How to dance flamenco, flamenco travel in Spain, flamenco dance students and their experiences, interviews with flamenco artists, translations of flamenco letras (songs) from Spanish to English
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When I asked Cristina Hall what piece of advice she could offer flamenco dance students she told me she didn’t like giving advice “because I think it’s all relative; who am I to say anything?”
Still, she was willing to recommend the following:
First she encouraged listening to a lot of music,
Here’s a simple tangos marcaje you can use to work on:
Pitos (finger snaps),
Hips,
Coordination, and
Arm positioning
Here’s a new tangos combination for you.
You may use it:
As the singer comes to the end of a line of the letra
When the singer takes a respiro, a pause
Or simply as an exercise to practice coordinating contratiempo sounds with fluid body movements.
Is getting better at flamenco on your list of goals for the new year?
(Mine too.)
One of the best things you can do to advance your flamenco skills and understanding this year is to implement a regular flamenco routine.
Here’s a fun llamada por tangos with lots of contratiempo and a redoble.
Learn it step by step below…
Looking for flamenco dance tutorials?
You’ve come to the right place.
This past year, I began creating and sharing short flamenco dance lessons online.
Looking for a simple marcaje to add to your bank of bulerías steps?
Here’s one you can use in a variety of ways.
Try it with me here:
Ready to learn a simple remate por tangos??
Use this remate to add a little flair to a choreography you already have, or
Put on some of your favorite tangos and do it over and over again as an exercise, or
Create your own dance and make this one of your steps.
Here’s a flamenco step that combines marking with footwork.
Use it with any palo in the rhythm of 12.
Or use it as a technique exercise.
I recommend approaching the step like this:
In anticipation of Bulerías Made Simple this weekend….
Below find a step for you.
It’s a Bulerías Marcaje.
I recommend approaching the step like this:
Keep Reading
Do you have a hard time watching video of yourself dancing flamenco?
You’re not alone.
While we may not choose to publicly share video of ourselves dancing, it can be a great tool to use for personal growth.
How did you find flamenco?
This is one of my favorite things to ask flamenco lovers.
I love learning people’s flamenco stories, don’t you?
Do you know how to dance a bulería corta? And do you know when it’s appropriate to do so?
Find out exactly which components you need to include in your short dance, see four examples (each deconstructed to help you better understand the structure), then practice doing one of your own!
It’s the final day of the year, so let’s take some time to reflect before ringing in the new year. What moments stood out in your flamenco life this year?
Below you can see some of my favorite flamenco memories from 2018 (in chronological order). I feel extremely grateful for the wonderful experiences this year delivered. One of the things I most love is how each event pictured below offered a new opportunity to join with flamenco lovers from across the country (and the world in some cases) to enjoy this incredible art form together.
Here are my top seven flamenco memories of the year
I love asking flamenco artists I admire what advice they have to offer to the flamenco student. Here are thirteen suggestions from some of the best:
Do you wonder where to go to learn about flamenco history? Flamenco singing? Flamenco styles? The terminology?
Below you’ll find a variety of resources to assist you on your quest for more flamenco knowledge.
Read on for my seven biggest takeaways from this month's workshops with flamenco maestro Jesús Carmona followed by a challenge for you.
Jesús is all about working hard, breaking things down, and holding high expectations all while having fun. A true master teacher. He sees everybody and expects maximum effort from all. He worked us HARD during the workshops in Portland. It was truly satisfying to see and feel the progress that we made in just four days. How can something be semi-torturous yet completely wonderful at the same time?
Here are seven pieces of advice from Jesús that will help you become a better flamenco dancer.
Does the thought of taking a flamenco workshop with a master artist from Spain fill you with excitement or fear?
If you're anything like me you feel a little bit of both.
Here are some steps you can take before, during, and after a workshop to help manage any overwhelm that comes up:
1. Decide what you want to get out of it
Set a workshop goal.
Do you want to master the choreography? Improve upon a specific technique? Get inspired? Become a better learner? Implement the teacher's personal styling? Simply have a fun experience?
Do you have a hard time finding the motivation to practice?
I hear you.
. . . And I want to help!
The following ideas will not only spice up your practice but will also make you a better dancer. Apply them to a full choreography, part of a dance, a combination, or even a single step.
1. Do it while singing (or humming) the melody.
OBJECTIVE: Connect the music to the dance. Move your focus away from the steps. Improve your memory. Improve your focus.
2. Do one part over and over.
OBJECTIVE: Solidify and perfect a given part.
3. Do it facing different directions in the room.
OBJECTIVE: Stop relying on the mirror. Focus. Test your knowledge of the dance. Learn to adapt to different situations. Prepare for performance.
This week's letra made me think of an experience I had years ago which has nothing to do with flamenco. It has to do with dishonesty and fear. It started with a question, which led to a lie, which in turn led to facing a fear. The facing fear part actually helped prepare me for flamenco where I'm forced to confront my fears over and over again. To my surprise, all of the practice meeting my fears in flamenco has only made it easier to do so in life outside of the dance.
More on that in a minute, but first let's take a look at the letra and watch a video of Mercedes Ruíz, our teacher on the Flamenco Tour to Jerez, dancing caña, all in red, with bata and mantón.
Caña
Popular
Subí a la alta montaña
buscando leña pa’ el fuego
como no la encontraba
al valle bajé de nuevo
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