Gone too soon, Carolyn Holden

Known as Carolina Rosa or Caro, the founder, CEO, artistic director and academic head of La Rosa Spanish Dance Theatre passed away after suffering from the effects of a cerebral aneurysm on Thursday, 4 April. She was 50 years old.

Caro was a mother, daughter, sister, graduate, teacher, friend, choreographer and performer. Mourners will alternately question and bemoan her sudden desertion of this Earthly plane, for the greatest achievements of her life have been realised in the last couple of years: her adoption of her darling Eli-Rose, the coming of age of La Rosa, the completion of her master's degree in dance and the accreditation of La Rosa's three-year diploma in dance and theatre practice.

However, Caro lacked what too many outstanding artists still crave - financial investment and box-office support. I last saw Caro at the Artscape Theatre in February (although Facebook kept us in touch). She'd invited me to watch her alternate cast perform in ...En el Tablao Flamenco, a production that I'd reviewed earlier in the year in Stellenbosch. Caro had been visibly distressed all evening and broke down after the performance. Box office takings had not reached the 60% threshold she needed to sustain La Rosa for one more month until anticipated funding was expected to materialise; this while thousands streamed in to see Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage in the adjacent theatre. Caro had to make the heartrending decision to let her staff go. All but Beth Shapiro Jeffery remained.

Caro's heartrending despair can only be imagined by those who've been there. Ironically, her death could result in the biggest fundraising effort La Rosa has ever seen. Her death can be no greater plea for support for the flamenco dance company she dedicated over 20 years of her life to and the art form that gave back to her - and her fans - so much artistry and passion.

Caro is survived by her mother Barbara, father Malcolm, brother Michael and his family, and her three-year-old daughter, Eli-Rose.

The best way to honour Caro is to keep her dream alive.

A memorial will be held at the Baxter Theatre on Tuesday, 16 April at 11am. The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations should be made to La Rosa Dance Theatre, First National Bank, Adderley Street branch (branch code 201409), account number 620 5055 3562.

Looking back

Caro completed her classical ballet training with her mother, the well-known teacher Barbara Holden. She studied Spanish dance with Mavis Becker (Marina Lorca) from 1977, and later with Clive Bain.

Caro opened her studio, Estudio de Baile Espanol, in 1985. It was while dancing with Danza Lorca (Mavis' company) that she encountered José Antonio, the director of Ballet Nacional de España from 1986 to 1992. He was a great source of inspiration.

Caro formed La Rosa in 1990 to provide local dancers with regular opportunities to perform at a professional level and continued her studies with Spaniards locally and abroad.

She was nominated four times for the most outstanding choreographer in a contemporary style at the Vita Dance Indaba, winning the accolade in 2000 for Flamenco en Curso.

In 2003 Caro was appointed an examiner of the International Spanish Dance Society. A year later she was listed as a community builder by Kaap Rapport as part of its Crime Issie Kool campaign, in recognition of La Rosa's ongoing contribution to redressing "historical imbalances in South Africa and empowering children through an appreciation of culture and the arts".

La Rosa's 2005 production Blood Wedding, which Holden co-choreographed with Adele Blank and Geoffrey Hyland, was the recipient of two Kanna Awards for Best Technical and Best Dance Production at the 2005 Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees.

Caro was awarded the commissioned piece (To Whom Shall I Leave My Voice) for the 2010 Baxter Dance Festival and received the Western Cape's Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports 2010 award for her contribution to the performing arts, specifically in dance.

Caro held an M Mus (Dance) and BA degree in psychology from UCT and a B Com degree from UNISA.

She spent 11 years in the accounting industry, during which time she served as a financial manager at KPMG. Until 2009 Caro was a member of the Partner-Mentor Programme of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation Leadership Development Programme.