PUBLISHED MARCH, 2009

MARCH 2009 articles | Traje | Stomping Around | No Words | Fronteras |

A historical peek into the eras of women's and men's flamenco attire By Erica Poole

"Feria del Ganado en Sevilla," by Mariano Obiols Delgado   "Romería," by Mariano Obiols Delgado

In 1847, Queen Isabel II granted use of rural outskirts of Seville, Spain, as fairgrounds for an annual livestock fair in April, called Feria de Ganado, at the Prado de San Sebastián. Of the cattle tradesman who attended, many were gypsies, accompanied by their wives dressed in their calico or percale work dresses. These work dresses were vividly colored, typically edged with two or three tiers, yet with a simple outline that traced the curves of the women's guitaresque bodies. The men donned themselves with 'trajes cortos.' These short suits consisted of a short vest, a cropped, heavy jacket, a high-necked shirt, slacks, and a flat, Cordoban hat. They were impressive enough for business dealings, yet practical enough to remove the jacket in order to work in the countryside.

In 1929, a World's Fair, named the Ibero-American Exposition, was held in Seville. This momentous event spurred construction of new buildings in Seville and marked the acceptable transition of the flamenco dress from the "campesinas gitanas" (rural gypsy women) to the Spanish upper class women as a necessary garment for attending the spring fairs. The humble cattle trade beginnings of the ferias gave way to celebrations of the vestidos themselves. The Feria de Abril evolved into the highlight of the year's social calendar. Now, the upper echelon women had tightened the fabric around the waist, widened the dress at the hips and added ruffles which allowed the ladies to peruse the fair in a more boastful manner.

Dory Shakiba writes in the Miraflores Times 2005, "Around this time, the increasing acceptance of flamenco as a professional art form acted as a parallel force in consecrating the traditional Andalusian dress as the costume etiquette on stage. The materials used became richer, as did the adornments and complements (avíos): lacing, embroidered ribbons, hair flowers, costume jewelry, Manila silk shawls, and ladies' fans…"

As with fashions worldwide, the flamenco dress evolved throughout the decades without losing its flare to be unique. Shakiba explains, "In the forties, with the passing of the Civil War, it reached its zenith. The women stood out at the Feria with their frilled dresses which were just as long as they are now, straight, and spotted with austere fabrics, complemented with flowers, fine combs, bracelets, and hidden money-pockets that have always generally been a custom according to style."

	Through the Years
	Can you find the influences of each decade within these 2009 designs? SIMOF 2009: flamenco-world.com SIMOF 2009: El Nuevo Herald
	See Also:
	Roots and Wings, by Wanda Baker

In the 1950s, lace and belts enriched dresses, which were shortened, making footwear visible, according to Shakiba. Thanks to the worldwide miniskirt craze in fashion in the 1970s, flamenco dance dresses "were shortened to knee length and puffed up with many yards of crinoline giving women the appearance of Barbie dolls with their teased up hair and Jackie Kennedy makeup," describes Oscar Nieto in his self-published article, "Evolution and Revolution in Flamenco." The eighties emphasized tapestries, baroque lacing and satin ribbons. The nineties shed the excess, bringing on lighter fabrics aimed at simplicity. Nowadays, the women's hemline has journeyed back to the top half of the tacón. Simplicity applies to men's suiting as well…opting for lightweight, leisure suits that still provide structure but with less stiffness in the fabric, as compared with snug bolero jackets of the past.

As intentional as flamenco is, so too are the uses behind three "vestidos andaluces:"
 
1). Feria - To stand out socially whether walking, riding in horse cart, or dancing inside of "casetas"
 
2). El Rocío - (June 09) Dresses worn during the romerías, pilgrimages, to El Rocío to pay homage to the "Madonna of the Dew." They are much simpler with fewer ruffles meant to be comfortable for walking many kilometers through the countryside.
 
3). Baile Flamenco- Made of lightweight fabrics to permit range of motion in the arms and free movement in the waist and hips whereby the fabric and volantes can easily take flight.

Here we are in 2009; Salón Internacional de Moda Flamenca (SIMOF) had its annual, three-day fashion show/trade fair in Sevilla on January 29. Photo galleries abound on the Web with designers' latest flamenco creations at SIMOF. From the origins of the "Feria de Ganado" to a three-fold Andalusian way of life, the traje flamenco has always adapted to the trends of the era while abiding in its "raíces."

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Create your own practice surface / space for everyday flamenco. By Rina Menosky

Above, Wanda and Mark Baker's studio plans for "The Art Shack," BY Architects Deux Plex.   Above, Erica Poole's practice floor. "This is a piece of oak that I keep in my master bathroom so that I can monitor my arms in the mirror. Half of the wood is lighter because I keep it covered with a rug when not in use," says Erica.   Above, The Wannamaker's practice floor. Amanda Wannamaker, age 6, takes turns with her mom, Martha, practicing on pre-cut plywood.   Above, Julie Baggenstoss' studio floor surface. 4' x 8' plywood, painted, screwed into a sprung sub floor.   Above, Rina Menosky's studio floor surface. Finished maple hardwood applied to sub-flooring topped with plywood. Thick, heavy fabric on the wall is used for sound and echo proofing.

