A couple of weeks ago I participated in my first performance since quarantine.
I danced sevillanas and bulerías, and I did not wear flamenco shoes.
And, once again I let my silver strands show.
How to dance flamenco, flamenco travel in Spain, flamenco dance students and their experiences, interviews with flamenco artists, translations of flamenco letras (songs) from Spanish to English
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Hows & Whats
A couple of weeks ago I participated in my first performance since quarantine.
I danced sevillanas and bulerías, and I did not wear flamenco shoes.
And, once again I let my silver strands show.
Do you have a hard time watching video of yourself dancing flamenco?
You’re not alone.
While we may not choose to publicly share video of ourselves dancing, it can be a great tool to use for personal growth.
Do you want to add some drama to your eyes but feel uncomfortable applying eye makeup?
A simple smokey eye doesn’t have to be complicated nor take a long time, and the results can be stunning.
It is a great look for flamenco.
Here's what I used & how I did it in ten steps:
A couple of weeks ago I participated in a fun flamenco makeup tutorial sponsored by my friends at Espacio de Arte Seattle. It was a great excuse to gather, get made up, and learn something while observing shelter in place due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The other day I had a flamenco show, and I let my grey hairs be. It felt weird, like it was the wrong place to expose my work-in-progress hair. Mainly because it is very clearly only partially grown out.
Here I explain about how I did my performance makeup to distract myself from those multiple colors atop my head.
Do you know how to dance a bulería corta? And do you know when it’s appropriate to do so?
Find out exactly which components you need to include in your short dance, see four examples (each deconstructed to help you better understand the structure), then practice doing one of your own!
Do you find yourself a bit lost when it comes to getting done up for a show?
Below get the skinny on the makeup I like wearing to perform flamenco.
I’ll start with my ideal situation. Then I’ll tell you what items I could go without if I felt like doing less or simply didn’t have all of these products.
Below watch a video of Concha Jareño, our dance teacher on the Flamenco Tour to Madrid, dancing por guajiras. You will LOVE it.
Here’s the bulerías that Paco del Pozo sings:
You will be BLOWN AWAY watching Concha Jareño, our teacher for the Flamenco Tour to Madrid, dance in the video below of her bulerías workshop at Amor de Dios in Madrid.
Following the video you can read what she has to say about the difference between flamenco today as compared to sixty years ago and about sensuality and sexuality and how they do or don’t show up in her dancing.
Test your bulerías knowledge by taking the following quiz.
It's short.
It's fun.
And you might learn something or just bathe in the satisfaction of realizing how much you already know.
Ready?
Do you know how to dance bulerías to the cante?
This is what you’ll see Carmen Herrera doing in the video below as José Mijita sings and Carlos Grilo accompanies on guitar.
Would you like to learn the castanets sounds to accompany sevillanas? If so, read on.
Today I share the toques (sound patterns) written out for all four sevillanas coplas along with a couple of instructional videos and another for your enjoyment.
The following flamenco dance tips were born out of a longing to be back in class with Mercedes Ruíz. Because I love it there. I love how we learn, the focus on technique, the repetition, watching Mercedes move.
So here are eleven tips I’ve learned studying with her over the years. Each tip includes a brief exercise to help you apply it.
You asked me to analyze more videos around here to better understand how flamenco dance works, so today I will deconstruct another bulerías of Pastora Galván. So here is a video (that you’re going to LOVE) followed by a breakdown of each component of the dance and when it happens:
Here is an observation activity to help you understand bulerías more deeply along with a letra and a video from the Peña la Bulería caseta during the Feria de Jerez.
Sound made with the feet in flamenco is most commonly called zapateado, coming from the word zapato (shoe.) It can also be called taconeo coming from the word tacón (heel). Here are the basic flamenco footwork techniques that are used to create sound patterns with the feet.
Ever find yourself getting stuck in your head during class?
I know how you feel.
Today I will share with you four things you can do when you find yourself in this situation and I’ll show you a video you’ll LOVE of Beatríz Morales.
But first, a story.
Did you set a flamenco (or any type of) resolution last January?
How’s that going?
If the goals you set feel like distant memories, read on. Today I will tell you how you can get back on track and explain why you don’t want to beat yourself up for having let things slide.
I love asking flamenco artists I admire what advice they have to offer to the flamenco student. Here are thirteen suggestions from some of the best: