Barbara Breton returns to Atlanta to give a month of classes.
REGISTER
NOW: EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS EXTENDED TILL
JUNE 29!!!
Think of it as a month-long workshop, with plenty of time to learn
complete choreographies. Seville-trained Barbara Breton is returning
to Atlanta for the entire month of July. While in town, she'll offer
group classes, as well as private & semi-private lessons and choreography
intensives.
A native of Mexico, Breton completed three years of study Summa Cum
Laude at Fundación Cristina Heeren de Arte Flamenco in Seville,
Spain, in 2004. The talented dancer was also awarded a scholarship for
a fourth year of study at the same institution.
Breton has learned the strong, yet very feminine Seville style of
flamenco. She says she prefers it because she loves "the authenticity
and decorative movements of hands and arms. It's very feminine and elegant.
I also like the traditional costumes like bata de cola and the usage
of mantones (shawls)."
This is Breton's second visit to Atlanta. She taught a four-day workshop
last September, and has since wanted to return to work more with local
dancers.
In her return visit, Breton will spend four weeks teaching her much
loved Seville style to Atlantans. Classes begin on Friday, July 8 with
a extravaganza class taught by Breton, Ulrika Frank, and Jerry Fields.
The teachers will team up for a class on celebrating bulerías style
at a juerga, offering lessons in jaleos, palmas, and of course, dancing.
After that date, Barbara will teach classes of tientos, tangos, soleá
and bulerías on Mondays and Fridays through the end of July. For more
information and registration, click
here or visit jaleolé.com
events.
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Congratulations to all the students and thanks to aficionados and
voluteers!
 What
a night! Congratulations to everyone who stomped, strummed and crooned
in Fronteras! The June 4 show at the Atlanta International School
brought together over 70 flamenco dance and music students & performers
for a city-wide expo. Fronteras showcased young and old flamencos,
some brand new to the art of flamenco and others who've been doing it
for decades.
The youngest performers of just five years old opened the show with
an a capella rendition of the traditional tangos letra "Triana, Triana."
They were followed by other proud youngsters who showed off dance routines
of rumba, alegrías, guajiras and more.
Adult performers admitted the guapitas were a tough act to follow.
Still, the ladies took to the stage, slathering duende on exciting jumps,
swirls and rhythms of tangos, bulerías, siguiriyas, farruca and more.
 And,
what would a flamenco show be without musicians and singers? Audience
members enjoyed the voices of Carmen Deal, Malita Belloso, Rina Menosky
and Martha SidAhmed. At moments, the audience couldn't resist bopping
around or clapping to the music of percussionist Jerry Fields and guitarists
Esteban Anastasio, Rouzbeh, Felipe Coelho, Farzan Kendrick and David
Holness.
 The
fin de fiesta dissolved company lines, as musicians from one group accompanied
dancers from another. The mixing culminated with a lively bulerías full
of energy and warmth that made everyone onstage shine.
Fronteras was produced by jaleolé.com to celebrate the website's
first anniversary online. "It was a thank you present to the flamenco
community for a year of support, and now we're saying thank you again,"
says Julie Baggenstoss, co-editor of jaleolé.com. "It could not have
been a success without the support of flamenco students, professionals,
aficionados and their friends and families. So, thank you again, Atlanta
flamenco community!"
 The
show marks success for the entire Atlanta flamenco community, not just
jaleolé.com. "Fronteras clearly shows the growth of flamenco
population and passion towards art in this town," says jaleolé.com co-editor
Rina Menosky. "It's so nice to be able to be a part of it and share
a moment like Fronteras with everyone who's involved in flamenco in
Atlanta. Thank you!"
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Gloriela Rosas' fitness column returns to jaleolé.com.
By Gloriela Rosas
As you experience the power of flamenco dance, you start to realize
the physical effort it demands of your body. You learn that good posture,
strong core, legs and arms are so important for your body to perform
a move at its best.
To achieve all this, let's continue with our short exercise routines
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, why not? Your look!
 Leg
(inner and outer thighs) and buttocks (use a ball): Lie on your
side, one hipbone on top of the other, with the ball between the ankles.
One hand can rest behind the head; elbows folded, or relax the head
down on the mat. Place your other hand on the mat to maintain balance.
Inhale to lengthen the heels as far away from the pelvis as possible
and squeeze the ball. Exhale to lift the ball 2" or 3" off the floor.
