April 29, 2025 — The sound of heels clicking in rhythm filled the halls of Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy (CSIA) as students and staff explored the art of Flamenco this year. Dressed in vibrant skirts and radiating confidence, they united to master the dance steps, engaging with the culture and emotions behind every movement.
"Every culture has some form of dance," said Ashley Beasley, principal at Columbus Spanish Academy. We're always looking for experiences where our students can learn about the culture and where the language comes from that they're learning, outside of the academic context."
With financial support from the Ohio Arts Council, experienced Flamenco Instructor Griset Damas-Roche, who has lived in Cuba, Colombia, and now the United States, brought her decades of experience with Flamenco's expressive gestures and detailed footwork to CSIA. Hosting Damas-Roche was an opportunity to connect students and educators uniquely and genuinely.
"We love our school and if it weren't for the funding from the Ohio Arts Council, we wouldn't be able to do this," said Judy McCombs, kindergarten teacher at Columbus Spanish Immersion. Not only us, but schools throughout Ohio wouldn't have any opportunity to see something outside of a regular classroom."
As students learned, staff learned as well. Sharing in a joint educational experience of the culture and language of Spanish culture. Dancing aside, students and staff have had the opportunity to interact with Damas-Roche, who is a native speaker and has been on-site to help understand the dialects of regions and introduce the music department to castanets, an essential instrument in the Flamenco.
"Flamenco is everything to me; it's my breath," said Damas-Roche. "I can't believe how excited the students are."
Research supports the approach to intertwining cultural studies with language. A recent ARC Publications report indicates that exposure to artistic materials and immersion in culturally rich environments enhance second language acquisition.
"Culture goes hand in hand with language," said McCombs. "We've had students here who have gone to Spain. Would they have wanted to explore other areas of the world if they had not encountered the experience here? We're proud of those kids who explore the cultures."
At CSIA, students spend half of every day immersed in Spanish from kindergarten through fifth grade. Teaching students another language early creates the opportunity for bilingualism and biliteracy, preparing students for a globalized world. Flamenco dancing gives an authentic context to practice these new language skills.
“For the students to know a second language is very important,” McCombs said. [For students] at least to know about a second culture will help all of us in understanding other people better and that's always been at the bottom of my heart.”
With each flick of the wrist and tap of the heel at CSIA, Damas-Roche instructs in Spanish, pushing young learners to remain engaged. Step by step, students gained confidence in speech and dance while staff showed students that even the teacher can learn new things. When there is a misstep, teachers and students look at each other and smile, ready to try again.
