 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
||||
|
|||||
 |
PUBLISHED JULY 2006 |
|
|||
 |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||||
|
|
||||
My First ABQFestival Flamenco 2006 By Molly Simmons
Opportunities are everywhere not just to learn from but also to get to know flamenco superstars. You might be changing clothes with Adela Campallo, or run into El ExtremeÒo in the hall, or see Israel Galv·n at the airport. I was perpetually star struck and had a hard time recovering the ability to speak when presented with many of these opportunities! There also were *many* additional opportunities to enjoy flamenco with the dioses y diosas at the after-hours juergas.
More photos of Atlantans at Festival Flamenco 2006 >> Grab your partner!Sevillanas dancers build friendship while sharing their art.
|
 |
||||
Trying
to describe my first trip to Festival Flamenco in Albuquerque, New Mexico
is like trying to explain to outsiders why we enjoy flamenco. The best
I can do is to ask you to remember the last time you took an all-weekend
workshop: the friends you made going over steps during breaks, your
tired feet and full brain, and the thrill of experiencing a new teacher
who is accomplished in this field. Now multiply that by eight (the number
of days the festival lasts), and add in virtuoso performances every
night. You still will not get a completely accurate idea of what it
is like to live a communal flamenco life: folks are practicing steps
not only in the bathrooms, but in the stalls! Showering after class
sometimes brings on an informal juerga as each bather breaks into her
favorite bulerÌa and others join in. If you wear your treasured "JaleolÈ"
t-shirt to class, other people will be interested and write down the
website, not ask "What is 'Jail-Ol'?" like my pizza delivery man did.
The crowds at the evening performances are educated and attentive flamencos
who break into "°OlÈs!" in the right places and don't look at you as
if you are disturbing them when you do the same. My personal favorite
was the dorm sign in all caps: "NO DANCING IN THE BUILDING."
About
the educational experience: bear in mind that it takes time and energy
to take a class. Most people record the classes to go over later. Many
days you will need to listen to your tape to go over steps or rhythms
you didn't quite get during class so that you will be prepared to learn
new things in the next class. I took one intermediate technique class
and one intermediate/advanced repertory class, and I found that I spent
a good deal of non-class time preparing. I also took two cante classes,
and I highly recommend those for developing an understanding of rhythms
as well as how the cuadro works. The main thing I would emphasize about
how Albuquerque is different from workshops at home is your ability
to concentrate on learning without the distractions of housework, family,
friends, work, traffic. If you are looking to take your flamenco to
the next level, you can't go wrong with this festival. 
"We
will not approach our get together as 'practice sessions', you can do
that during classes, but as dancing opportunities. The ideal
club spirit is of social interaction, enjoyment, sharing and growth,"
says Janet Ruiz, one of the organizing forces behind the recently formed
Atlanta Club of Sevillanas.