Comment

The Discovery

The other day I made a great discovery.  (I'll tell you about it in a minute.) But first I want to talk about noticing, something I did a lot of last year.  It helps me to focus.  It teaches me all kinds of things.  And I intend to keep it up.

At times I record the noticings in little books.  At times I share them with others, like you.  At times they just stay in my cabeza.  Other times in my cuerpo.

Noticing is good.

It shows me stuff.  Like tendencies to rush, to stop listening, to leave my body.

It tells me what I need to work on.

It points out when I’m enjoying myself and when I’m not, to what factors into that, and how certain things feel.

It teaches me about how I like to create, about environments I work best in, about how I like to dance, why I like to dance, and who I like to dance with.

Keep Reading

Comment

I Need to See You Cry | Viernes con una Letra

Comment

I Need to See You Cry | Viernes con una Letra

Today a tangos letra and a video of Jesús Méndez and Miguel Poveda.

You may recall last year when three little girls did fandangos.

A couple of weeks ago when I went to visit those girls Margot and Ada almost immediately started asking when we would get to do flamenco.  My spring visit there was so short that we didn't do any.  None at all.  Apparently they weren't going to let that happen again.  

Margot said she wanted to learn a new song and dance this time.  And she said she wanted it to be short since we were without a lot of time.

We did tangos.

And while I'm not really into vengeance, this letra was on my mind.  And it met Margot's requirement of being short.

Keep Reading

Comment

2 Comments

A Green Banana

I told you I'd tell you about green bananas. And so, a short story from Jerez.  A story including yet another tip.

Tú vas a comer un plátano verde?

This is what Ani asked Ana.

Ani is Ana María López, the bulerías teacher.

Ana is a student from Russia.

Un plátano verde is a green banana.

You don’t eat a green banana.

That's what Ani told her.

Keep Reading

2 Comments

Comment

Where I Can See You | Viernes con una Letra

It's Friday... And the world is still here.

And there are more bulerías.

Ponte donde yo te vea
¿Por qué no le das ese gustito a mi cuerpo
aunque otra cosa no puedas?
Popular

Come where I can see you 
Why not give this pleasure to my body 
even though you can't do anything else?
Popular

Bulerías are back in January.  And if you just can't wait until then, come to the holiday fiesta.  After all, what kind of a party would it be without bulerías?

Comments

Translating is a challenge for me.  You know that.  Especially the final line of this letra.  Please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments.  And, of course, feel free to let me know what else is on your mind...

............................................

Comment

1 Comment

Mercedes Ruíz and Bulerías

En continuación... (of the bulerías series, the little goodbye to Jerez) A few words from Mercedes Ruíz on bulerías.

What does she like about it?

¿Qué es lo que te gusta de la bulería? A mí me gusta porque es un palo muy festero y que puedo improvisar mucho.

She likes that it is a festive party palo, and she can improvise a lot.

And, the big question...

¿Por qué crees que a nosotros extranjeros nos cuesta tanto bailar por bulerías? A los extranjeros creo que les cuesta porque la bulería es mucho de escuchar el cante, y hasta que no entienden eso no se puede bailar con naturalidad.

She thinks bulerías is hard for foreigners because listening to the singing is such a big part of it.  Until this is understood, one cannot dance in a natural-way.

To watch a video with some insights from Perico Navarro, her cajón player, about why it's hard for us...click here.

And, if you want to read longer and perhaps more fascinating interviews with Mercedes, click here, here, here, here, and then here.

And you?

What are your thoughts?  I myself used to hate bulerías.  But not anymore.  Do you like this palo?  Why?  Do you hate it? Why?  Stefani was just telling me the other day about how much she didn't like bulerías, because of the cante.  But I think she really likes it.  Anyway, tell me what you think by leaving a comment here.

Want to dance bulerías?

A new series begins in January.  Stay tuned for details.

..................................................

