PUBLISHED APRIL 15, 2008

APRIL 2008 articles | Puzzle | Kathak | Barrio Thunders | Flamenco 101 | Spring |

Ulrika Frank and Marija Temo teach workshop students to "listen, react, and respond." By Cristina Bermudez

Solving the Flamenco Puzzle is set for April 24-26 in Atlanta. For more information, visit jaleole.com's events page.

In preparation for the upcoming communication workshop "Solving the Flamenco Puzzle," which will be led by Perla Flamenca founder Ulrika Frank and world-renowned guitarist Marija Temo, I asked these two artists a few questions about what is needed in order to be well-rounded and clear when communicating within a cuadro. By communicating, of course, I do not mean verbally, but rather, quite the opposite: how is it that a dancer, guitarist, and singer can sense and be sure of what the other will do without saying a single word? Here are the answers from all 3 perspectives. Marija fills us in from a guitarist's and singer's point of view while Ulrika speaks from the dancer's side.

CRISTINA: What are the basic steps that lead a dancer to be able to communicate with her musicians? Theoretically, what does she/he need in order to communicate well?

MARIJA: From a guitarist and singer's perspective, the essentials that are needed include: having a good grasp of the compás and the different rhythmic variations that occur within a certain palo; being able to clearly identify and see how the compás and rhythmic variations are being accented through the dancer's body movements and footwork; and anticipating and clearly seeing the structure provided by the dancer --- for example, llamada for the singer, letra, escobilla, and llamada to finish.

For a guitarist to feel inspired and want to create or apply certain falsetas, and for a singer to sing a different type of letra that can be sung more climactically or sensitively or maybe extended in certain ways, the dancer needs to be able to listen, follow, and interpret (through body movement and steps) the musical interpretation of the guitar and cante. This comes from listening to and analyzing letras and guitar falsetas with regard to musical structure.

ULRIKA: The basic elements that a dancer needs to be able to communicate with his/her musicians are knowledge and awareness, which means that any achieved theoretical skills have to be put into practice at classes or workshops with a significant amount of loyalty, so the dancer constantly is aware of all participants. To be able to have an open communication --- a kind of flowing flamenco conversation --- is not only about expressing yourself; it is more about listening than replying, which is especially important when you're learning…and you never cease to learn!

CRISTINA: What are some of the misconceptions about dancing to live music (some common misconceptions being that one should start out by learning with CDs, then progress to live music; that only advanced dancers can dance to live music, etc.)?

ULRIKA: Anyone can dance to any flamenco music! It all depends on what level you want to achieve. The more advanced you become, the more you learn that there are certain keys you have to pay attention to. That is when we go to classes and workshops, hopefully with live accompaniment and well-educated teachers. To start out by learning with CDs is not the best way to learn about the structure of the music, but in many cases, it is the only way, since there are fewer musicians than dancers. What is important, however, is to find a good mentor to guide you if you are learning to CDs, so you know what to listen for.

MARIJA: When dancers are performing choreographies live that have been set to specific recordings, they should be advised not to expect musicians to perform a letra or falseta exactly as it is on the recording, meaning every accent, the exact amount of compáses, etc. In general, the dancer should always be able to follow the musician's way of performing the material or to welcome the musician's contribution of his/her own falseta or letra.

CRISTINA: What are the key aspects of good communication between baile, cante, and toque (full cuadro communication), and how will you go about teaching these at the upcoming workshop?

ULRIKA: How to learn the ability to converse flamenco (to express, listen, act, and react while you are dancing, which may differ, depending on what music you are listening to, live or recorded) is what the "Solving the Flamenco Puzzle" workshop is all about. By knowing the basic structure of the choreography --- the verses, the music, and, of course, the technique --- you learn how to dance with self-confidence. The goal is to be able to dance your choreography to any singer, guitarist, or other musicians, and to be able to follow as well as lead.

MARIJA: Listen, react, and respond. The goal is interpretation --- to be able to focus not on the steps, not on the chord progression, not on the letra, but on how to perform them by reacting to what you hear.

This workshop centers on how to listen to and interpret a letra of cante. A letra of soleá, with its variations in structure and melody, will be presented. Dancers will learn choreography options for the different musical and structural ways the letra can be sung, guitarists will learn the chordal and rhythmic accompaniment for the letra while accompanying the dancers, and singers will learn the form of the letra and its variations, with attention placed on accentuations, key pitches, and dynamic contrasts in order to convey how the singing is to be accompanied and interpreted by the dancers and guitarists.

