Dansschool Maria Robles

María Robles teaches flamenco and Sevillanas in three cities across the Randstad: Utrecht, The Hague, and Amsterdam. Born in Seville and trained at the Conservatorio de Sevilla, she moved to the Netherlands over 30 years ago and has spent that time building a bridge between Spanish and Dutch culture. Before dedicating herself to dance, she studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and spent ten years designing and building stage sets for the Dutch National Opera and the Van Gogh Museum.

In her classes, María teaches flamenco technique—the rhythmic footwork (zapateado), flowing arm movements (braceo), timing (compás), and posture that form the foundation of the dance. Sevillanas, the festive folk dance from Andalusia, focuses on the four fixed parts (coplas) of this traditional couple's dance. Classes run at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels across all three locations. In Utrecht, classes meet on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings at De Utrechtse Muziek-Theaterschool Studio 0.20 on Domplein 4. In The Hague, classes are held at Koorenhuis Studio 0.10 & 0.12 on Prinsegracht 27 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Amsterdam classes take place on Fridays at Casa Sevillana on Sloterdijkstraat 2.

María's teaching style emphasizes understanding the culture and emotion behind flamenco as much as mastering the steps. She dances, sings, and plays the cajón during lessons, creating what she describes as an immersive atmosphere that brings a piece of Seville into each studio. She works with small groups and rotates partners regularly in Sevillanas classes so you dance with different classmates each week.

Beyond weekly classes, María organizes special trips to Seville, including travel to the Feria de Abril in April, where students experience the dance, music, and atmosphere of Andalusia firsthand and have the chance to dance at the festival itself. She also brings workshops to companies and creates what she calls "experiences" rather than simple instruction—a philosophy that shapes everything from her studio teaching to her performance work.

A 60-minute class in a professional dance studio where you work systematically on technique—footwork, arm movements, rhythm and posture—in a warm, encouraging atmosphere. Partners rotate regularly in Sevillanas classes. María teaches in English and creates an immersive cultural experience, often singing and playing the cajón alongside the lesson.

María Robles, the founder and lead instructor, is a flamenco dancer and artist born in Seville and trained at the Conservatorio de Sevilla. She has lived in the Netherlands for over 30 years and brings authentic Andalusian technique and cultural knowledge to every class.

Beginner classes are available at all three locations; no previous dance experience is needed.