1 Comment

4 Comments

Zambomba. Say it, Just Do.

Right now the zambombas are going on in Jerez. Zambomba is the name of an instrument but also the name of a party, a Christmas party. The zambombas happen in Jerez throughout the month of December, as Christmas Eve approaches.

When you're in Jerez there are a few things that everyone seems to ask you. At least they always ask me these things. Have you been to the fería? Have you seen Semana Santa? And...Have you gone to the zambombas?

Keep Reading

4 Comments

I Have Been Going Crazy All This Time... Impressions of a Workshop

2 Comments

I Have Been Going Crazy All This Time... Impressions of a Workshop

We had FUN with Ricardo.  (If you missed him this time, don't cry, he'll be back...)

What one student had to say

(It really moved me...)

"Thank YOU so much!  I had an amazing time this weekend with you, Ricardo, and everyone at your studio.  I am really just blown away, in so many ways.

Laura I have not danced in at least 4 years.  No exercise, no dancing, nada.  I have been going crazy all this time, with this love inside me, trying to channel it through cante occasionally but most of the time having no outlet.

I have been scared I couldn't make it,

2 Comments

Comment

If You're Ugly... | Viernes con una Letra

Tangos.  And a brief departure from the bulerías series.  I'll come back to it soon. Last weekend Ricardo taught us some Tangos de Málaga.  And this weekend, we'll get more.  Below, a letra he sang for us.

Tangos...

(...de Málaga, del Piyayo, del Titi)

Te pongas como te pongas
si eres fea lo serás 
por mucho que te compongas

Keep Reading

Comment

I Want Nothing to do With You | Viernes con Una Letra

1 Comment

I Want Nothing to do With You | Viernes con Una Letra

Don't worry, It's not you who I want nothing to do with. In fact, it's not anyone. It's just today's letra.

¿Y por qué?

Because this week has been all about bulerías,

And today shall be no different.

Here I am in Portland with Ricardo López, and he made my day when he suggested we do bulerías in one of the workshops. He then put the icing on the cake when he said we should dance to a tema by Joaquin el Zambo...

Keep Reading

1 Comment

A Brief Chat about Bulerías with Perico...with video

5 Comments

A Brief Chat about Bulerías with Perico...with video

I mentioned that we'd hear from Perico Navarro today.  He plays cajón for Mercedes, and for lots of other people too.  Paco Cepero, Miguel Poveda, Jesus Mendez.  He played for Moraito Chico... For some really incredible artists.

I spoke with him last week about his life as a flamenco percussionist.  You can read all about that here soon...

Anyway, after the interview we started taking about, well, bulerías.

Keep Reading

5 Comments

A Nod to Jerez, and Bulerías

2 Comments

A Nod to Jerez, and Bulerías

I've been in Jerez for about a month now.  Kind of immersed in bulerías.  They're everywhere.  And I love them more and more each day.  Really.

So here begins a little series.  A nod to Jerez as I get ready to go.  I'm leaving for Madrid in a few hours...

Un saludo a Jerez como ya me voy.

Because bulerías doesn’t exist anywhere as it does here.  And if it did, it wouldn’t be what it is.

It’s just its own thing here.

And that's that.

I'm not saying you have to be in Jerez to do bulerías or anything like that.  No, no.  I’ll keep dancing them in Portland, of course, because there's no way I can stop.  And we have a lot of fun doing bulerías in Portland, even though it's not the same.  

Keep Reading

2 Comments

I Almost Didn't Go

Comment

I Almost Didn't Go

I left almost immediately after the show ended last night.

And people said,  ¿Te vas Laura, Ya? 

"You're leaving, now?"

Sí, me voy.

Even though the show just ended. I wasn't even waiting to see if something exciting happened next.  I wasn't even staying to socialize some more. I was going home as early as 12:30 am...

Sí.

It was a peña show last night. At Peña La Bulería.

Read on for a video and a story

Comment