This workshop is highly unique not only in the topic to be presented, but also in its approach. Ulrika and Marija have collaborated to provide a unified workshop experience for everyone (guitarists, dancers, and singers) to have the opportunity to work together through the choreography options presented by Ulrika and the musical options presented by Marija.

Enjoy the workshop and above all remember the essence of flamenco: being confident in who you are and what you are trying to express. Only then will you be open to the journey.

Solving the Flamenco Puzzle is set for April 24-26 in Atlanta. For more information, visit jaleole.com's events page.

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The Kathak dance form adds more than "un pellizco" of exotic flavor to the art of flamenco By Galia Saravalli

Joy de la Cruz performs in Atlanta.

A little bit of Indian rhythm mixed with flamenco - students got a taste of this exotic fusion at the three-day workshop taught by Joy de La Cruz, in collaboration with percussionist Jerry Fields, on March 20, in Atlanta.

Joy de La Cruz, a dancer originally from the Philippines and currently living in Barcelona, Spain, came to Atlanta to perform and lead a workshop based on Kathak.

Kathak is one of the most influential classical dances from India and incorporates various dance influences, such as Hindu, Persian, and Muslim, in its evolution. The word "Kathak" comes from the Sanskrit word "katha," which means "storytelling." The emphasis on the art of expressing and connecting with the public makes Kathak more than just a display of technical ability.

Kathak and flamenco share many common traits, apart from their historical origins with gypsy culture. Both dance forms share intricate footwork and expressive hand movements, but Kathak focuses on divisions of rhythm and moving accents over the same time cycle. This characteristic is different from flamenco, due to the various accent changes within the basic meter. Incorporating the Kathak characteristic of accent change opens up a wide range of rhythmic patterns within a basic flamenco compás. One can apply those patterns to any flamenco palo, including, but not limited to, bulerías and tangos.

The three-day workshop consisted of learning tangos choreography while applying Kathak rhythmic characteristics as well as hand and body movements. The main focus was on compás and rhythms. Joy explained that by superimposing Kathak rhythms over flamenco, the dancer is forced into a solid grounding of the flamenco palo as a base. Without this rhythmic base, the fusion of Kathak and flamenco would be merely a jumble of percussive sounds. Joy compared the rhythmic fusion of Kathak and flamenco to the concepts of contratiempo and tiempo: without a solid tiempo base, one is unable to fully appreciate what's going on with the contratiempo.

The workshop was unique because of the incorporation of another art form to flamenco. By applying and comparing the different arts, workshop participants could better appreciate the richness and depth of each dance form.

Featured in the March 18 performance was a distinctive element of Kathak: the use of bells tied to a dancer’s ankles. Dancer Mika Jain explained to workshop participants that the bells symbolize different ranks in the Kathak dance; beginners start with 15 bells, and more bells are added to the string once the dancer has moved up in rank. Jain currently has a total of 75 bells and her teacher has 125.

The Kathak workshop was preceded by a March 18 performance in which Joy de la Cruz was accompanied by local percussionist Jerry Fields and formal Kathak dancer Mika Jain at the Ebster Recreation Center. The show began with a set of palmas in a Kathak rhythmic pattern, followed by a couple of Kathak choreographies, several pieces of flamenco choreography, and finally both arts combined.

Joy de la Cruz has been dancing flamenco since 1990, beginning with the flamenco companies of Ramón de los Reyes and Omayra Amaya in Boston, and continuing with a variety of teachers once moving to Spain. Joy currently teaches and performs in Barcelona, Spain, as well as in the UK, and she has been investigating flamenco fusion with contemporary influences for quite some time now.

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Soledad Barrio charges the atmosphere with her lottery master class By Erica Poole

Soledad Barrio

Quiet stillness filled the Decatur School of Ballet before 40 flamencas pulsed from the lobby into the studio where Soledad Barrio was mentally preparing her choreography. Barrio was also very quiet and focused. There were no visible signs of a guitarist or of a CD player. Choreographer Martín Santangelo sat in a corner ready to provide what would be our bulería cadence of palmas. "Siete, ocho, nueve, diez, un, dos…" Then came thunder. Barrio's marcaje was her llamada to the class that we had begun. Add forty weighted plantas striking the floor in double time, and you get thunder…the non-threatening kind, yet still tempestuous.

