Battersea Spanish Christmas Party 2024

It's party time!
Join the whole Battersea Spanish community in celebrating the festive period with one of our legendary Christmas parties!About this EventLast year was a sold-out and spectacular triumph, with our Cuban cabaret, live salsa music and dancing enjoyed by over 100 people. Rest assured that this year will be just as fun, with guest DJ Paul Saunders as well as TWO spectacular live dance showcases all included in the price of the ticket.As always, we will be transforming the whole ground floor of our beloved casita in Battersea into a fantastic space full of music, dance and flowing drinks to help everybody forget the winter blues. We will have sea-food paella cooked street-market style, as well as a range of other dishes to choose from, and some exciting cocktails just for the night. This is an evening for all from the Battersea Spanish community and their invited guests to mix together, meet friends old and new, and enjoy our special Latin American vibe!Our party is open to all over 18s on a first come, first served basis until tickets run out. It is unlikely there will be any tickets available on the night as we expect this event to be sold out. The management, staff, teachers and instructors of Battersea Spanish will be there to share the fun with you, so do come and join us!Highlights and Flow of the Night :Doors Open 6pm!Happy Hour (6pm to 7pm)50% off selected cocktails and other drinksPaella and other food (6.30pm to approx. 9.30 pm)Tango Showcase (7pm to 7.30pm)Step into the world of the passionate Argentine Tango! Discover its immigrant history from the banks of Rio de la Plata, learn about its diverse musical influences and experience how it is danced today. An exclusive performance and introduction by Emma Lucia Reyes and Vinicius Flores.Emma Lucia Reyes is our resident Tango teacher at Battersea Spanish. She is an expressive, passionate dancer and inspiring teacher. Emma is a finalist of the Argentine Tango Championships UK 2024 and winner of UK Tango Ambassadors Cup 2023.Vinicius Flores is the real deal. A young and talented dancer who grew up in Buenos Aires from immigrant Brazilian parents, he has danced Tango for as long as he can remember. He now performs and teaches all over the world, including prestigious festivals such as Cantania International Tango Festival 2023.Together they will showcase what Tango is today. “We seek to amalgamate the traditional language of Argentine Tango with a contemporary perspective, which makes our performance dense, deep, rooted, but at the same time with a fresh, disruptive style," say Vinicius and Emma. Catch their unique style and creative energy for one night only at Battersea Spanish.Argentine Tango is a language that once you learn you can dance with anyone in the world! If you are inspired by this event and wish to learn this beautiful dance please join our lessons every Monday evening at Battersea Spanish. All welcome!Flamenco Showcase (8pm to 8.30pm)We are delighted to showcase once again some of the best Flamenco artists in the UK in our very intimate venue, giving incredible opportunities to experience this unique and passionate Spanish dance up close like it should be enjoyed.Lourdes FernandezOne of our resident Flamenco teachers, Lourdes has been dancing since she was five years old. She studied dance at the Madrid Conservatory, graduated at Rey Juan Carlos University and completed her Masters in Performing Arts. She also taught dance at the American Saint Louis University of Madrid and participated in the International Dance Gala for UNESCO.Lourdes arrived in London in 2012. Since then, she has performed in renowned venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, Jamboree and The Union Chapel. She has participated in numerous festivals throughout the UK such as City of London Festival, Birmingham Jazz Festival, Brighton Festival, Latitude, and Salisbury International Arts Festival. Lourdes has been involved in a number of bands and art organisations - Alma Gitana, Ida y Vuelta Ensemble, Live & Local - as both dancer and choreographer.In 2022, Lourdes she was a dancer for the Scottish Opera in the production of Ainadamar. She currently directs her own company, Lourdes Fernandez Flamenco. With this, she has created Flamenco Raices, which she took all over the United Kingdom; and Flamenco Origenes, which is a production supported by the Arts Council of England.Adrian Sola - Guitarra (guitar)Flamenco guitar specialist, Adrian Sola has been perfecting his technique to offer a curated repertoire of essential masterpieces from the Flamenco guitar realm. He is also an accomplished and sought-after accompanist for the traditions of dance and singing. Born in Barcelona, Adrian showed an early interest in all kinds of music and borrowed his father's guitar around 12 years old - a hobby at first ,it became almost a necessity soon after his teenage years to understand how music works in a more rational way, and so he enrolled at The Modern Music School of Badalona to study musical language, harmony, jazz flute and flamenco guitar. Adrian is amongst the best-known Flamenco guitarists in London.Professional DJ, Paul Saunders (8.30pm to 11.30pm close)Battersea Spanish's favourite DJ returns to get us dancing through the night , spinning a mixture of Latin vibes, fusion and dance tunes for all ages.Please Note - The Tango and Flamenco showcases, DJ and dancing will all take place in our performance studio. The showcases will be standing-only. The music will stop in the studio at 11.30pm. The bar area will be open all night for drinks (and food until 9.30pm) and for a slightly quieter area for those who prefer to chat and socialise. Last orders for drinks in the bar are at 11.30pm, with everybody required to leave before midnight to comply with our license.