Silvia Marin

Silvia Marin (born 1967) is an Italian-born flamenco dancer who is best known for her work with her company called El Flamenco vive. She was born in Italy and was first exposed to flamenco dance when she was 20. This prompted her to move to Spain to study the art, and she has since worked on stage, television, film and other projects. She founded El Flamenco Vive in 1997 to promote the dance to children, especially Spanish children. The company has performed at major cultural festivals in Europe and other countries such as the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico. Her work has been recognized with various awards including the Premio Cultural a la Didáctica from the XLVII Festival Internacional del Cante de las Minas and the Onoreflicenza di Cavaliere Dell’ Ordine della Stella della Solidarietá Italiana.

Life and studies Marin was born in 1967 in Milan, Italy. At the age of 20, she had her first contact with flamenco in her hometown, and fell in love with it. After finishing her degree in physical education at the Istituto Superiore di Educazione Fisica in Milan in 1991, she moved to Seville, Spain, although her parents were not enthusiastic about it. She began her flamenco studies at the Manolo Marín Academy in Seville, but soon after decided to move to the larger city of Madrid, and study at the Amor de Deios Centero for Flamenco Art under Maria Magdalena, La Tati, Manolete and Cristóbal Reyes among others.

Her flamenco studies extended from 1990 to 2007, and is dedicated to promoting flamenco music and dance to children, especially Spanish children as part of their heritage. The shows are interdisciplinary and participatory, demonstrating various styles of flamenco.

The company has performed at various large events such as the Festival Flamenco pa tós (2005–2008), Festival Suma Flamenca in Madrid (2006–2008), the Flamenco Biennale in Seville (2006), the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza Granada (2007), the Flamenco Festival of Nîmes (2008–2010), the Holland Flamenco Biennale (2008), the Circuito Abecedaria por Andalucia (2008), the Festival Madrid en Danza (2010) and the Rues du Monde La Villete, France (2011)

Productions that Marin has created with the group include Flamenco al Rojo Vivo (2001), El Flamenco vive con los niños (2003), Gesto y compás (2004), En el Flamenco también hay juguetes (2004), El Flamenco en Cuatro Estaciones (2006) and Con pasaporte Flamenco (2008). In 2010 she taught the course The language of flamenco and its application in primary school: music and dance with CRIF La Acacias in Madrid. In 2011, she taught flamenco in the classroom for teachers as part of the sixth Festival Suma Flamenca at the Conservatorio Profesional de Danza de Granada Reina Sofia.