Preview: Flamenco Festival At Sadlers Wells

Just as London spring begins to break beautifully over the city, the Flamenco Festival is charging into Sadlers Wells to make us all long for the heat and sultriness of a Spanish summer.

The fiesta spans the spectrum of the dance form from the Farruquito family presenting traditional gypsy flamenco to one woman and one man pushing flamenco into the 21st Century. There's a showcase homage to the great women of Flamenco, tributes to Seville and Jerez as well as music from new and established stars.

And if you're all fired up by the flamboyance of Flamenco after that lot, you can have a go too. It's Flamenco Night at Sadlers Wells monthly Dance Club on Thursday 7 March. This is a priceless opportunity to mingle with professional dancers and musicians and gawp at them up close and personal in the Lilian Baylis Theatre. The club night starts at 9pm but there are classes for beginners and intermediates beforehand so you won't feel like a total prize muppet when the stars of the Festival shimmy their ruffles or click their castanets your way. Ole!

If only they could move Fino or Meson don Felipe into the Mezzanine restaurant for the duration we might be as content a Spainophile as could be found in London.

Flamenco Festival runs at Sadlers Wells from 3-16 March. Book online or call 0844 412 4300. Sadlers Wells Dance Club is on 7 March and cost just £8. Call for details of classes.

Image courtesy of Sadlers Wells by Javier Suárez.