Monday, February 20, 2023

After a workshop with Hugo Alvarez

 So, I found out long time ago - if there is a workshop of more than a day - still easier for me to have one post to tell about all classes together. It took me a little longer that I also need a day or two for I could relax before I start to write about it. Last weekend - three days of a workshop with Hugo Alvarez. Miguel Angel (I admit he's a friend of mine) meant to come. There were dates for workshops of intermediate/advanced in Tel Aviv + a date for show at Suzanne Dellal. Health problems has changed plans. I'm glad to say that he's getting better, but he had to cancel his visit in Israel. The dates has been saved. Mijal Natan who brings Miguel every time since.... Looks like always - this time she brought Hugo Alvarez instead. Same dates. Although he isn't a close friend of mine as Miguel - I have lots of respect for Hugo as well. I kept my place in the workshop ( I took intermediate. I dance for years, but I'm NOT a professional dancer). An evening before he came to the studio and watched the regular classes. I was wondering if he remembers me from the other times he was here. Yeah, he remembers enough we'll hug at the same evening. And the workshop itself - Thursday till Saturday, while Thursday meant to be evening, but Saturday was a demonstration in the evening, so for less problems  - Saturday moved for afternoon. And it went this way :

Thursday


The advanced class was full. I know all the women and most of girls there. At the "balcony" of the studio - almost no place for my stuff. In the little place that I could put my stuff- a guy who calls himself a dancer was laying on the couch. After I came he accepted to move a bit. He's from modern dance (and I'm not sure how much he worth as one), a year ago he has started with flamenco at the studio of Mijal. The fact we're in the same studio, one class we do together and I see a bit in other classes how does dance.... He isn't a flamenco dancer and I have a doubt if he will ever be. A bit after that came two other men. One of them was a dancer, now he does it for fun. I don't like him much, but he can dance. And I do try to be OK with him (I have my reasons). The other man - a dancer who have a great technique, but not much emotion in his dance. I have nothing against him, mostly because of his technique and because I have nothing against him - I try to be OK with him too, but I also not crazy for him. When the advanced has finished - Hugo asked the modern dance guy to take a photo of all the group. Hey, I'm here! Although I was still in another floor, but I can do it better! When I went down - I started to talk with Carmel. She's a pro dancer and was at the advanced. Recently I had the honor to take some photos of her for the first time. I think I got some blush cause she told me how much did she love the photos that I took. She said that there are photographers who can take some good photos, but in my case - it's possible to see that I understand. YAY! There was Michaela who took advanced and stayed for intermediate class. 

Before class - a bit more hugging with Hugo. The class has started with a warming. And another dancer/former dancer who does also some other things that includes arts - came with a woman that I don't know. They joined class. After that lots of technique. And another woman that I know through the studio came and joined. Let's say that she's a weirdo. Through all this part of technique - I recieved lots of attention from Hugo. Well, all got, but it felt like I got most of it. There was a moment that I felt proud of myself: Hugo walked between all of us. All got some big fixings of standing and so, even those who calls themselfs "pro dancers". I was the last, and in my case - just to put my hands a bit further from the body (a thing of 2 cm or so). And all the time - not only that he remembers me. He remember my name. Was enough that he will look to me - and it was like "Ole Orna! Vale Orna! Vamos Orna!". OK, I like it here :-) 

We have started with a dance. A caracoles. It's a kind of alegria. I have something with it. I love watching it, but I'm sure that I can't dance alegria (and don't tell me anything else). Miguel meant to do an alegria, for him I accept to take this challenge. Well, now I know that if Hugo does a caracoles - I accept to try too. And it was fun. 

This time it finished with Hugo was putting a timer on his phone's camera, we made a selfie of all group with him and with Mijal. I tough of uploading to here, but.... Altough it's on Facebook (he and Mijal has uploaded) - I'm not sure if it will be fit enough here (after all - I tell you that some of the people calls themselfs dancer and I think they don't and some are just weirdos). 

Friday


The advanced was morning, intermediate early noon. This time Michaela wasn't in any class. Two others from advanced stayed for intermediate. One of them is a flamenco teacher that I used to wank to be OK with her, but I don't try now. The other one is a woman that I know from the studio, she took a part as a dancer in the opera "Carmen" last summer, but she doesn't do it pro all the time. And the one from "Carmen" - I try to be OK with her because I think that she's really good, and I like something in her personallity. The men came, at least most of them. 

This time - Ofir Atar came to play on a guitar for both classes.

And we've been told that that last class will be at noon. The city will be closed to cars from afternoon because of the demonstration, at least some street - including the street of the studio. And I'm the only one who walks to the studio. Not all could come for the last day for it. I took a photo of Hugo with one of the dancers who couldn't come because of it for the last class.

The class has started with worming. The guy who does also some other things in arts came in the last moment. After we have started with the technique - the weirdo joined too. Again - I got the most of attention. I think that in the second day of the workshop I understood my change of view. I know Miguel for years. I went to a workshop of Miguel when I was still new with it, he was one of my first workshops that I ever took. First time with him - I got a lot of attention and it freaked me out. I did try to keep going like nothing happen, but I was afraid of it. Never mind that we became friends after that and I went for some more workshops that he gave in Tel Aviv. Now - here's Hugo instead. I did go before to a workshop of Hugo, before he replaced Mijal in the studio as a teacher when she performed in Japan with Miguel, but... I didn't know if Hugo even remembers me, until one evening before this workshop. And he remember me and my name. I got lots of attention, mostly with jaleo that I'm sure that all noticed. Not only that I was relax - I found it pretty funny. When we moved to the part of the dance - Mijal brought him a cajon. She sat between him and Ofir that part. We stopped for a moment that he will explaine some things. I lisnted, and... He looked at me and "Vale Orna!". I laughed. And I noticed that Mijal was looking and looked amused.  I'm cool with it. And there was a moment the modern dance guy asked something. He asked one of the other men who told him to ask Hugo. He asked Hugo. Hugo stopped all to explain. The modern dance was still talking with the other man, and was knocking like carzy on the floor. The flamnco teacher who stayed asked him to be silence. We got a new part for the dance. The arts guy freaked out. It's intermediate class and the moves.... Hugo learned how to say "Relax" in Hebrew in a try to...

Saturday


The men came. Well, the arts guy came when class has started. Ofir came to play. Michaela came back and again took both classes. The woman who I know through the studio and I like her - came for the first class, and stayed till the end of technique of the class that I took. The weirdo came with her daughter when we started the technique. I came with my phone to the studio part of dancing for I could take a video in the end. The weirdo came cold, so she thought it's OK to put the used toilet paper too close to my phone. I took my phone and was putting it on one of the loudspeakers in the studio. Didn't take too long - I found out that she touched my phone to put hers instead in the same place. 

Still I got a lot of attention. After a worming, and after a lot of technique - we got some rehearsals on the parts we learned in the classes before. And got the finish of it. In the end - I gave my phone to Mijal and I asked to take a video. I got a video of the dance. After that we got another group photo (which I still didn't see). And I aksed to have a photo with him alone. Mijal took that as well. OK, 4 photos, but I'll show only one of it. And two Sevillanas. My phone was back in in my hands. Like a crazy - instead of dancing - my instinct made me take a video of Hugo and Mijal dance Sevillanas. 






No comments:

Post a Comment