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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Hows & Whats
Here I am at the 25th anniversary of the Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque. Seeing fabulous artists perform every night.
Taking classes from some of them, Pastora Galván and Olga Pericet.
And doing it with friends. The very best way to do it.
I've been wanting to tell you about it all week. I'll definitely tell you more later...
Here is one of the letras we're dancing to and a video of Pastora Galván dancing.
Cantiñas. We danced por cantiñas with Emilio. We've seen the first letra.
And a second one too.
Que me lo tienes que dar,
que me lo tienes que dar
El tacón de la bota,
que para taconear.
Popular
An interview with flamenco dancer Emilio Ochando and a video:
I can't wait to ask Emilio a million things once he gets here. I asked him some questions last year. But I have so many more! Like how did he get to be so good? And who are his favorite dancers? And what are his favorite practice techniques and strategies?
So I warmed him up with a few quick questions the other day. And here is what he had to say.
Qué debe saber la gente que quiere aprender a bailar flamenco? Deben saber que no deja de ser un arte y que ello te lleva a emociones. Tambien le tienes que sumar la constancia y ganas.
What should people who want to learn flamenco know? They should know that it will never stop being an art and that it will bring up your emotions. Also you need to be consistent and approach it with enthusiasm.
Ricardo was here this spring...in case you hadn't heard. He was constantly giving us tips during the workshops. Many great tips. I've shared some of them and I'll surely share more.
He didn't really intend them as tips. They were not things that he carefully considered before sharing with us. They were more just reactions, spoken in the moment.
And, oh, these little comments had a lot to tell me.
So I want to keep hearing them.
A lot of things go through my head around workshop time, which can drive me kind of crazy. So, to help deal with overwhelm that comes about before, during & after a workshop with a fabulously amazing artist I try to remember that there are certain things I can do to make it easier...
Think about what I want to get from it.
Remind myself that the teacher is just a regular person, and, if it's someone I'm bringing, that this person is nice. Being nice...a requirement for giving a workshop here. Phew.
Remind myself that this is an amazing and once in a lifetime experience.
Get in flamenco form. [Go to class, practice, stuff like that...]
Focus on what I'm doing, instead of on how fast others are getting it.
Be there, as fully as I possibly can.
Go through parts that I remember in some way after class. [In my mind, actually doing it, just marking the steps, going over it with a friend...]
Run the steps right before class begins with a friend of by myself. [All, tricky ones, whichever ones I/we can recall]
Jot down notes to help me during the workshop or to serve as reminders afterit is over. [using words, pictures, numbers]
When I get frustrated, remind myself of why I am doing this. And that it is about having fun.
Laugh.
And Breathe.
Reflect on what I learned & notice how I grew, what I got from it.
Hold on to what I want to... [The choreography, the essence, one specific move.]
Practice with a friend.
Practice on my own, perhaps with a video.
Palmas workshop with Ricardo López
I don't necessarily do all of the above. But I know that there are ways to ease the situation. I know that I have options. I know that I can pick and choose.
And you, how do you prepare for a workshop? What do you do afterward? Let's discuss this, leave a comment.
And, speaking of workshops, Emilio is on his way. Oléeeee! And there is still a spot for YOU!
As you know, one of my most favorite things when taking a workshop is the energy it provides. It is what led me to start this business.
Because sure, as students we dance, (A LOT, I know, that's what we're there to do) but we are given little private performances as well. I used to consider these performances a bonus, but now I realize they are part of the deal.
Sometimes I space out. I get caught up watching and forget that I am in class and am supposed to be participating. Because there is this incredible dancer right in front of me doing the most amazing things. Giving mini-performances. Many of them. Like these...
Today's post is about flamenco workshops, the different types and the different skills you can gain from different types.
My friend Shyiang from Vancouver has taken LOTS of workshops (even some here in Portland, from Ricardo López) She told me once that she would usually just learn the choreographies and then let them go. Her friends would wonder what was wrong with her. They would ask her how she could justify spending the money without even bothering to remember the choreography, without actually using it later.
The experience itself made it worth it.
When attending a workshop, you, the student, get to choose. You may choose to go home with a funky new piece, or you may just focus on being there, on the dancing and the learning and the soaking up of that flamenco essence in the moment.
