Flamencollage with Hugo Alvarez

 Compas Company invited the dancer Hugo Alvarez for twice on stage with their show Flamencollage. Once it was also with the dancer Carmel Shelly at Givat Brener, I saw the second time at Tel Aviv without Carmel. 

The musicins: 

Guitar: Ofir Atar

Singers: Shuky Shveiky and Yael Horwitz

Dancers: Mijal Natan, Ayelet Shachar, Moran Ron, Lia Sheinfeld, Maya Shani Palenbaum, Ivelisse Gonzalez,Naama Kassif and Vardit Lousky. I want to write also about the new dancer at the comapny, but I don't really see him as a dancer.... The new guy at the company is Bar Lapid that were kind of his first times on stage with Compas Company. 

Guest dancer: Hugo Alvarez. 

Once again it took me a little while to write about it. Accept the relax - I went to sleep too late at night even without writing about the show. I won't get into all palos in the show. 

So, it did start with all company on stage, including Bar Lapid. All with plamas. Moved to a full dance, after a while without Mijal. As far as I know Bar Lapid since he was a kid and I wanted to see if there was any improve that he could get into the company... At least he can stand better, but still not like a real dancer. He didn't look with self confidence. Maybe I'm wrong, but in some moments it looked like he's looking at others to remember. In some moments it looked that maybe it does happen cause he missed some movements and did it few seconds after the real dancers. There is a circle that happenes a lot in flamenco, I love doing it and watching it, I know it's difficult (even to me it till I learned how to do it well), but... I expect a person who calls himself "a professional dancer" to do it like it's a natural thing. I'm not a a professional dancer and do this circle better than him.... The others on stage were real profassionals.

It went to a solo tarantos of Mijal Natan, with a musical brake between dances. I saw many times before do it, I can't complain. I love this palo and I love the way that she dance it.

There were some more dances in a row of the company, at least the very inside of the girls who are always there: Ayelet, Moran, Maya. And there was one with a choreography of Hugo. Ayelet, Moran, Maya and Naama Kassif did it. I saw it in another version or two before, always fun.

After that - Hugo came to stage for a solo. He brought Ivelisse and Bar to be his palmeros. Hugo was amazing. Not only that his tecnique is crazy, not only that choreography was cray - it was including a lot of humor on stage. And he didn't let Ivelisse and Bar just stay on the side for the palmas, he operated them. At least at this part Bar did function. 

It finished with all dancers of the comapny accept Mijal on stage. Once again - with Bar who forgot that he made to function as a palmero. He still wasn't good enough, and it was too easy to see when he tried to dance with some real dancers. 

Fin la fiesta - all were on stage. Solos of dancing - the musicians did it. Just to see that the simple things can be fun. They did it simple and funny, there was no need for more. Bar made to. He did lots of legs work, something pretty crazy that some would say it less good for fin la fiesta. He can do some things, but it didn't look good. All went out together, Bar made it again... THose things should look like a surprise, even if the plac all do together for the going out. He started before all when it was clear that Hugo made the sign to start. 

I met some people at the audience, I went also to say "hello" to the dancers and musicians, but that's another story.

Compas Company at Suzanne Dellal

Photos by Eli katz

 

After watching Compas Company and Adrian Santana (very late telling)

Well, a bit before the mess with Coronavirus - Adrian Santana came again to Israel and performed with Compas Company. Once again with Compas Company, with Mijal Natan - the artistic director of the company even more than once before. It took me some time to write about it. Life, classes, photography, day job, my dog, trying without success to stay concentrated... Now when there is that horrible virus, classes were cancelled, still trying to keep day job and take care for my dog... It took me a while to get out of the first shock from this virus. I don't have it, but I know two girls from the flamenco that got into insulation because of "maybe". Now I'll try to write.

So, once again Adrian Santana came to Israel. Too short visit. At Tel Aviv - one workshop of one class at the middle of the week. I couldn't come because of day job. At the same evening - a show. I could come and loved it. I got my ticket at the moment I found out about it. He already performed before with Compas Company, something like four years ago. Since - he had one or two more shows only with Mijal Natan alone and with musicians. Adrian, Mijal, and girls of the company: Ayelet Shachar, Moran Ron, the newest dancer - Gaia Liberman, and Lia Sheinfeld who got back for this show. On the music: El Fyty was the guitar player and Shuky Shveiky was sining.

A bit before the show has started - an old couple sat next to me. The man started talking with me: "You are at Facebook, a lot at Facebook, don't you? I see you, you have a dog. You are at Facebook with the dog. I see the dog"... OK, that was a weird moment. After he got relax a bit - I found out. Irit Spector who was long time ago at the company, still learn at the studio of Mijal when she comes back to Israel, a Facebook friend of mine - she was buying tickets for her parents. That were her parents, her father became a Facebook friend of mine (I don't remember how and when). It was first time we met at real life.

The show itself included few new dances of the company. One of the dances - bamberas that recently I learned at the studio of Mijal during classes. Ayelet started alone, Moran and Gaia joined her. I wanted to join as well. It was amaing to see it from the side, but I wanted to dance too. There was also a duet of Adrian with Mijal, a siguiryia with castañuelas that Mijal wear a bata de cola. This time I couldn't take some photos because of the hall this show took a part (too bad), but last time Adrian was performing with Mijal I took some photos of this duet. I wanted again, even to see if there is a difference of photo, although it's the same dance, the same dancers and the same photographer.  Most of the show I was pleased to see, but one dance I wanted to join and every moment there were dancers on stage - I wanted my camera on me to take some photos of this beauty. Even that I knew some of the parts - it was a pleasure to see it again or from the audience. About the new parts - it was a pleasure to find out they can still surprise me. Near the end there was a caña of Adrian alone. He do it with a manton. It isn't first time that I see this certain dance, but it still can take my breath away. I think that first time I saw him dance this caña was first time I saw live a man dance on stage with manton. I guess it won't be the last, men started doing it and it starts to be "a thing".

After the show I was doing what I do the best - waiting like a 15 years old enthusiastic girl. It was at a different hall than the usual at Suzzane Dellal, so I couldn't get into the backstage. I found out that it's possible to see that I have a connection to the artists because a forign woman asked me who were the women who got into backstage (the manager of of show and the marketing woman of Compas Company). With me were waiting a woman who I know through the studio. She was giving up after a while. With her and Irit Spector's dad I was talking about photography. Oh, I'm doing photography? The woman was a bit shocked to find out, Irit's dad saw before at Facebook. They both were sorry for me that I couldn't take for me that I couldn't take some photos that evening. Well, I'm happy that they are sorry, but I'm sorry the most.... I know Gaia since she was a kid and both of us were at a different studio. She's cute, not only a good dancer. The problem: I also know her mother this way. I hate her mother... Her mother was there waiting as well. Between us - a cold "hello", a moment after she was talking with Irit's dad as well. I think they were a bit shocked to see that Adrian knows me, we kissed and talked. If I remember correct - it was Irit's mother who took this photo of mine with Adrian

I hope that soon there will be some more shows to tell about and it will take me faster to tell about it

Lia Sheinfeld

Photos by Asaf Specktor

Lia sheinfeld

A photo by Asaf Specktor

Tablao Flamenco - October 2018, first to publish

Photos by Orna Timen

This Tuesday with Compas Company

Accept the photo of Shuky (up and right) - I took the photos at this poster

Tablao, February 2018

Dancers: Moran Ron, Ayelet Shachar, Guerau Cabrera and Lia Sheinfeld.
Guitar: Itamar Shapira
Sing: Ofir Atar
Photos by Orna Timen