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flamenco student

Just Keep Showing Up | Flamenco Student Stories [Jackie]

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Just Keep Showing Up | Flamenco Student Stories [Jackie]

Do you practice as much as you’d like to? What about simply showing up for class? How do you make time for flamenco in your life?

The following interview with Jackie Pasciak, flamenco dancer from Portland, Oregon, is packed full of gems and a must listen for students.

Jackie and I did this interview as we navigate shelter in place life during the height of the Coronavirus.

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My Flamenco Community Keeps Me In It | Flamenco Student Stories [Julie]

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My Flamenco Community Keeps Me In It | Flamenco Student Stories [Julie]

“What keeps me in flamenco is my flamenco community. When I’m away from flamenco for awhile the people and the community and the sense of supporting each other…is what I really miss and what always brings me back.”

Learn about Julie’s flamenco journey in this interview where she shares everything from how she got started to how she finds time for it in busy life to what she finds most challenging about flamenco. She even shares some advice for her fellow flamenco learners…

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20 Ways to Spice Up Your Flamenco Dance Practice

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20 Ways to Spice Up Your Flamenco Dance Practice

Do you have a hard time finding the motivation to practice?

I hear you.

. . . And I want to help!

Here are twenty ways to bring new life to your flamenco practice

The following ideas will not only spice up your practice but will also make you a better dancer. Apply them to a full choreography, part of a dance, a combination, or even a single step.

1. Do it while singing (or humming) the melody.
OBJECTIVE: Connect the music to the dance. Move your focus away from the steps. Improve your memory. Improve your focus.

2. Do one part over and over.
OBJECTIVE: Solidify and perfect a given part.

3. Do it facing different directions in the room.
OBJECTIVE: Stop relying on the mirror. Focus. Test your knowledge of the dance. Learn to adapt to different situations. Prepare for performance.

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What Life Is Like For A Dancer on the Flamenco Tour to Jerez Part Two

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What Life Is Like For A Dancer on the Flamenco Tour to Jerez Part Two

After a full week in Jerez flamenco no longer simply surrounds us; it lives inside of us. Sounds from our dances play on repeat in our heads. We unintentionally walk up the steps in compás, the rhythms from class guiding us. We find ourselves dancing bulerías in our sleep. There’s no escaping it,

We are definitely in the midst of a flamenco immersion…

That’s what life was feeling like a week into the Flamenco Tour to Jerez. I’m now back home in Portland, and Jerez feels worlds away. Here’s a summary of the second week of our trip. 

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Bulerías Made Simple [The Structure of a Bulerías Dance & How It Relates to the Cante]

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Bulerías Made Simple [The Structure of a Bulerías Dance & How It Relates to the Cante]

Bulerías is arguably one of the hardest flamenco forms to dance due to it's improvisational nature, complex rhythm, and nuanced cante. But dancing bulerías is less mysterious than you may think. Once you understand the components of the dance and how they relate to the music (the singing and the compás) you'll be well on your way to obtaining bulerías freedom.

Below l explain the basic bulerías por fiesta structure and how it relates to the cante. After that you'll find a video of Pastora Galván along with an analysis describing where she dances each component of the structure. Finally I give you an activity to help you internalize the information.

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