Often times people tend to get a bit nervous around workshop time. This is normal. Workshops can be quite scary. (Especially if you're anything like me.) We are getting ready to study with a professional who tours the world dancing in the most prestigious flamenco festivals. We are just normal people from the United States. Problematic thoughts start going through our minds. Thoughts like
How will I possibly keep up?What if the teacher gets completely frustrated with me?
What if he gets mad at me when I mess up?
I'm not dedicated enough to do this.
How will I get by not being able to speak any Spanish?
Thoughts like that.
Today, find out how Ricardo López approaches a flamenco workshop.
As you know, Ricardo is coming, so I thought you might like to get his take on the student's role in a workshop. And, yes, he himself still enjoys taking workshops. And why wouldn't he?
They are incredibly fun
They provide a chance to study with someone new
And a format for learning new things
No matter your level.
I know that workshops can seem overwhelming at times...
and hard, difícil!
He knows this too.
Lately lots of students have been asking for recommendations for music.
Because you CANNOT do flamenco without appreciating the music.
No se puede.
Impossible.
And listening. Listening is so great. Listening to wonderful songs over and over again
A couple of weeks ago we had a performance. Abby, Julie, and Kikuyo, three members of the PFE Performance Group took part and danced fabulously, absolutely fabulously. I was so happy to be on stage with them, dancing together, supporting one another. I loved seeing how they each embraced their performance selves because they really truly did. As you may know, I love to interview people, so I asked these lovely dancers some questions. And I thought you might want to hear what they said.
In the past weeks I've noticed something. For those of you who've been reading, you know that I am trying to make this year all about noticing.
Many people wearing the kind of day, or week, they've had on their faces. Class gets going, and there are concentrated looks, which is exciting.
I've been seeing lots of smiles!
I have this thing in me that shows up a lot, Doubt, which I guess comes from Fear. It keeps me from doing all kinds of things, or has me do things kind-of-sort-of rather than completely. It bothers and annoys me, though I suppose it might have important things to tell me, perhaps it is there for a reason. I don’t usually know why or what it has to tell me, but I’d like to start paying more attention and perhaps find out.
Ok, so, I put this question up on the white board in the studio in mid-December... What can you do now that you couldn't do at the beginning of the year? [little or BIG]
And someone said this,
"I can't even remember the beginning of the year."
So I reworded the question:
"What can you do now that you were unable to a month ago, or a week ago, or a day ago, or even a minute ago!?"
What can you do now that you couldn't do before? [little or BIG]
Anyway, there it was on the easel with sticky notes...for people to respond...and some people actually did. Oleeeeee! So let's celebrate, the big and the small.
Here is what they said:
Ok, so I mentioned that I had another resolution, apart from the first one. This one is harder to put into words, so I'm allowing for it to be something other than a concise written statement. After all, soy artista, used to expressing myself in a variety of ways. This resolution has to do with my business, with respecting and honoring it. It has to do with allowing for it to evolve as it needs to evolve. It has to do with me providing the space and time to let this happen. It has to do with allowing myself to have doubts and fears but viewing those with curiosity rather than interpreting them as signals to give up.
¡Dejarlo todo, No!
You see, quite regularly, I think about quitting this all and just going back to working for someone else. It is confusing. And it kind of terrifies me. Maybe I am not supposed to say that here, but it is the truth, and I am saying it. It is not that I don't want to be here or that I don't love what I'm doing. Noooo, not at all. In fact, I have been doing some research and have discovered it is quite the opposite:
And we notice while practicing. I know that in order to improve, practice is necessary, but paying attention and noticing are equally importante. The importance of focus, something I'm not always so good at doing... So everybody is talking about New Year's resolutions right now. I don't really remember having made any for the past several years. Perhaps this is because I haven't followed through and have forgotten them. Perhaps it is because I have in the past made big huge resolutions without keeping them. Perhaps it is because I'm so busy making little resolutions all year-round. No importa. This year I actually decided upon a New Year's resolution back in September or October or something. I didn't really mean to. It just came to me. Something I wanted to do...but didn't feel quite ready for.
Since then I have declared my resolution to certain people and have been preparing for it. And now I feel ready to commit.