As Soledad Barrio's pasos challenged both the dominant and non-dominant sides of our bodies, I found it amazing how she corrected us not necessarily via her sightline, but more so with her well-honed ear. If the class was supposed to deliver "Pa- í- pa - pa," Barrio furrowed her eyebrows and immediately knew if even one person had given one too many.

Newcomer to flamenco, Wanda Baker, was pleasantly surprised that Barrio's delivery in Spanish did not create a language barrier due to the phonetic sounding out of pasos. Those syllabic clues exemplified the universality of rhythms.

Soledad Barrio instructed us to open our chests by taking our marcaje arms from low to high, to look back during our cambios, and not to run during our circular golpes. Her methodology is strongly rooted in sound. Barrio showed us the sounds of both the right and wrong versions so that our ears could differentiate. As dance students, our internal barometers reminded us of the concentration required to let the ear lead the feet.

Warm fronts consumed the studio, as many class participants of all levels were drenched with sweat. The non-stop hour and 15 minutes of strenuous instruction was well appreciated, since Atlanta had the misfortune of the "Noche Flamenca" cancellation, brought on by the EF-2 tornado that had hit downtown on the morning of March 15. For some of us, this lottery master class was our first peek at this petite, mighty gust of wind. Atlanta looks forward to the day that Noche Flamenca returns to the Rialto so that ticket holders can be set ablaze by the company's fiery forecast.

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Teacher-turned flamenco student schools youth on being an aficionado. By Erica Poole

Erica Poole explains flamenco palos to the South Gwinett High School Spanish Club. Photo by Brooke McDaniel: SGHS Yearbook Staff.

"Class, open your flamenco textbooks to page 75; we are going to learn about transitions today." As performers of this passionate art, we know all too well that this is not the way we sharpen and refine our dancing skills. Theory and application go hand in hand. So when the South Gwinnett High School (SGHS) Spanish Club requested that I do a presentation about flamenco, I knew that I wanted them to leave appreciating the unforgettable lessons that I have acquired during my first year of study. However, I knew that I wanted the format to be participatory... neither a lecture nor a performance.

Some current club members had attended Fronteras 2007, jaleole's annual flamenco dance and guitar recital, at my invitation. Aside from supporting their Spanish teacher with their presence, I wondered if they noticed all of the underlying dynamics that highlight more than just the dancers. Remembering my own introduction to flamenco as a high school student, my Spanish teacher had taken the class to see a professional show. If you had asked me then, "What is flamenco?" I would have answered you that it was men and women in bright, ruffled costumes stomping across the stage to the sound of a guitar.

Flamenco is so much more structured than that, yet there is still freedom within the structure. So in Snellville, GA, on the afternoon of March 11, a total of fourteen Spanish Club members, sponsors, interested colleagues and I shared a carpeted classroom while seated in a semi-circle about to embark upon an hour and half-long cruise along the Rio Guadalquivir traversing my discoveries in flamenco in hopes that the next performance they view has increased significance. The next time they are in the audience, the duende that will fill the room will have a greater chance to show them the yearnings of the cantaor(a), the downbeat of the palmeros, and the animation of the jaleos.

To begin, I had to start with why flamenco resonates with me. Flamenco is expressive, percussive, personalized, communicative, intentional, and subtly conversational. These qualities parallel my values in language instruction. Flamenco study teaches you to stand powerfully and with presence, to own your space, and to improve both mental and physical muscle memory as you learn to segment different parts of your body naturally.

Erica explains palmas rhythms. Photo by Brooke McDaniel: SGHS Yearbook Staff.

The next realization I had is the importance of knowing what "palos" are. Jaleole editor, Dawne Dawson, is the reason I found out that Atlanta has flamenco instructors, and I'll never forget her asking me, "How is alegrías class coming along?" I recall thinking, "My flamenco class is great!" I had not even understood at the time that I was learning a genre of flamenco. To say you like flamenco is almost as broad as saying you like music...eventually it begs the question, "What kind of music do you like?" Likewise, there are many types of flamenco. My intention was to share with the Spanish Club my understanding of compás and palmas for five palos: tangos, bulerías, soleá, garrotín, and alegrías. Time permitted the first three. Along with my jot list, I brought a scrap piece of wood, flamenco shoes, DVD and CD samples featuring each of the five palos, a list of palos that attendees could investigate for themselves, and a song whose letras we could analyze and sing via the compás.

