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.
¿Para tocar bien las palmas, qué debe de hacer la gente? Escuchar mucho los diferentes palos que tiene el flamenco, que es una gran riqueza.
¿What do people need to know in order to play palmas well? Listen a lot to the different flamenco forms and rhythms, which is an enormous richness.
¿Tienes algunos trucos para meter material en tu memoria? Lo grabo todo por mi mala cabeza y de allí lo voy repasando.
Do you have any tricks for getting material to stick in your brain? I record it all with my poor memory, and from there I review it.
¿Cómo preparas tú para un cursillo? Pues siempre el primer día es una experiencia porque ves los niveles de la gente y a raíz de allí empiezas a trabajar. A mí la energía que me aporta la gente es muy importante para la hora de que me fluyan ideas.
How do you prepare for a workshop? Well the first day is always an experience because you see people's levels, and from there you begin to work. For me, the energy that people bring is very important to the flow of my ideas.
I could also just tell you some random non-flamenco related things about him.
Like that he likes to go shopping and has good taste.
Or that he eats very healthily. In fact, I am already imagining him getting mad at me for buying him chocolate. But too bad, he needs it!
Anyway, más preguntas y respuestas coming soon. And, don't worry, they'll be interesting and flamencoey. Perhaps you'd even like to ask him something yourself during the Social Hour(a special treat for workshop participants) that we'll be having with him this weekend.
If you can't make it, why not ask him a question right here, on the blog. Or, ask me a question about him...You can leave a comment below.