How many flamenco dance students are out there wondering, "Where can I practice?" Dance student Elenita Link, who drives from Athens to Atlanta to attend my flamenco class, recently told me how hard it is to find a practice space for flamenco. It's true --- I have been there. I have met so many challenges and adapted to all sorts of surfaces myself. The most memorable ones are: 1) the tennis court of my fellow flamenca's apartment complex; 2) the yoga room of a gym, with a door tightly shut behind me; and 3) a second-floor apartment with hardwood floors and mismatched junk mirrors propped on the wall. As you've probably guessed, no flamenco shoes are allowed on any of the aforementioned surfaces! If you want to and need to practice, you have to love thy neighbor, and hold on to your precious gym membership. We can't be picky, so go with your socks, sneakers, and bare feet --- you have to do whatever it takes!

However, it is still an obstacle to find a perfect spot for practice. While kitchen floors and living rooms seem to be the most popular areas amongst many flamenco dance students, we still want the best surface possible. Most of us are not as lucky as Andrea Herkowitz, a dance student who says, "I practice in my living room, and I am so glad my roommate is cool about it!" I'll admit that I am also an avid fan of the kitchen floor --- against my family's strong protests!

So, if practicing flamenco outside of class was one of your New Year's resolutions, but you are stuck with having no solution to the ever-present question of "where?", then cry no more! It is the third month of 2009, but that doesn't mean it is time for any excuses or for giving up. Not having a proper surface or space for your practice cannot be used as a reason for not keeping this resolution. Listen to your fellow flamencos, and find a solution that works for you! Here are few options:

For those with limited space and budget...get some pre-cut plywood:

You can purchase pre-cut plywood in various sizes for affordable prices at local home improvement stores. Some examples of sizes are: 24" x 24" and 24" x 48". Of course, standard 4'x 8' plywood is also available. Recommended types of wood are oak, birch, or maple hardwood ply, with the thickness of at least 3/4 of an inch. You don't want to get any thinner because the wood will warp easily, given our normally humid climate in Georgia. Also available is "sanded ply" and other lower grade plywood for more economical choices, but avoid ones with lots of knots, as those types of imperfections have the tendency to pop out and leave undesirable holes. The pieces of wood with lots of splinters are to be avoided as well. For use, simply place the plywood directly on a carpeted surface, or for a more economical means of preventing the wood from slipping or damaging the floor underneath, you can use a foam base beneath, like the kind used to line dish cabinets. If possible, avoid placing the plywood directly on a concrete surface to protect your knees and spine from injuries.

For those with a space to call their own...construct a floor in the room or build up a part of the floor:

Seeking professional service is highly recommended for floor construction. But, if you'd like to tackle this on your own, then a few tips are available. The first thing you want to consider is raising the floor by building a sub-floor on a frame. A sprung floor frame will provide the most support for dance movement and protection against injury. I'd recommend using screws instead of nails to fasten the plywood to the frame. You can use the plywood surface as is and replace as needed or finish with planks of hardwood such as maple, which is relatively affordable (compared to other hard-surfaced exotic woods) and known to be durable (plus the refinishing is optional later). I wouldn't particularly recommend laminate for the flamenco dance surface, as it normally has a slippery surface compared to finished hardwood (however, avoid glossy-finished hardwoods, which can be slippery as well). You can even use unfinished planks and finish with non-slip floor coating your self, though it can be labor-intensive. Former Atlanta flamenco instructor Ulrika Frank once told me that she had flooring professionals apply the finish coating in circular motions to create a slightly rough, non-smooth surface.

Go full out:

How about having your space designed and built as a free standing studio? Wanda Baker, local flamenco dancing/singing student, and her husband Mark sought that exact option. Although the plan has not yet been realized, the design was done and the plans were drawn by two Atlanta-based architects, Robert and Dawn Tretsch.

"Robert used to be our next-door neighbor, and before moving away, he designed our kitchen and bath renovation. We love it! His work has been featured in home magazines several times," says Baker.

Since most of us are not so lucky to have an architect as our neighbor, this option may not be too realistic, but then again, dreaming is the first step towards making it happen. I hear this plan is available for sale!

To sum it all up, dearest flamencos, no more postponing or restating the same New Year's resolution over and over. Get yourself a good surface and allow yourself some practice time! But don't forget --- you still have to work your charm. Make sure to smile wide and be pleasant to your neighbor and family every time you want to stomp around!

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An Atlanta flamenco dancer reaches new ground in class with guest teacher Manolo Punto. By Rachel Gorwitz

Manolo Punto teaches a flamenco dance workshop in Atlanta February 27 - March 8. Manolo offers multiple levels of technique, as well as choreography. His classes will be accompanied by singer/guitarist Cristian Puig. The two will perform at Ibiza Restaurant on Saturday, March 7, along with local percussionist Jerry Fields. The show is at 8 p.m., and admission is $25 advance / $35 at the door. Workshop details >> Show details >>

Not surprisingly, French-born and Madrid-trained flamenco dancer and teacher Manolo Punto is most comfortable conversing in French or Spanish. Consistent with his vibrant and animated personality, the words come quickly when he speaks --- too quickly for me with my rudimentary knowledge of these languages to catch more than a few of them as they fly by. So you might imagine that the week-long workshop I took with Manolo two years ago was incredibly frustrating with little to take away from the experience. Not so! Amazingly, my experience was just the opposite.

