We know that jaleos are words of encouragement to call out to the dancer, singer, guitarist, to anyone participating really.
And flamenco is not flamenco without them.
So, below you'll find a list of a few common ones.
Every now and then this weird thing happens and a jaleo in English sneaks out of my mouth.
What in the world?! I can't help it. English is my first language, and it happens.
Like the time in class when I suddenly heard someone say enthusiastically, "This is!" and quickly realized that someone was me.
Yep. We still laugh about that one.
I guess the question is, Is that still technically a jaleo?
I'm going to say yes because it was heart-felt and encouraging, and
In class I'm often saying that soon the body will just know what to do, without having to think about it so much. Because it's true.
Take the hands for instance. Las manos.
Hand movement is one of those elements of flamenco that seems to get just about everyone. Even professionals who come to flamenco from other dance forms have told me this aspect drives them crazy. Getting them to look good is one thing. Then how much harder steps become when we add hands… and fingers, Ay! Another thing.
Still, there comes a time when they just start moving on their own. Fluidly. Doing things we didn't know they could or would do... It can be surprising when this first happens.
But there is a catch.
Read on for a short glossary of castanet sounds, a video, and a story...
Las castañuelas. Each finger movement has its own sound. And this is good.
With this we have a language for communicating what our fingers are supposed to do. So we can say the combinations (even if we can't do them) something I have found quite helpful to the learning process. Plus, it's fun. Another layer!
So a key needs to exist on this site, a mini-glossary of the sounds we make with our fingers on the castanets. You'll find that below (along with an incredible video.)
I waited a long time to start learning to play castanets
Not because I didn't like the sound. Not because I wasn't interested. Mostly because it just seemed like too much. I wasn't ready for the challenge. What with so many other things to figure out. So many other things to work on.
Today a bulerías letra and a video of Carmen Amaya.
Bulerias
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No me llame usted bonita
que mi marido es celoso
y de noche me mortifica
Don't call me pretty
for my husband is jealous
and at night will beat me
Many great questions keep coming up during teoria class. It is exciting. I love questions. Sooooo, one that came up yesterday evening while looking at different circumstances in a por fiesta setting was …
"What if I just get up and do the clapping and walking part then sit back down?"
In other words,
Can one do only the salida and let that be that?
And the answer is...
No.
Reminded of this clip last week, I have been watching it over and over. It never goes bad.... Click here to see it.
Bulerías
Popular
La gitana del siglo
se emborracha de los aromas
de los caramelitos del niño.
Keep Reading
Today a video of Belén Maya and Joaquín Grilo from Carlos Saura's movie, Flamenco, along with an explanation of the two main types of flamenco.
Many of us learn and study long choreographies. They are challenging and, as I said, long. Then we learn short snippets. Which, by the way, are also challenging.
So, how to know when to dance what?
I'll get to this soon. But first...
We've been doing a lot of tangos this year. Mostly in a por fiesta setting.
And it's been fun.
Lots of dancing, lots of smiling, lots of attitude. Attitude in a good way, that is.
So last week during teoría we were talking about how the dancer responds to the cante. Well, how everyone responds to the cante, when a really good question came up.
A student wondered how everyone knew to transition in the movie Flamenco when Belén Maya came out to dance. I absolutely love that segment. And not just because my boyfriend is in it. There are so many reasons to love it
Again, tangos.
Tangos
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La virgen de Los Remedios
tiene su cara morena
y el niño que está en sus brazos
es más blanco que la azucena.
So, Danica arrived this week. And I asked her to give me some favorite letras. She gave me many.
Because there are so many.
How to choose?
For today, unos tangos.
Porque son maravillosos los tangos. They're wonderful, tangos, they just are.
Tangos
El corazón es el que manda
cuando la duda está en la mente,
cuando la duda está en la mente.
Today, Fandangos del Alosno, a letra and a video.
As most of you know I went to Albuquerque earlier this month to Flamenco Festival Internacional. Festivals are intense. Intense can be good, but it can also be, well, fuerte. Preparation can help. So...
1. Choose a festival hosting artists you want to see and learn from.
Artists I admire = inspiration and motivation. Sure, I get a bit nervous at the thought of studying with these most amazing artists, but it usually goes away after awhile.
2. Go with a group of people.
You may know them before. You may not. You may travel with them. You may meet up there. Either way, having a small community within the bigger festival community offers support. Plus it's just so much more fun with other people. Think laughter, lots of laughter, therapeutic laughter.
3. Choose your learning tools.
There are many available.... An audio recording device to help you recall the sounds. A notebook for notes and reflections on class. Going over the choreography or tricky steps with another student after or before class. Getting centered and staying present.
This week, let's look at some more Bulerías de Jerez. Because they're wonderful. And because tomorrow when I'll be releasing the details of the fall trip to Jerez...where we will hear lots and lots and lots of bulerías.
In the meantime, here's a letra for inspiration and a video of Mercedes Ruíz with El Londro singing it.
Bulerías
Popular
Como crujía la leña
La leña de los leñeros
Porque así van a crujir mis huesos
De tanto como te quiero
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...
We've been working on jaleos in Pastora's class.
Here is one of the letras we're dancing to and a video of Pastora Galván dancing.
Keep Reading
Cantiñas. We danced por cantiñas with Emilio. We've seen the first letra.
And a second one too.
And now here is a coletilla, un estribillo.
Que me lo tienes que dar,
que me lo tienes que dar
El tacón de la bota,
que para taconear.
Popular
Cantiñas from Miguel Poveda's Casa Pavón, which we danced to last weekend with Emilio. Here is the second letra...
Las cautivaba el mes de enero
A todas las flores del año
Las cautiva el mes de enero
Y llegando al mes de abril
Salían de su cautiverio.
Popular
Cantiñas con abanico. That is what we're doing in one of the workshops with Emilio this weekend.
And I am inspired beyond belief.
We're dancing to Miguel Poveda's Casa Pavón. Here is the first letra...
Donde están los colegiales
Plazoletilla del Rey
donde están los colegiales
al punto de la oración
unos entran y otros salen.
Popular
So Emilio Ochando is here in Portland.
He is here. Está aquí!
I told you I was going to ask him some more questions. And we did just that this evening. We made movies! So, click on the links in this post to see video interviews.
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?
I know he has a lot to tell us.
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.
Fandangos from Pitingo:
Más quiero
hoy el fandango es mi alegría…
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.
But perhaps just as helpful were the little phrases I heard him say over and over again.
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.
