Dzina Beraja

My dance journey began in Lithuania when I was four years old, taking ballet classes and performing in small recitals. Soon after, I joined a children’s class taught by a professional ballet teacher who occasionally brought us into full productions at the Kaunas Musical Theater. I even had the opportunity to dance on stage with professional ballet dancers, including one role in pointe shoes—a highlight of my childhood.

When that teacher moved away, I found a new path in dance and joined a performance group that danced with an orchestra. From the ages of sixteen to twenty-four, I traveled and performed across Europe, exploring many different styles.

After moving to the United States, dance faded from my life for a while—until about fifteen years ago, when flamenco captured my heart. What I expected to be a simple class became a lifelong passion. Flamenco is something you study, feel, and grow with, and as they say, once you’re bitten by the flamenco bug, you’re infected for life.