Adi Akiva

A photo by Nadav Biran

Flamenca Project - official photos

Noa Drezner - guitar

Shuky Shveiky - sing

Hagai Leshem - percussions

Yael Tuchfeld - dance and palmas

Yishai Ben Yaacov - flute

I took those photos for Raash Magazine

http://www.raash.net/

Couldn't help it

Even that I don't suppose to show photos that I took for the magazine

before it has been published by the magazine in official...

Anyway I see it as my final job for Raash Magazine. 

The trio of Noa Drezner.

Noa Drezner - guitar

Shuky Shveiky - sing

Hagai Leshem - percussions

Yael Tuchfeld - dance and palmas

Yishai Ben Yaacov - some kind of surprise. Played

on a flute in few parts

I took those photos for Raash Magazine.

Couldn't help it and decided to publish those two photos

from the show before knowing if it will be publish officially

by the magazine. One photo - Yael dance, the other one 

from fin la fiesta

Adrián Santana

La India

The upcoming with Noa Drezner

Thursday night:

A show of Noa Drezner with Shuky Shveiky, Hagai Leshem and Yael Tuchfeld. 

A special guest: Yishai Ben Yaacov.

A year and a half I'm a photographer at Raash Magazine, an Israeli music magazine that goes on only at the web. The manager was shocked when I offered myself. He saw that I take photos of flamenco. He told me that he can see what I can do, but I no enough experience at taking photos at music shows that don't includes dancing. I took some photos at a show of a musician without a connection to flamenco after I asked if it will be fine. He accepted. I sent the photos for both - the musician and the manager of the magazine. Two different answers: the musician thanked me and said that the photos are pretty. The manager of the magazine told me what's wrong at the photos (everything). I found myself this way at the crew of the magazine. A year and a half. Recently the work at the magazine went down almost to zero. The work there was very difficult from so many reasons and not real money. At the start the manager was angry with me that I offered some shows that didn't include at the list that he sent. At the only crew meeting - the idea was changed. Anything we find - it's fine to offer doing it to the magazine, even if it isn't at the list. Recently there was one flamenco work that I did to the magazine - Baldy Olier gave a lecture about flamenco, his son was playing and Ayelet Shachar was dancing. I offered to take some photos. Another photographer offered herself as well. I was sure that at the end she will get it. At the end there was a kob that was good for me: I took the photos and the other one wrote about it. I thought I got if thanks to the fact that I'm the only photographer at the magazine with some experience of dancing photography. I hoped so, but didn't ask. 

Now I found out about Noa Drezner's show. I offered her to come and take some photos. She liked the idea. And because now we can offer work to the magazine - I offered to do it to the magazine. Bad idea. The manager of the magazine decided that I try to rule the magazine. And no, I won't write about it as Noa wanted because I know her personally. Oh, so the other photography job I received with flamenco to the magazine was because I mentioned that I know Ayelet  personally.... 

It was a good but difficult time at the magazine. I told them that I will move on soon. End of June I'm leaving the magazine. No respond.

A day and a half before show - I hear from Noa that it turned out well. The magazine send someone to write about the show and they know that I will come to take some photos for the magazine at her show. So, I will go on taking photos of flamenco, but this flamenco show will be the last work that I do for the magazine. Come with me

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סוף שנה בסטודיו של רקליטה

Belén Maya

Montaje por guajira

A photo by Nadav Biran

Happy birthday Hagai Leshem

Arcangel

Photos by Jose Ramon Zacha

Farruquito

A photo by Natasha Shakhnes

Five years to Studio Pasito

This July at Almuñecar, Spain

Happy birthday Belén Maya

After watching the 20 years celebration

The Israeli flamenco company - Compas Company was celebrating 20 years of activity on stages with 20 different shows. Some of their shows included the company, some included dancers from outside. Few of the outsiders are Israeli dancers from different kinds of dance, most of times with flamenco dancers made in Spain. Some of the shows has been made with the dancer Miguel Angel - a dancer that work with them a lot, mostly with the artistic manager and main dancer of the company - Mijal Natan. For telling all truth - when I started dancing I had a different teacher. One of the reasons that I moved to another studio and was choosing learning from Mijal Natan was watching this company so many times before on stage. I had the chance to start knowing her personally, a thing that made me want learning from her even more. Through Facebook and her work with Miguel Angel - I had the chance to know personally also Miguel. She became my steady teacher who I adore, he became a close friend and every time he's in Israel - he's bonus teacher of mine. 

