How I Overcame my Fear of Bulerías (and why I used to hate this dance)

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How I Overcame my Fear of Bulerías (and why I used to hate this dance)

My main obstacle to bulerías has always been fear.

Not trusting my instincts.

It's no different from my main obstacle in life

I know indecision well. 

No wonder bulerías has always been so hard for me,

Not enough trust.

In a moment I'll tell you how I've let go of a lot of my bulerías fears (and how you can do the same).

Because the truth is, now I kind of can't get enough of bulerías.

It is not that the fear has been eradicated, it's that the excitement and fun usually slide it over to the side now.  Gracias excitement and fun.

But before I get into any fear eradication techniques, let me give you a bit of background:

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How I Went In | Class With Mercedes

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How I Went In | Class With Mercedes

"I want to be in class with Mercedes ALL of the time." That is what I wrote in my journal on April 13, 2011.

But let's go back in time.

I arrived in Jerez on Friday, March 25 and began investigating classes to take.

Though secretly, I did not want to go to any.

A week in Jerez by myself.

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Nine Things To Do Before You Perform

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Nine Things To Do Before You Perform

People are feeling nervous.

Nervous and anxious about the Student Showcase on Saturday.

I know this feeling.  Well.

So I thought I'd repost these tips today, performance tips.

Whether you're performing in front of your friends in class,

at a show in front of the public,

or even just in your own bedroom in front of your cat,

There are things we can do to ease our nerves ...

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Jasmine | Viernes con una Letra

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Jasmine | Viernes con una Letra

I am in Córdoba.  I like it here.

This evening we were taking a stroll, my nieces, my sister, and I.

Dando un paseo

That's something I like about Spain.  Families and friends taking walks around the town together.  It is normal.  It happens every day.  So many people out and about.  Together.

We walked by jasmine

Lots of jasmine hanging down the wall.

El olor.

The smell.

And so, one of my favorite tangos, from Camarón along with a video ...

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Flamenco Guitarist Santiago Lara, a Video Interview

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Flamenco Guitarist Santiago Lara, a Video Interview

When we're on the FlamencoTour, we hear Santi practicing. A lot.

Santiago Lara, that is.  

We're in the studio dancing.  He's either in the bathroom or upstairs practicing.  

When it's time to play for us Mercedes calls for him,

"Santi!"

I can hear her saying it now.

Actually, if you listen carefully you can hear her saying it in the video below at about 1 minute 50 seconds...

I first interviewed him in the spring of 2013.  Unfortunately, I lost all of that footage.  I know, back up.

So, I interviewed him again last fall.

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How to Play Castanets for Sevillanas | La Tercera

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How to Play Castanets for Sevillanas | La Tercera

You've probably read the basics about sevillanas.

And you've probably seen my detailed explanation of the steps to the sevillanas I learned in Jerez, from Harumi who learned them from Ani.

But now,

What about sevillanas with castanets?

The toque for the first sevillanas is here, along with the reason why I write them out in two different ways.

And you can find the toque for the second one here.

Today I post the third one ...

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