Because I've given myself some time to practice.
Is this why I do it? You see, I’ve noticed that flamenco is always telling me things, important things that go waaaaaaay beyond the art form. Sometimes I am able to hear, sometimes I am not. So it tells me things again and again, just in case I need reminders... which I usually do. Estoy muy agradecida, and I’m working on becoming a better listener.
Maybe you’re wondering just what kinds of things it tells me. Here are some of the important ones…
So about a year ago I started doing this thing called the Dance of Shiva (Shiva Nata). I learned about it from Danielle at Somaphile. And then learned much more about it from Havi Brooks. My friends considered it to be one more weird Laura thing. There are many of those. Anyway, I started it and haven't stopped. I did it just about every day while in Spain last spring. Heather would let me use her bedroom before going to class so that I wouldn't disturb Jackie while she was still sleeping. (I'm certain it helped me in Manolillo's class.) Once Diana W. arrived, she even did it with me a few times. And I still do it regularly.
Because I benefit. It helps me to realize things. It offers me all kinds of ideas. It heightens my awareness. And because I like it. It is fun! And challenging. Much like I'm drawn to the challenges of flamenco, I am drawn to the challenges of this dance.
Perhaps you're wondering what it is. The Dance of Shiva is a practice that uses physical movement patterns to train the brain.
Now perhaps you're wondering what in the world this has to do with flamenco. Well, quite a bit in my view. I'll just mention a few of ways for now:
Way #1 - I use it as a kind of creativity potion. Creativity potions are nice to have around..
Way # 2 - The Dance of Shiva is all about process. It reminds me to be present and to enjoy el proceso. Kind of like being in a great class does but in a very different way. Sometimes, especially now doing this flamenco thing "professionally," - that is completely scary to write, but I'm still writing it - I get too focused on the final product. Now I am supposed to be good. Now there are expectations. Now... Ay! And then I forget, forget that I just like DOING it. Me gusta hacerlo. Ya está. Sometimes I get so focused on an end result I don't think I can achieve that it completely overwhelms me to where I can't dance at all. Not good. But most of the things about flamenco I like have to do with process too, and Shiva Nata reminds me of this because there is no end result.
Way #3 - Mixing it with flamenco can be quite fun. For instance, sometimes I'll warm up my castanets while doing Dance of Shiva. I've even noticed some of the arm movements sneaking into my baile without my meaning for it to happen, especially during these shows with Toshi where I have to improvise so much...
So, I would like to incorporate it into some classes soon. Well, actually, I already have a few times. Like just after I finished the Shiva Nata Teacher Training in September. I asked the sevillanas ladies to be my guinea pigs with it. We used it to warm up our brains and bodies which resulted in a lot of laughter. Then we made much progress on our sevillanas. I know it will be the perfect compliment to the upcoming Create Your Own Choreography workshop.
If you're curious or have anything at all to say, feel free to leave a comment here.
So my biggest issue with bulerías when I got to Jerez was the transitions. Well, ok, that’s not really true, my biggest issue after fear. But about the transitions, it was like all of a sudden I couldn’t see them. And I didn’t know what to do.
It was my first time in Ana María López’s class after dancing by myself in front of EVERYONE, which is what you have to do EVERY day there and actually NUMEROUS times every day.
And you can’t hide.
You can’t escape by leaving the room because someone calls you, even if you’re outside practicing or just trying to escape all of the smoke. - Yes, smoking. Lots of smoking goes on in class, from start to finish - And if you try to pretend you didn’t hear that you were called and still don’t come in, someone comes to get you.
So, I've been talking a lot about bulerías over the past several days. I guess because there is a lot to say, and today shall be no different. For me, doing bulerías is kind of like taking a happy pill. Simply put, it makes me feel good. Even when I do it for just five seconds, a quick remate out of the blue, a moment of palmas, stuff like that.
Playfulness. Perhaps this has something to do with my obsession. Bulerías is about having a good time. Who doesn't want this? And let’s face it, it’s much more fun to watch someone dancing who is having a good time with it. The energy is contagious, if we’re open to it. I wonder, if we aren’t enjoying ourselves, are we even really doing bulerías?
