How I Spent My Friday

So after a REALLY long week of paper writing, exam taking, and tons of busy work I had the pleasure of performing at a show with Flamenco Dad and two of my classmates from flamenco class. The performance was for a group of (primarily retired) music teachers and musicians. The director of our local chamber orchestra was there, as well as a few other people who support our local art scene.

Bobbie and Barbara–my classmates–and I performed a few routines together; I had one solo number; FD and I did one number together, then Dad played several solos. The audience was wonderful! They were very supportive and really enthusiastic. After the peformance, many of the audience members told us how happy they were to have us there. It was great fun, and it felt wonderful to hear that we gave them a good show.

We recorded the performance, and I will upload a clip of Flamenco Dad and me doing our routine. That is, if I can get it to work. Otherwise, I’ll just place the YouTube link for it here. I may have to wait for FD to get home to do it, as I’m somewhat behind the curve on uploading videos.

Petenera

I received an email from a gentleman by the name of Michael Brown, a filmmaker and the co-producer of a movie called Petenera–A Flamenco Drama in Music and Dance. Given my screen name and my love of all things flamenco, Michael thought I might be interested in looking at his website. The site features multiple trailers and other info about this project. I was not familiar with the story of Petenera, so I gave the website a look. I was particularly fascinated by one of the clips featuring the Elena Marlowe, the Artistic Director and Choreographer of the film. She discusses who Petenera was, and talks about how the story of this tragic figure evolved over time. Like in oral tradition–where stories have morphed over time as generations of storytellers have shared them, so has folk dancing told stories that have slowly evolved over the ages. I’m looking forward to adding this movie to my film library. You can view the site and trailers here.

Have You Seen This Man?

Internets, did any of you see this man on “Dancing with the Stars” last week? For those who have not seen him before, his name is Joaquin Cortes and he’s a rock star in the Flamenco world. He performed on t.v. last week, and he was fantastic! Oh. My. God. This man can dance like nobody’s business! And don’t even get me started on the long hair. Yum.

Flamenco, Fire, and Smoke

We had a great show on Sunday. Lots of people showed up to the fundraiser, which hopefully means lots of money raised. I got to try out my new flamenco skirt, which my mother-in-law helped me sew. Actually, she did most of the sewing. Until we started the skirt project I hadn’t even sewn a button or a hem, let alone a full skirt with three rows of ruffles. Three! This was not a beginner’s project, I don’t care what it said on the pattern. Whatever; the skirt turned out great, and I love the color. It’s a really pretty turquiose, which looks very vibrant on stage. I’m going to have Flamenco Dad snap a few photos of me in it, which I will post as soon as they become available.

The show went very well. My husband was kind enough to volunteer his services, so he played a few flamenco pieces for the audience. He accompanied me for a dance, and I did two dances with my classmates. The ladies I dance with are twin sisters, and they did a dance called a tanguillo which was very well received. The audience was wonderful! They really enjoyed the show. In fact, a few people inquired about having us perform for other events. My husband made a few business contacts as well.

I live in what many people would say is their dream location. People LOVE Florida. However, right now we are dealing with some nasty air quality conditions. There are wildfires burning in northern parts of the state and southern Georgia, with winds sending smoke directly at us. Schools are cancelling outdoor activities with kids because of the smoke(that means no P.E. outside today). Our local news outlets are warning those with heart or lung problems, the elderly, and children to stay indoors. That means that yours truly is stuck inside, at least until tomorrow–unless it rains before then. So, I’m cooking tonight–there has been quite a lack of cooking going on here lately, hasn’t there? Hopefully I’ll be breathing freely and taking lovely food photos tomorrow.

Dusting Off My Dancing Shoes

Since I was sick the end of last year and the beginning of ‘07, I had to take a hiatus from Flamenco class. Well, I had to take a break from Flamenco dancing in general. I had some major respiratory issues going on, which left me out of breath even after some relatively mild exercise. Now that I’m better, I’ve been exercising more–which means the dancing shoes are coming back on baby!

I’ve been invited to perform with some of my classmates at a fundraiser for a local theater company. The event is two weeks away, which leaves me precious little time to get a few of my dances–and me–in fighting shape.The good news is that I still fit into my costumes. The bad news is that I’m hard pressed to find rehearsal time. Flamenco Dad is wrapping up his semester, which means finals, juries, and a rather lengthy research paper he needs to turn in. I’m practicing my routines wherever I can. Ayden has been getting a kick out of watching his mommy fold laundry, dust, and cook while doing the sevillanas, tangos, and rumbas. I’m rehearsing with my classmates this weekend, so I hope to be ready by then.