Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year

I wish you all a Happy New Year
May you all have a lot of luck, love and health at 2014
May your dreams will come true and you will find some more for some hope,
And a year full in flamenco



From end of year show of 2012 
With the studio of Neta
On the back: Andreu Ilin (guitar) and Ofir Atar
A photo by Yaron Segal

New classes with Neta Shezaf

קבוצת זנב חדשה בשרון 
רקדניות יקרות נטע שיזף פותחת קבוצת זנב חדשה בשדה ורבורג
בימי א בשעה 20:00 
וגם קבוצת ילדות נערות ומתחילות
שיעור ניסיון חינם 
054472281




First class of escuela bolera

Once again - at the last moment and tired. This time accept the shoes and dress I was armed with castanets. I learned using it before but it was a long time ago and I didn't touch it for years. I got up fast to the balcony. Yeah, Ilan did come for a trial. He got down in the stairs when I got up. He was holding his flamenco shoes at his hands. I thought at the start that he's at his socks on his feet without any shoes. Just a crazy way to say "hello" as I can do only with him. Dressed up fast and got down. There was a brake between classes. I took my time to talk. I finally understood what I saw - he took it seriously and was wearing ballet shoes (or at least something which looks like). This is weird... He said that think so too and doesn't sure that he likes it. He was trying to convince me that I shouldn't wear a dress now at those classes because of it hides the feet. 

Class has started. Only then the dragon tattoo girl came. The happy one didn't come at all. Ayelet and Moran stayed as usual, This time also Hadas. Mijal's daughter joined us. We've been asked to put our castanets. Each one of us stood at the ordinary places. We've been asked to stand in a circle. Mijal gave a little lecture about escuela bolera - a dance which was there before flamenco. She remind the family of Pericet who are teaching it and count as great in it. And how to put the castanets on the hands. The putting the castanets wasn't new to me although I still need some help from time at the looseness. Mijal called it "tourniquet". Then she asked who's lefthanded. I said that I do. One more girl pulled up her hand too. Mijal asked me to stand by her. I came to stand next to her. She said that now - every time she say "right" I need to use my left. I know that... It was a bit hard to go back to it after all this time cause I became a little rusty, but it's like riding a bike. I didn't lose it. I still felt I have the technique but can't use it to the end like could if I still took some practise. Mijal didn't have much to fix me. Once she did was after my head was at the clouds. Another time was because I didn't use my castanets for too long and things has been forgotten. The dragon tattoo and the looking girl were sharing the same couple of castanets when Mijal noticed it - she brought them two more couples for choosing. 

And standing in the front of the mirror. Some more about escuela bolera. The ballet thing, the thing it has some moves and dances without any way to make any personal interpretation... Mijal said it's good for any dancer to try it for learning another way to use the body better. But in the end of class will be a buleria for having some flamenco after all. 

For the moves - Mijal said that because of time it has been made all movements fit to the crinoline women were wearing under their dresses. We learned two drills of ballet moves, two drills of castanets which fit the moves, we've been asked to mix between both if we can. It was pretty confusing at the start. At the first times not only the mixing between - few times me and others got confused about which leg comes first. Every while we've been asked to notice crinoline we don't wear and dance in a way we don't ruin the crinoline. Mijal was walking between us from time to time for fixing. I was one of the lucky girls who didn't need the fixing. It was after I could remember which leg... At my head I made a try to imagine the big dresses of 16th century with crinolines for making my moves fit to it. 

We started to learn a dance of escuela bolera. Still not with using castanets. Few little steps and where to take our hands. Mijal said that each dance of escuela bolera has a name and the one she started to teach us called "Ole de La Curra", maybe after a dancer. She was impressed by the way we danced it. 

And for the end - sevillanas. Mijal said that from now on each class will end with it. A song was on. We've been asked to be in couples. Some became. I asked Ilan to be my partner in it. He didn't accept me or the other one who asked for it. I'm still rusty in that as well and I found out why did Ilan wanted to do it alone. From the middle of the third one or so - he's rusty as well. 

End of class. Mijal said that this time wasn't enough time, but since next week we'll have a little time for buleria as well near the end of classes. 

Ilan said that he isn't used to dance sevillanas with castanets. For me it was first time this way too... This class was a nice try so far. Because of it I was looking for a video of Ola de La Curra. 

Monday, December 30, 2013

Ole de La Curra

After class I made a little search at YouTube. I found this as a first thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rms_m2bFTqA

I will write later on this night how was the class and how does this video has a connection. For now... Just tired and want my supper. I guess this weather and the weird sleeping of the last 24 hours remind me to eat a bit...

February 2014 at Madrid




El primer concierto de 2014 será el 14 de febrero en Rivas Vaciamadrid, Auditorio Pilar Bardem. Estaremos, Rafael Rodríguez y yo y, en la primera parte, Emiliano Domínguez ZAPATA y su grupo. 

Con muchas ganas de encontrarme con la peña de Madrid y alrededores!

Os dejo el cartel y pronto pondremos información para lo de las entradas.

Tonight class/show

Tonight meant to be the next show of Quince (Compas Company). I thought that the only people at the studio of Mijal who own this company are Ilan and the dragon tattoo girl. I thought of going to see a movie in the free time I received this evening because of the missing class. After I ordered a movie ticket - I received a text message to my mobile phone from a number I didn't recognize. It has been told that classes will be as usual this evening. I sent a text message back with the question if will be no show tonight. The answer was that the show has been cancel. 

I made a text message to Ilan if he knows about it, after all he has a class at the studio of Mijal on Mondays too and he thought of trying my class when the new dance starts - just because soon he will have to take a brake from Neta's studio on Tuesdays. Yeah, he received it and will come this evening to try my class already. 

This evening we suppose to start a dance of escuela bolera, maybe also a pure flamenco dance too

Mission flamenco



Join cuadro Mision Flamenca to welcome 2014

$15 at the door (for show only) or for
$35 book the SPECIAL DINNER & SHOW PACKAGE,
including one appetizer, an entree and good seats to watch the show.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mision-flamenca-tickets-9142101271

"Las Flamenquitas" from Marin Preparatory School are making their first appearance in a tablao.These are Sandra Durand's students and the first flamenquitas at Marin Prep. Join us to support these talented young dancers and help us make this an encouraging and unforgettable experience.

And, of course, we are very excited to have these fantastic, beautiful, and handsome artists with us:

GUEST GUITARIST: William Burgess
SINGER: Roberto Zamora

CUADRO MISIÓN FLAMENCA DANCERS:
Lea Kobeli, Gina Giammanco, Anna Wronsky, Sandra Durand and Jamille Griss

La Piñona






Two photos by Joss Rodriguez

De Michael & Inessa Garmash



A bit less flamenco to my eyes, but I know that some see it as flamenco. Flamenco or not - too beautiful to my eyes for I will keep it to myself