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Joaquin Grilo

I Can't Sleep | The Weekly Letra

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I Can't Sleep | The Weekly Letra

With just about every bulerías letra Zorri dictates to me, he smiles and laughs while explaining the meaning. (I really wish you could see him do this.) 

So, below find another one from Zorri.

Once you've read it, scroll down to the bottom of the post to see three awesome videos of people (Joaquin Grilo, Rocío Molina, and Midori) dancing por bulerías.

Bulerías
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Me acuesto y no cojo cama
Me acuesto con el sentío
a ver quién a la puerta llama

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How to know what to dance and when to dance it

Today a video of Belén Maya and Joaquín Grilo from Carlos Saura's movie, Flamenco, along with an explanation of the two main types of flamenco.

Many of us learn and study long choreographies.  They are challenging and, as I said, long. Then we learn short snippets.  Which, by the way, are also challenging.

So, how to know when to dance what?

I'll get to this soon.  But first...

We've been doing a lot of tangos this year.  Mostly in a por fiesta setting.

And it's been fun.

Lots of dancing, lots of smiling, lots of attitude.  Attitude in a good way, that is.

So last week during teoría we were talking about how the dancer responds to the cante.  Well, how everyone responds to the cante, when a really good question came up.

A student wondered how everyone knew to transition in the movie Flamenco when Belén Maya came out to dance.  I absolutely love that segment.  And not just because my boyfriend is in it. There are so many reasons to love it

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Festival de Jerez 2011 - Week Two

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Festival de Jerez 2011 - Week Two

March 6 Sunday There is a different energy this week compared to last week.  Is it due to the rain?  - actually closer to the way I remember spring weather in Spain -  Or perhaps it is that some of the excitement has worn off?  Or is it that I am taking classes by myself this week, without any of my compañeras from home.  I was only signed up for one festival course, so I decided to take a tangos workshop from Tatiana Ruíz, the daughter of Chiqui de Jerez.  The girl ought to be a sergeant in the US Army, though I suppose she talks too much for that.  In any case, she worked us hard today and clearly took great pleasure in doing so.  My brain quickly went into overload as I tried to execute the steps at a seemingly impossible pace while at the same time struggling to understand how in the world Tatiana moved her body as she did.  Later that afternoon I headed to my bata de cola class with Alicia Márquez.  It moved slowly, so I was able to get things, but still, how ever do I get this awkward train to cooperate and do what Alicia's does?!  As I walked down the halls of the bodega after class, I poked my head in the various rooms and fantasized that it was my home.

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Festival de Jerez 2011 - Week One

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Festival de Jerez 2011 - Week One

February 26 Saturday Our first day of classes...Nervous as ever to go to Manuel Liñan's class, and I think my nerves were contagious. Sorry, Heather. We were like eager kindergartners on the first day of school arriving 20 minutes early, the first ones there, I don't know if I've ever been the first to arrive. Actually, Manolillo was there and even said hi - we soooo enjoyed class. Went to find the supermarket afterward, and on the way (I hadn't put my jacket on yet; it was warm and we'd just worked hard!) I pass an older woman on the street. Without making eye contact she looks at my clothes and says, "Hija, hace calor pero tampoco para irte así" Haha, I love Spain! Went home to make lunch, rest a bit and review what we'd learned in class. Then off to afternoon class with Marco Flores. Was wonderful to see him again and to thank him in person for the letter of invitation he wrote me to come to the festival. 

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