The abs are critical here for keeping the torso very stable while you
are moving your legs (If you have lower back problems, only concentrate
on squeezing the ball between the feet and do not lift). Inhale to lower
the ball, exhale to lift. Repeat five times on both sides.
 These
exercises not only will help you to straighten your core, and legs,
but they will also help you correct alignment problems. As your feel
stronger, increase the counts and repetitions, and decrease the length
of your resting period between set.
Have fun and continue enjoying Flamenco!
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An Interview with Martha SidAhmed, Part II of III: Marta in Boston
& Spain
By Rebecca Money Johnson
 This
past weekend our community came together and created the Student Expo,
Fronteras. It really moved me to see how far we had all come.
I sometimes wonder if we realize just how unusual it is, and how blessed
we are, to have so many talented teachers here in Atlanta. The Atlanta
flamenco community is a vital force in our city; but to its participants,
it is also a family. As a result, I see each component through a less
formal and perhaps more endearing lense: the Perla Flamenca Dance Company
are my big "hermanas", while our cantaora, Carmen and teacher/performer
(now in D.C.), Ulrika Frank, are my "tias" and Marta is my "Mami". Because
of her, I have swirled within my flamenco DNA ladder some of the passion
and knowledge of many of the greatest flamenco artists of our time.
So it is to her that I return for more on her experiences; and it is
to her that I owe a lot of what I know about the meaning of flamenco:
Rebecca:: So, who was your friend in Boston (who bought you
to "real" flamenco)?
Martha: I had met my friend through a guitarist. After I finished
my Saturday morning dance class, I would go around the corner and have
breakfast. This was down on Charles Street in Boston, which is an old
historic section at the bottom of Beacon Hill. I passed this little
subterranean coffee house one day, and saw there was a flamenco guitarist
playing nights. I was so excited... I had never worked with a guitarist.
I don't know how I had the nerve to just say (I need to work with one)
because it was never even in my training that "you need to work with
a guitarist". We had always worked with piano but I knew something was
hideously missing! And so I called the coffee house and got the guy's
name and phone number and then we met. He had connections with another
guitarist, and a singer, and I don't remember how this other dancer
got involved, but we kind of formed a little company and started doing
stuff together. In the beginning we were just messing around - we'd
meet and work in the kitchen of the singer. All of his neighbors would
hang out in the windows... it was this really bad section of Cambridge,
near the river... and they'd all be hanging around outside the windows
watching us and wondering what's all the fuss about? And then we thought,
"If we have an audience, like this..." So, we started to do jobs together.
We were all learning having fun.
Rebecca:: So did the guitarist know more about flamenco dancing?
Martha: He had a good base of flamenco and I can't remember
where he learned. He also played jazz or blues. He played some blues...
he hung out with some blues musicians... I don't remember how he got
involved with that. I think he's living out in New Mexico now. His name
is David Briggs.
The other guitarist, Bill, was a friend of Don Pohren (who was at
the time writing his first book on flamenco). Bill came from a very
well to do family in Massachusetts and was teaching English at a private
boys school. He somehow he had a connection with Don... I think he may
have met Don at his flamenco club in Madrid. Don had just published
(the first edition of his book) "Art of Flamenco" and Bill said he thought
he was opening a flamenco center in Spain. "So, why don't you write
to him," I thought. "God, this is huge. I'm writing to an authored person!"
And Don, down to earth and friendly as he is, just wrote me back this
big letter and said, "Yeah, we're opening. Why don't you plan to come?"
They had bought a finca, which is like a country ranch outside of Moron
de la Frontera. So I went! I actually got to Spain a little early.
Rebecca:: How old were you now?
 MARTHA:
I was 20 or 21. First I stayed at this pension right in the middle of
Madrid. The night desk guy was from Alicante and he sang a little flamenco,
and the other desk guy... I can't remember were he was from but he was
a short chubby little guy, so we always called him Sancho Panza. We'd
go out at night - like the three musketeers - to a different flamenco
place every night so I got a really good cycle of all the clubs. All
the studios were in Amor de Dios. I never got over there. I was really
dumb when I went. I didn't know any of the procedures, I didn't have
any contacts or references...I just went.
Rebecca:: I love that though!
Martha: I probably missed a lot of great opportunities... but
I saw a lot of great performers in the clubs. I saw Rosa Doran, who
is a legend, dance at La Zambra... I don't think it exists anymore...
just a great club, and oh, just the singers and guitarists who went
through there... just phenomenal... I was there for a while... and then
I went out to the coast... Valencia... I don't even remember how or
why I went there. Again, I had no brain!
