How to Flamenco at Home.
Here we go again with things closing due to Covid. It has been so hard and I know flamenco aficionados across the world are burnt out from virtual classes. So much of the joy of being in a class is the community and benefits of dancing together as a group…one of the biggest benefits of dancing is expressing yourself and being accepted in your social group. I mentioned this article in the last blog and newsletter, but it is worth mentioning again.
Here’s how to flamenco at home. Keep yourself in the groove and keep yourself inspired. Full disclosure: I haven’t really danced for a month or so. I am in a rut and can’t seem to get out of it.
1. Take a class: We were going to produce a hybrid Immersion series, starting in February, but with folks being so burnt out on Zoom and Covid number soaring, we are putting that on hold for now. Here are some other options:
a. Alfonso Cid, NYC singer and teacher. Alfonso is a great teacher and the best way to learn flamenco is through the cante. I am taking classes with him now.
b. Estudio Flamenco in Sevilla, Spain. Esther Velez, has been creating an amazing online academy for over a decade. The production value is top-notch, and the classes are comprehensive and accessible to beginners. I suggest the Sevillanas courses for beginners. Then you will have a head start on the Hudson Valley Feria de Primavera events in the works for the spring.
c. Privates with me! I am available for virtual private classes. I have found that one-on-one learning is the best way for me to work in the virtual space. It facilitates learning in a way that group classes can’t.
2. Listen.Listen.Listen. Choose a palo: like bulerias, alegrias, fandangos, etc and your music streaming service of choice and actively listen to a few songs over and over. Dissect them. Listen once and try to clap along. Listen again and hear the melody of the cante. Again, to listen to the percussion or the guitar chord progressions. This is how you are going to start understanding the structure of flamenco. As a dancer, this is invaluable.
3. Enjoy the bounty of the internet. Here are some of my favorite sites for great flamenco reading…
a. THIS BLOG…but seriously.
b. Experience Flamenco’s blog archive. Laura has so much information on here, letra translations and other gems.
c. Flamencopolis. This is the accepted resource for all things flamenco, touted by the best artists and historians in the community.
Short and sweet this month, but take the time to go forth and find some inspiration in the big, wide world.
I suggest you set a challenge for yourself this month with something that you want to investigate or learn more about in flamenco. Examples could be as simple as, learn how to clap along to a bulerias. Listen to learn to recognize one palo. Figure out what the heck a palo is… things like that.
Happy flamenco-ing and can’t wait to see you all outside for one of our first workshops in the spring!