I want to write more about the celebration of 20 years of Compas Company more than I want to write about my personal connections. It's a little difficult to make the separation at this case, but I'll do my best. 

For twenty years on stage - Compas Company made a special show. It was twice on stage (so far) with few dances from few different shows. This time - only company's dancers, but with the choreography of two dancers from Spain at two different parts. One was a farruca that Mijal Natan was dancing at this show and at a former show - "Pavo Real". The choreography made for her by Miguel Angel a part of "Pavo Real" - one of their shows together. Another dance was before a part of the show "Agua Dulce". The choreography made by Hugo David Alvarez. By the original version it included the dancers Vlada Vest and Hadas Nestel. This time Vlada wasn't dancing at all at the company. There was no replacement for her at this dance. The part of Hadas Nestel - at this show Guerau Cabrera was dancing her part. It was interesting to see it. They both have a different style of dance and movement, and this is before reminding the fact this it was taking out a woman and putting a man instead. 

So, this show included some recorded music, some with live music. when it was live music - the musicians were: Yehiel Hason (guitar), Ofir Ataer (sing) and Rali Rali Margalit (cello).

The dancers: 
Of course - Mijal Natan.
The steady company of these days made from Ayelet Shachar, Moran Ron, Guerau Cabrera, Lia Sheinfeld and Maya Shani Palenbaum. Ilan still not steady, but I guess he will be. About Maya Shani Palenbaum - she still pretty new, so I guess this is the reason that she took a part only in few dances. For this show - came to perform two dancers from the past: Adi Grupper who took a part till quit recently and I have met her at the studio and at the backstage more than once. And Mor Zilberman who took a part at the company for years, I've seen her on stage many times, but she left before I've started to learn at the studio of Mijal, I never knew her personally and I don't really know what happened with her since. Orna Gratz who took a part at the company for years and now he takes a part mostly at the show "David and Bat Sheva" with Miguel Angel, but go on dancing - most of time she do on her private time in the studio for her own soul took a part at this show as well, but from backstage. She was the show manager this time. 

So, the show made from some past shows. Mor Zilberman was on stage for a long time, although she isn't at the company for a long time. She probably still dance somewhere. It looks like that time didn't touch her. Still every movement of hers was correct with the technique. Not only that - something about the way she moves on stage still looks like a real dancer who don't think of technique only. It was amazing looking at her. Her stage personality touched my heart. Near the end there was a moment that I looked a lot on her face (I was close enough as I love) - it looked like that in this moment she's close to tears. For me it was good enough to decide that the dancing comes to her from an inner thing that makes her so good.  About Maya Shani Palenbaum.... It was a bit hard for me. Her movement can look like correct and she loves dancing. I know that she was a ballet teacher. Still.... She's from another kind of dancing, made a big brake from life for being a full time mother and got back dancing a little bit before I moved to Mijal's studio. She's four years at flamenco after years of not dancing at all. And at some workshops we made together - teachers asked her to take care for pulling up shoulders. A little bit makes me jealous and think of "why not me". She took a part at the start of the show and still was OK, but I didn't feel anything from her dancing. At the end she got back to one dance. In a way - I hope it isn't only at my head - I  think she missed few moments and she had to look on the other girls. 

That was a show of a little bit more than an hour. Many of the dances I've seen before, some even more than once. It didn't disturb me to be moved from watching it. Accept the newest dancer at the company who looked to me too mechanical - all on stage looked so glamorous. Watching the bit of all together, the mix of all the dances together just worked. The mix with that order made it a full show that could stand on it's own even without the contacts around it. 

At the end - Mijal Natan made something that she usually don't do. She was talking. She told about the start of this company and introduced the people on stage. Well, the fact it included two past dancers was a moment of reminding the past of this company by people and not only by the dances.

For the special show and moment - all on stage received some flowers. 

As far as many of them are friends or some kind of friends - I came to backstage to say hello and tell them that I enjoyed watching it

Compas Company and Miguel Angel

From the show

David And Bat Sheva

The last time on stage of Tel Aviv - so far

Yael Tuchfeld

A photo by Natasha Shakhnes

Sentir

Flamenco at August

An article

This is a link for an article at Hebrew about Mijal Natan and Compas Company. She's the founder of Compas Company, the main dancer, the artistic manager and the main choreographer

http://www.habama.co.il/Pages/Description.aspx?Subj=2&Area=1&ArticleId=28448

A photo by Max Rozental

A photo by Yogev Amrani

Miguel Angel staging Italy