Rebecca:: I think you were being instinctive like a salmon.
Martha: I then went to Sevilla where I stayed in this pension
with some other students - there was a dancer from England and a guitarist,
and so I was more in the flamenco atmosphere... The dancer had been
taking classes with Enrique El Copo so she said offered to take me with
her to his studio. I ended up taking a lot of private classes with him.
He was just a monster. I didn't realize until many years later that
he just taught everybody at that time. He developed all the great dancers
of the day in his little studio off the street, you just walked in...
and changed behind the piano! His neighbors would wander in with cups
of coffee and just sit there on a bench along the wall, talking about
me while I was taking class! I don't even know these people and they
are critiquing me!
Rebecca:: Well, that ought to take the edge of pretty fast!
Martha: It was kind of fun... they were just chit-chatting
through my class... it was just so Sevilla, so flamenco. He was wonderful
and he kind of set some things straight for me. And then it was finally
the time that I was expected in Moron, so I took a bus down there. It
was just a magical time... because all the greats were still alive:
Diego del Gastor, Joselero... both uncles of Juana Amaya. This family
of great artists flamenco.
We would have gatherings at the house (finca) or we'd go into town
and meet in their homes or a bar for an evening of potaje and vino.
I was afraid to get up and do anything, but every now and then they'd
encourage us. You don't see that happening now. Now you wouldn't dare
do even palmas but back then, it was like, "Why are you sitting there?
Do something!"
Don would take us on excursions to festivals in different towns, and
gypsies in different towns.
That summer was such a watershed for me - huge significance, just
opened this other world and that's what I still carry inside me everywhere.
That's what keeps me on course with flamenco. And no matter how frustrating
the mechanics of flamenco go, you know, the business that has nothing
to do with flamenco, I come home to this, which is that part of me.
That core. This is real. That other stuff is transitory. I draw from
this well to give to whoever is going by, but it's always my well. And
hopefully you give it to someone else and it becomes their seed... their
well
Rebecca:: That's interesting because I'm sure you've seen a
lot of trends.
Martha: Yes, but you know, the basic has never changed. Compás
is still compás. And even if flamenco has become more complex and sophisticated
now, it was all there in the beginning but maybe people just weren't
recognizing it in the same way. The guitar has gone through a major
change. Cante, I think is still the very traditional cante. But it gets
bent in our ears because we hear all these contemporary new chords being
introduced on the guitar so it pulls you in a different direction. You
think, "Wow, this is modern," but if you shut out the guitar and all
the music and you just listen to the cante, it's still there. The dance
has been pulled that way, influenced very much by different forms of
dance - modern dance, jazz, Indian, African. You have a dancer, flamenco
to the core, whose mind is liberated by the things in front of them...
like Israel Galvan, watching, drawing from different things to make
it his own, and to make it part of his interpretation. Some things work
and some don't, but you have to go through that process to keep an art
alive.
Rebecca:: I definitely believe in fusion, because I think it's
a natural progression, an evolution of a form, and its going to happen.
Martha: But you know it's interesting, I read some interview
with Farruquito a few years ago. Someone asked "How do you feel about
the new flamenco vs. the old flamenco?" And he said, "What do you mean?
To me it's all flamenco. It's not new and old."
Rebecca:: Because the old was the new then?
Martha: Yeah. And I think it's that constant that gives us
some peace, and part of what draws us to flamenco, too, that there's
a constant... there's a constant, but it's the fusion, and the fad of
it that keeps it alive, I think we see it pulled in pop directions,
and we see rap, and we see all these different things go by and we are
like, "Holy cow, what's that?" As with any art form, people are always
experimenting, trying things. And if they get too far out there, those
pieces fall off, right? They are just too far removed and they're weak,
and they'll fall off the end, but other parts of it that are cohesive
and coherent with the main track, will feed back into that and strengthen
that tradition that is an on-going river. These little tributaries feed
in and the very tip of the tributary may just be nonsense, but the part
that is congruent with the core enters into the main river that just
keeps flowing on.
This is Part Two in a series of three on the history and thoughts
of Martha SidAhmed -- a history which is yours, as well, if you have
had the privilege of being her student or working with her. Read part
one in the jaleolé.com
archive and visit next month to hear about Martha's new direction
for Perla Flamenca Dance Company.
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