Chachy teaching an intermediate class at the Sydney Flamenco Studio. Source: Supplied
“That gave me the push to start something from scratch. I thought to myself, maybe there is a niche here? So I started Sydney Flamenco Studio.”
After renting dance spaces throughout Sydney, Chachy decided to open a permanent studio. She found a suitable space in Sydney’s inner city.
However, complying with local laws was long and laborious, and she admits she thought of giving up numerous times.
“Finding a place and then renovating it was a very hard task. The whole legal process and DA approval… There was a point where I said, 'okay, I’m going to stop'," she says.
Unbeknownst to Chachy, her newly renovated studio had not complied with certain council regulations.
Chachy was restricted from teaching in the studio for many months, and with no money left to fix the building, she started a campaign via online crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
“Our last resort was to crowdfund. We started the campaign and friends and family from around the world donated. From $10 to $200, and we were able to gather the money and pay for it.”
Now, Sydney Flamenco Studio sits proudly on a busy street in the suburb of Chippendale.
Starting with a small, but passionate following of 18 dancers, the business has now grown to nearly 60 dancers, with lessons ranging from beginners to advanced.
Guitar playing is another integral part of the art of flamenco. Source: Supplied
Her classes run at night, from Monday to Saturday, and Chachy still has big plans for the business.
“I’m planning to start classes with little kids soon,” she says.
“I’d love to grow an Australian flamenco dance company. How weird, but how cool?”
