Amongst us cabin crew there is a professional flamenco dancer! Andi Poernomo.  I have known her for a few years and only recently I have the opportunity to talk to Andi about her passion for flamenco.

I started learning Flamenco at the end of 2011. It was introduced to me quite interestingly. I was performing an Indonesian’s folk dance at the FAU annual ball, and a friend of mine saw me practicing, who then invited me to join a flamenco dance club managed by a professional flamenco dancer, Clara Romano. Clara Ramona Danza Flamenca is the dance club that I have been going to for many years now. As I am one of the senior dancers for the club, I have performed in many events in different countries around Asia.

Flamenco dance – and the guitar music – that accompanies it comes from southern Spain in the Andalusian region. Flamenco is a highly-expressive dance characterized by intricate hand, arm, footwork, and body movements. The art of Flamenco dance takes time to master. Besides learning the steps and movements of the dance, you will also need to learn how to display your emotions and feelings through your dance and channel it to the audience. However, with a good instructor and a bit of patience, even an inexperienced dancer can learn how to dance.

I did some folk dance when I was little back in Jakarta. It was nothing serious, so Flamenco was my first serious dance learning. Perhaps that was why it was easier to fine tune my dance movements into Flamenco. Having said that, learning Flamenco does demand a lot of time, effort and serious commitment. It is certainly a blessing that, as a cabin crew, I could have time in my schedule to follow my passion. Whenever Cathay flies to Madrid, it is an absolute joy to be able to attend some of the best Flamenco dance classes – which is only 5 stations away from our crew hotel.

Flamenco is a “strong” dance with lots of energy. When you are dancing, the feeling is very intense and profound. There is so much focus in the dance, and nothing else seems to matter. Flamenco is not just about the dance or the tune of the music; it is also your connection with the people and the audience, and the drama that you are creating for the performance. Over time, I think that Flamenco has become a part of me. The more I practiced it, the more I enjoyed it. It is like a glass of wine; the more you allow it to mature, the more beautiful it becomes.

There are many memorable moments. Performing in front of an audience who enjoyed our performance is really rewarding. However, my most memorable moment happens after our show in Guang-Zhou, China. It was very late in the night and we were late for the last train back to Hong Kong. If we had missed the last train it would have been a huge disruption to our plan. I remember us running all the way to the train and enter it just in time as the doors closed. Sometimes, memorable moments are everywhere in normal life.

Maybe I will bring Flamenco lesson to Cathay City one day. I believe the dance will bring lots of joy to my colleagues. At the moment, I am also offering online “French Language” classes to those who wish to learn another language.