PUBLISHED MAY 13, 2004

MAY 2004 articles | Performance | Morca | Strength | Evening

Two pros give advice for dancers preparing for performances

It's performance time, and that means the pressure is on to polish routines, music and places before showing the world what you've learned in flamenco class. The extra rehearsals and late practice hours can make preparing for a show feel a bit like college finals. And, the stress only increases when the curtain goes up. That's when nervousness kicks in, and performers are on the spot to execute every step in time and with all the passion of Spain herself.

But, performing is supposed to be fun, right?

Yes, it is supposed to be fun, and for many people it is. Two people who enjoy performing enough to build a career on it share their thoughts about getting ready for the stage and getting rid of the jitters. Follow the advice and experiences of flamenco dancer and instructor Laura Garrigues and Christina Abboud, director of Behind the Scenes Dance Studio, and your next performance is likely to be full of excitement and satisfaction.

The work before the work

Getting ready for a performance begins months before a show for Garrigues, who has appeared on stage in Atlanta many times, including at the Atlanta Cuban Club in April. She encourages dancers to never miss class, and to refresh the choreography at home on their own. Extra practice outside of class helps dancers gain control of steps, advises Garrigues.

With control comes the opportunity to entertain - to perform in the truest sense of the word. Abboud, now preparing students for her studio's sixth performance this June, says this is a good challenge for dancers.

She encourages her performers to "bring up the energy level, to actually perform the dance to the audience and not to themselves." She trains dancers to become performers by telling them to exaggerate some movements, rather than keeping them small, and to give full motion to every movement.

First time fright

Leaping to the level of entertaining can sound intimidating to first time performers, and even to those who've been on stage before. It's difficult for a dancer to think about projecting excitement on stage when he or she is overwhelmed by lights, staring audience members, places on the stage, and oh yeah, remembering the routine.

A little mental and physical preparation can help with the situation, says Garrigues.

"Run the dance in your head. Think of the finish. It's very important. Make sure it's clean," she advises. Garrigues releases nervous energy by warming up aggressively, especially when she has many dances to do. And, she does so as if it's the actual performance.

Once on stage, Abboud recommends one thing to fend off stage fright. "Look at the exit sign at the back of the room," she says. Abboud explains that focusing on that exit sign keeps the eyes and chin up, while keeping the dancers from looking directly at the audience.

I Messed Up

Abboud says she's never had a bad performance. Is that because she's a perfect dancer? No. It's because she reacts quickly - or sometimes does not react - when things go wrong.

"If something goes wrong I always try to make a positive out of it. I try to improvise if something goes wrong... People in the audience don't know exactly what your choreography is about. They don't know the technique. All they know is the bigger picture." Abboud says the only way an audience will know when a mistake is made is when the performer announces it with a facial expression or loss of posture.

Many accomplished performers agree, mistakes on stage are great opportunities for growth. "Take the risks and learn from the experience. Then, you learn to deal with unexpected 'situation'," advises Garrigues. And, if you like it, don't stop.

"Perform as much as you can. Performing is the best way to get better. You have to perform! The more you perform, better you become."

See Atlanta's flamenco students peform this spring! The Atlanta Ballet Adult Open Division holds its spring concert at the Robert Ferst Center on May 16. Behind the Scenes Dance Studio presents Envision on June 11 & 12. More details

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Teo's Coming To Town

Flamenco master Teo Morca teaches a workshop in Atlanta.

Look flamenco, feel flamenco, move flamenco, understand flamenco.

That's what Teo Morca's Website promises from the world-renowned flamenco master. That's also what Atlanta can expect from him, when he teaches a workshop here in June. Morca will share his vast knowledge of flamenco dance, guitar and cante. He's earned it through study and a lifetime of working with great artists, including Jose Greco, Pilar Lopez, and a familiar name, Marija Temo.

Temo says Morca is one of her mentors. The two met early in her career, and he has since greatly influenced her approach to flamenco. The two still work together in workshop teaching.

Morca is recognized throughout the world of dance as a master flamenco teacher, choreographer, performer, and author. His teaching methods are unique and stress a firm technical foundation. He focuses on a deep understanding of how to make steps into a dance, how to look like a dancer, how to feel like a dancer and how to move like a dancer. Join Morca for his workshop in Atlanta, June 24-27. Visit the calendar at jaleole.com for more details.

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Strong Enough For Flamenco?

Strengthen your body for the next level of flamenco dance. by Gloriela Rosas

This the first in a series of flamenco exercises that will appear on jaleole.com. Visit often for more flamenco fitness tips.

Flamenco is a beautiful, spiritual dance, but let's not forget that it is also a powerful dance that takes lots of physical effort. It requires a well prepared, conditioned body. Like any other vigorous sport or dance, good physical condition will help you avoid injuries and give you energy for long consecutive "zapateos" when dancing flamenco. As you continue learning the wonders of Flamenco dancing, you will learn, good posture, a strong core, legs and arms are so important to perform a move to your best.

To achieve all this, follow these short exercises to obtain stronger abs, arms and legs. Do these exercises at least four times a week for 15-20 minutes, and soon you will see a difference in your performance and your look!

Abdominal:

The 100: Lie on your back on the floor. Make sure your entire back has full contact with the floor (tip: pull your belly button down toward your spine). Flexing your knees at a 90-degree angle, lift feet and legs off the floor. Do not arch your back. Keep it flat and in contact with the floor. Arms are extended along the side of your body, with fingers pointed toward your feet. Slowly lift your head, followed by the neck, shoulders and arms. Look at your belly button and keep your belly button pressed down toward your spine. Hold this position while you count to 25. Then slowly roll back, vertebra by vertebra until your head rests on the floor. Wait a few seconds and repeat the exercise. Do this four times to complete 100 reps.

