We got together at the Hotel and headed over the "Studio El Pelicano". I had to pick up the keys at a local cafe/bar close to the studio.
During the first session we talked about some rules and expected behavior during our classes.
We warmed up and started our Flamenquito class in Sevilla.
Manuela Rios followed and she taught 3 different styles of palma. Also she had many fun activities to make us learn to feel the music and learn intricate patterns. Even though the kids were super tired and some with jet lag, they did fantastic!!
At 8:30 pm we met again. This time to be part of the audience in a traditional Tablao Flamenco. Mistakenly, I purchased tickets for August, 30th and not for July, 30th to see flamenco a La Casa de la Memoria. Instead we headed to the hotel area and ended up at Casa del Flamenco where we saw a very romantic cuadro flamenco. Imma Rivera, la cantaora/singer is one of my favorites singer and I am so happy we coincided with her.
Ole!!!
Second Day
The temperatures are rising! We are approaching the 40°...dios mio!
La Toromba brought aprons,scarves and "picos" for the kids, so they have the gipsy canastera (vendors with baskets) look. They were so excited.
They learned a new letra for tangos and were more or less singing it while dancing. Here are the lyrics:
Ay lere lere lere cachito de panAy lere lere lere cachito de pan Ay lere lere lere cachito de pan
Mi marido no esta aqui,Esta en la guerra de Francia Buscando con un castí a una picara mulataY agurugurug y aguruguru y aguruguruga
Manuela brought more fun games. They continued working with body percussion and played a lot with coordination, memory, rhythm and body p. Also they danced to rumba/salsa tunes in order for them to comprehend the music and embody it.
Pearl and Jennifer went to see my class with Leonor Leal, and Pearl realized that Srta. Sandra did not know all the flamenco there is and that she makes many mistakes. What an epiphany!
Finally my adventure with the Flamenquites ended with a trip to Roberto Garrudo to shop for flamenco shoes. We entered the store like a tornado! Luckily Charlotte, Alex, Coco and Lauren were able to get their flamenco shoes. Pearl and Mari got theirs before the tornado. Now they all have an excellent pair of shoes and are ready to stomp around!
I left for my afternoon rehearsal but the families went to hunt for flamenco outfits for the photo shooting! Tomorrow we will have a busy but extraordinary day, filled with surprises!
Third Day
It was such a treat to have dancers and kids from Sevilla in the studio.
They not only danced together but were trying to communicate and they did through a few activities. During the break they played hide and seek and had so much fun.
In the afternoon we met at Plaza España for the photo shooting. Despite the heat...it was a very magical experience. Both groups will have a beautiful album of this extraordinary experience. It was very amusing to see the tourists gathering around our kids to take pictures of them!
Toromba was staging them, she was so meticulous about their poses and it was so worthy! We did this in an hour!
There was taxi strike, but Jennifer booked 3 cabs for us so we can get to Casa de la Memoria in time to see La Choni and El Choro. They were fantstic! A very funny anecdote was when Coco and Lauren fell completely asleep during the show and El Choro was about to start a crazy footwork session but saw these two, and so he did it very quietly acknowledging them. He continued his session on the other side of the stage so he won't wake them up!
Finally, most of the group went to sleep. Susan, Mari, Toromba and her students, my friends Lea, Joelle and I went for a delicious dinner at Travedo.
Fourth Day
Heat wave warning!
We decorated peinetas for our Seviilanas friends and teachers!
I got to teach one hour of a class to both groups! We warmed up and incorporated yoga in this session. Les Flamenquites from Sevilla were curious and so I shared my knowledge. It was so much fun.
We did group and couple activities, were they had to collaborate with each other. The activites involved movement, coming up with a rhythmic section that fit the 4 count "compás" (rhythmic pattern) of Tangos Flamencos. They worked so hard, especially they put a lot of effort on trying to communicate with each other in Spanish.
They also have their regular classes with Toromba and Manuela! It was so much fun. Our Flamenquites from California were definitely picking up a lot of the the attitude, form and movements from the locals!
At 4 pm Leonor Leal came to the place I am staying in Sevilla with my friends Lea and Joelle. We had a little coffee and wrapped up our plans for the afternoon workshop for the families.
Leo started the workshop by asking what are the questions our group had after experiencing some days in one of the cradles for flamenco. The questions were so interesting and deep. Leo was excellent at informing us! I wished we had two hours instead or the whole life with her. She made us move and the group learned a 12 beat rhythm or un palo de 12 compases o tiempos.
She, with her magic, made us experience what it is to call the earth with our stomping and to feel the responses from the earth as it vibrated back to us. Thanks to her we decoded with our bodies, hearts and minds a piece of beautiful musical arrangement, work by Antonio Rey.
Once we were dancing, nobody wanted to stop! Thanks, Leo for being so inspiring and beautiful!
In the evening I got news that my house in Oakland finally got sold and closed. We celebrated to Travedo again! Lea, Joelle went for dinner and T]his time also Birgitte sola, Susan and Mari,Gitane, Coco and her cousin from Portland joined us for some amazing food and champagne!
Mari, Coco and I played with ice cubes and these crazy long bean like flower pods hanging from the gigantic leaved trees in the plaza.
Fifth Day
My phone died last night!
Our last day in the studio. Les Flamenquites from Sevilla are getting weak because of the rising temperatures. Even our teacher, Toromba, was not feeling great!
The San Franciscans are holding it together somehow! Such troopers!
Lauren's rest of the family are joining us today as well!
We prepared the studio for our guests! It is show time! Parents arrived by noon. I introduced our teachers Toromba and Manuela, their extraordinary skills were highlighted briefly, otherwise I could have gone for longer. Our kids presented what they learned with each teacher. It was terrific. Manuela, Toromba and I were singing and doing palmas for them. We could see a transformation in their dance. I was so proud of them!
It was a beautiful way to say farewell!
In the evening we went to see Manuela dance at Casa de la Memoria! Also Marco arrived right on time to the venue!!Happiness all over!
What a treat to see one of our teachers dancing. She is mind-blowing!
At the end the girls took pictures with her and said good bye.
The survivors went to El Traga to celebrate our last dinner! We were missing the Wilsons and Gillilands!
I said good bye to Pearl, Coco and Mari. A very emotive moment. We cried and that makes our heart express. We expressed so much love and joy with our tears.
This week #1 was absolutely magnificent and extraordinary! I will never forget this experience. It has filled me with so much love for our kids, flamenco and for people who are passionate at being parents, teachers, students,lovers,dancers and explorers!
I can not wait to repeat this experience!!!!