If I had to list flamenco terms in order of importance, they would read as follows:
 
1. Cante - says something
2. Palmas - teach you to lead and to follow
3. Jaleos - everyone needs encouragement
4. Baile - interpretation of what you hear, feel, and see (in that order)
       a. marcaje
       b.llamada
       c. desplante
       d. contestación, respiro
       e. escobilla
       f. subida
       g. remate
       h. salida

So as you can imagine, touching on these aspects allowed time to experience: 1) the Gitano way of singing; 2) when palmas claras and sordas are appropriate; 3) when and where to say Olé, Alé, Vamo'Ya, Toma que Toma, Eso es, etc.; 4a) why to have quieter steps during the cante; 4b) who is calling whom; 4c) take that!; 4d) compose yourself in order to reply; 4e) work those feet!; 4f) work them even faster; 4g) wrap up your paso and put a bow on top!; 4h) now, bow out gracefully.

Had time permitted, I would have also stressed to the SGHS Spanish Club members that if they ever have a group outing to see flamenco, the performance will either be with live musicians or performed to a CD recording. As audience members, their experience will be much richer if they have a variety of questions through which to mentally scroll:

LIVE:
-Are the singer and guitarist tapping their feet?
-Which sound does the guitarist make so that the dancer knows to start?
-Is someone playing a cajón? (crate drum)
-How many people are playing palmas?
-Can you tell which palmeros are the base, the accent and the contratiempo?
-What does the dancer do to transition into another step without stopping?
-What is the mood of the music?
-If the dancer isn't dancing, what is he/she doing while on stage?
-Who is giving jaleos from on stage and to whom?
-Who determines when the tempo changes?
-Can you hear a climax in the letra?
-If the performers speed up together, what indicators took them in that direction?
-How can you tell that the dancer is almost finished?
-Even if you don't understand the letra, do you see a story in the performance?

CD:
-How many counts do you hear between the downbeats?
-Can you guess the palo without seeing it listed on a program?
-Do you recognize the same letra used within a different choreography?
-How many letras does the music have?
-How does the dancer acknowledge what is happening in the music?
-What is the dancer communicating to you?
-How does the music resolve?
-Is the palo cante chico or hondo?
-If more than 1 person is dancing the same choreography, how does their "aire" differ?
-If you hear an unrecognizable palo, what does the choreography tell you about it?

Everyone warms up their plantas and tacones. Photo by Brooke McDaniel: SGHS Yearbook Staff.

At the start of the meeting, the students' knowledge of flamenco was that it was a colorful dance from Spain. After our time together, they left empowered to dissect a performance into its beats, identify jaleos, extract and perform a llamada in bulerías, and connect the importance of palmas to both the singer and the dancer.

Considering there are no "Flamenco Cliffs Notes," when we invite someone into the flamenco fold to partake in what we love, we should share with them what intrigues us. What mysteries did we uncover? If asked, guide them through your personal flamenco excursion realizing that in terms of learning, we never fully arrive… oh, but weren't the palo ports of call fun?

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Spring is for alegrías By Mocha Trimier

Despite what a certain groundhog might say, when spring rolls around, I tend to think of alegrías.

Maybe it's the airy nature of the palo, the signs that Fronteras is on the way, or just cabin fever after a long winter, but out of all the palos, this cante festero seems to embody the light breezes that start to come our way towards the end of March. I would like to think that Little Bo Peep would dance an alegría to lure her sheep back, but that's just me.

Counted in twelves and generally started with the refrain "tirititrán, tran, tran…," this palo is suited to female dancers more than males, due to its fluid and flirty movements. The playful nature of the palo is evident in the juguetillos (little games) that a singer will place among the coplas of the song. For example:
 

	FLAMENCO VIDEO
	See if you can catch the juguetillos in a clip from Carlos Saura's "Flamenco" at: www.youtube.com.

Tienes los dientes,
tienes los dientes
que son granitos
de arroz con leche.

Mind your sheep, enjoy the juguetillos, and welcome back spring with a wink.

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