Although I didn't understand in a literal sense much of what Manolo said, I never once felt in doubt of what he was trying to communicate. In fact, for the first time, I started to break through barriers I had created for myself by my tendency to over-think and over-analyze everything, and I started to just absorb the rhythm and the expression.

There is something about the way Manolo communicates when he teaches --- his expressions, gestures, and perhaps most of all, the way he vocalizes the sounds and impulses of the dance --- that make any words of explanation almost irrelevant. And by the sounds of the dance, I don't mean just the sounds created by the footwork --- although that is part of it --- but also the "sounds" of what you are feeling in your body during those critical moments when your feet are not moving --- those moments that, when they work, are the most dramatic and intense of all.

In a flamenco world divided into "counters" and "feelers," I have always been a "counter." I believe that understanding the rhythmic structure of a phrase really increases the precision of your dancing. However, I'll admit that I've taken it to extremes --- being so focused on the counts that I could never just listen to, absorb, and experience a piece of choreography without first dissecting it and mathematically understanding it…that is, until Manolo's workshop.

Interestingly, Manolo never instructed us not to count, and it wasn't a deliberate decision I made. In fact, it wasn't until well into the workshop that I realized the numbers I had been clinging to had somehow been replaced by Manolo's voice inside my head singing the sounds and impulses of the dance. Somehow, without words, Manolo had transmitted to me a more visceral understanding of the rhythm and emotion of the dance --- a real breakthrough in my flamenco education.

Recently I had a chance to "talk" with Manolo via email about his flamenco development and style, how flamenco uniquely allows him to express himself, and his philosophy of teaching. Manolo does not come from a family of flamenco dancers or musicians, although his parents always loved the art and took him to many performances. One performance that had special significance to him was that of Camarón de la Isla, who Manolo considers to be his first flamenco teacher.

As Manolo grew up, he started listening more and more to recordings of great flamenco singers and discovered how flamenco can have a sense of history and tradition and at the same time be completely in sync with modern times and experiences. Although it was the cante that initially inspired him, by the age of 15, Manolo felt such a strong need to express himself physically through flamenco that he began studying flamenco dance.

There was something indescribable about flamenco that simply fit who he was. Manolo explained, "Flamenco is the kind of energy that corresponds to me. When I am dancing, I feel I am honest and not playing a character. I can express through [this art] my feelings and personality without hiding [myself]. I just feel pure, honest, and heart-opened when I am dancing, and that's why I love it and need it."

Manolo was influenced and inspired by a number of different artists, but has always made a conscious effort to develop his own style and not copy anyone else. He said, "If you want to express yourself through flamenco, you have to do it with your own style, or it will be impossible to really express who you are."

But developing your own style is not a simple process, as Manolo further stated, "I spend many hours alone in my studio searching for movements like a scientist in his laboratory. I think it is also a question of maturity that you gain through years of studying and practicing, but one day you should try to find steps and movements by yourself…at the beginning it is very hard, but in the end, it is just a question of practice."

Students dance in Manolo Punto's flamenco dance workshop in Atlanta in 2007.Teaching others is also something that has allowed Manolo to grow as a dancer. Just like his studio, he uses the classroom as a laboratory in which to build new steps, movements, and choreography. "I never prepare what I am going to teach before a workshop," Manolo shared. Instead, he prefers to create in the moment, building off of his students' abilities and concentrating on aspects of their technique that require the most attention.

I don't know whether my tendency to approach dancing intellectually from the surface inward rather than emotionally from the inside out was something that Manolo deliberately targeted for intervention in that workshop I took, but it doesn't really matter. I suspect that the biggest advances we make as dancers don't come from explicit instructions someone gives us, such as "hold your arm like this," or "angle your body this way." Those specific corrections are critically important, of course, and help us to build and strengthen our technique, but I think we probably grow the most based on what we absorb by observing others whose movement and style speaks to us. That is why I think attending workshops from visiting teachers like Manolo is so valuable, even if you don't understand everything they say, if you struggle to keep up, or if you don't get all of the choreography.

Attending a workshop takes you out of your comfort zone, and exposes you to new ideas, approaches, and styles. And often, as was my case with Manolo's workshop, you come away with a whole new perspective...a different dancer than when you entered.

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Mark your calendars for Fronteras 2009. By Julie Baggenstoss

The date is set for Fronteras, 2009. The fifth-annual flamenco student expo on the big stage will be held at St. Pius X Catholic High School on Saturday, May 2. Flamenco students from across Atlanta are invited to perform, showcasing talent in dance, singing and music. Watch jaleole.com for more information about this exciting presentation.

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