Leg and Arms

Leg/arm press: Lie on your back on the floor with your back in full contact with the floor. Slowly lift your legs while bending your knees so both the legs and the hips form a 90-degree angle. Bring arms straight up, pointing towards the ceiling but keep the shoulders down and in contact with the floor. Tighten abs and continue to press the spine down against the floor. Stabilize your spine while extending both legs. Simultaneously lower both arms backward over your head and the floor. While doing this, the angle in your knees and hips will increase, straighten your legs. But only go as far as you can without arching your back or lifting your back off the floor. Do eight to 15 sets of this exercise, holding each while you count to 8.

These exercises will help you straighten your core, legs and arms, and they will also help you correct alignment problems. As you feel stronger, increase the counts and repetitions, and decrease the length of your resting period between set.

Have fun and continue enjoying Flamenco.

Gloriela Rosas is a Pilates and certified aerobics instructor. She is also a member of Perla Flamenca dance company and teaches flamenco dance at Athletic Club Northeast.

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An Evening With Flamenco

Marija Temo shares a special night of flamenco.
by Darbi Abramson

Say "road trip" and you probably don't think about suffering, tears or a lover's rejection. But, those elements made my recent flamenco trip to Birmingham well worth the miles. Of course, the car was packed with girlfriends, and we shared a lot of great conversations along the way. I'll tell the story about that another time. For now, I want to talk about the show we saw together in Alabama, "An Evening With Marija Temo and Guest Dancers."

I had studied with Marija in the past, but this concert at the Hoover Library Theater was the first time I was going to see her perform. Plus, it was only the second time to see my teacher of almost two years, Martha Sid Ahmed, perform. Knowing the history of this duo (see Flamenco Braniac) made it even more special to see them on stage together.

Sitting in a chair in front of closed wine-colored curtains, Marija began the concert with a classical and flamenco hybrid guitar solo. It was a great opening number with a good aire, not too heavy or too happy, and Marija was completely absorbed into it - eyes closed, face full of emotion.

Afterwards, Marija talked to us, explaining a little about flamenco. Once a teacher, always a teacher! Her commentary continued between songs, giving the show a kind of "Live from the Bluebird Café" feel. She also let the audience know how special this night was to her, as she was performing with her first flamenco teacher ever, Martha SidAhmed.

Marija's last solo piece of the first act was a rumba, "Fuistes mi un verano" created by Leonardo Fabio. Marija explained, the song told the story of unrequited love. She pulled my heart out little by little as she sung, "No nai no nai, no nai no no nai noS�" I felt the suffering, the longing, and became wrapped up in it until I shared the pain. Marija completely put all of her emotions into this one, and it was extraordinary.

Two dancers joined Marija for the last number of the first act, a solea por bulerias, choreographed and performed by Martha and Ulrika Frank. Marija had just given a solea por bulerias workshop the weekend before, so it was exciting to hear her sing letras we covered in the workshop.

The choreography was sharp, with some parts danced in unison, and others as if the dancers had slipped into their own worlds, forgetting the other was on stage . The piece stood still when the dancers took Marija's singing to a strong climax, then stopped their movement abruptly. Martha and Ulrika stood across the stage from one another, like two triumphant victors congratulating each other after a fierce struggle. The ending was perfect, Marija playing a somber, steady compas; Ulrika taking one step, Martha taking the next, and so on until they exited the stage, each providing impetus for the other to move.

An alegrias, danced by Laura Garrigues, Julia Quijones and Janet Rooney, lightened the mood after Martha and Ulrika left the stage. The three danced in unison the whole time, sounding as one, even through a fast escobilla which received applause after applause from a warmed up crowd.

Martha choreographed this one, and I could completely tell by the choreography. It was so natural, with such intricate steps, such variations in rhythm - so Martha!

Ulrika danced the next number, a soleares. When she came out, someone behind me whispered, "Whoa!" She walked so majestically, so gracefully, that just coming out on stage took peoples' breath away.

She danced with the manton like it was another part of her body rather than a piece of cloth. She finally laid it to rest and went into the escobilla, demonstrating that she can have two very different styles. In the first part of the dance, she was very regal and graceful. In contrast, her footwork was precise, intense, full of raw emotion.

Despite living in separate cities and having very little time for rehearsals, it was obvious the two women were completely comfortable with each other, and whatever happened the other would catch it. Spectacular.

And then the duo with over 30 years of history took the stage; Martha and Marija performed a riveting tarantos. I do not know much about this palo. At first I tried to find the compas, but failed. So, I decided to focus on the whole mood of it all. My emotions were overwhelmed, and tears surfaced.

The palo originated from the mine workers, and I felt the darkness, the sadness of their struggles. Martha seemed more like a musician rather than a dancer that night. Her feet were continuously forming rhythms going in and out of contratiempo around Temo's laments and haunting guitar melodies. The two felt wholly in synch with each other. The connection was so strong between them. The compas seemed to flow and extend like the waves of the ocean. It was a beautiful experience to have watched it.

The show ended with a tangos de Jerez that was just a whole lot of fun. Marija even got up to dance the last letra, as the dancers sung for her. Marija didn't dance for long, but it was fun to see her demonstrate this third of her three flamenco talents in a rousing finale of this spectacular show.

All in all, it was an inspiring Friday night of flamenco that I will never forget!
Performance photos by Ulf Lundmark

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