Frozen but happy

The Giralda - cathedral that reigns supreme like the mother of Sevilla....

I don't think I'll ever stay in a flat with a better view!! I'm not even using my zoom!

After a whirlwind trip to Spain, where I was inundated with classes and more classes, I am finally back in Calgary! Everything is soooo very quiet (not to mention white & a bit chilly). I went for a walk the other day and had a bit of culture shock - what, no hoards of people passing me by? no busker gathering crowds because he is sitting there without a "head"? no man with blackened hands and plumes of smoke roasting chestnuts at the end of the street?

I get great enjoyment out of my walks through Sevilla - normally though I madly race through town, navigating my way over the cobblestones, but I still notice everything as I pass by (especially beautiful billowing flamenco dresses in store windows). Sevilla suits me so well - it is full of surprises! One walk takes me past the Brazilian lady with her orange hair, who tells me the same story each time she sees me...then you might find that your street is blocked because a van tried to go through it - and is stuck between the houses - he can't fit! So on your detour you get lost and you find yourself in front of the Duchess of Alba's palace, that you didn't even know existed. That's life in Sevilla...everything a bit usual, more vibrant, colourful...

Did you know that the fall moon in Sevilla looks like a smiley face? I had no idea it could turn that way!! When I told them that never happens in Canada - they didn't believe me!

As far as classes go, I kept myself busy studying with Andres Marin, Manuel Betanzos, Isable Bayon and a few additional classes from Leonor Leal. When I wasn't at class, I was busy practicing or walking as fast as I could to the next class and then falling asleep exhausted at the end of the day. There wasn't time for much else during the week!

During the weekends, however, I had some adventures. I was staying in a gorgeous flat owned by Luis, my 'companero de piso' who is a designer, so he's decorated the flat with personality and flair. The terrace, apart from the spectacular view, was a perfect spot to have lunch...in fact I could have hung out there all day! Luis also has pyramids of books - so you can grab one and lounge on a cushion reading...which I never did. But a good idea nevertheless!

I also decided to try-out my newfound talent (or attempt) in cooking, so invited over friends. In Spain, we spend a lot of time enjoying meals together. Often the plans are spontaneous and it is almost more fun that way! Here is a picture of our salmon lunch (I had help so it was yummier than usual!)

I saw less shows during this trip, but what I saw I was very worthwhile! The first weekend was WOMEX http://www.womex.com/ww.womex.com/ a huge world music conference showcasing some of the top world music acts from all over the world. WOMEX kicked off with the best ;-) Duquende singing with Qawwali - a powerful, almost trance-like music from Pakistan that blew me away. Moreover, you could hear the roots of flamenco in the singing!

There were many more days of WOMEX, the pavilions were set up in Plaza de Espana itself and we went back and forth between tents, it was like being transported to Nigeria, Portugal, Mexico, Cambodia - all in one evening!

The other show I saw in Sevilla was "Turquesa como el limon" by Rocio Molina. It was a fantastic end to my trip. She is a phenomenal talent and left the audience shouting and on their feet. I can't explain the show and do it enough justice, so maybe just read more about her on online www.flamenco-world.com/artists/rocio_molina/molina19012006-1.htm

The flamenco world is abuzz with talk about Rocio Molina!!

So other than shows and classes, I spent a great deal of time focusing on preparing to perfom, which we did at Arrayan's "Noche del Flamenco Puro". Again, I had lots of excited tourists snapping shots to take back home and show pictures of their 'authentic spanish dancer'. :-) hee hee. The performance was lots of fun and the venue was packed (ah, WHEN will they ban smoking indoors? Well, at least it creates this theatrical haze...). But what I enjoyed most were the rehearsals in the studio, where we tried out lots of different remates and Juan and Shuki (pictured right) played and sung their hearts out....at that point you don't even have to dance, you just listen and wait and then come crashing in just at the right moment with all that inner power unleashed and blazing!

Tia Fiona

I am an Aunt!
Here is a picture of my niece, Chiara, who is just a week old....

Tierra....it's over

Thanks to all of you who came out to see Tierra - after all the work & lead-up to the show we were thrilled that we had such a receptive audience to perform to! Thanks so much for bringing your friends & family, as I know many of you did. Thanks for filling up those seats - all the Ole's.... I love coming back to class & seeing your inspired faces. That's one of the reasons we bring flamencos into Calgary. Listening to cante on a CD is not quite the same thing! :-) Nothing like a live Martinete resounding throughout the theatre.

Several of you have asked what it was like having everyone here. Intense and wonderful. Over 2 weeks of dedicated immersion. Not only are you rehearsing and creating with the other artists but you are living with them in the same house, eating together, spending practically every moment together. It was one noisy place! Rehearsals downstairs and upstairs simultaneously. Guitar lessons on the outdoor deck. Ilse moved a dancefloor into the garage to practice there! Needless to say we invited our neighbours to the show after all of that :-)

Creating a full-length show in a few weeks was a lofty task, especially with the integration of the environmental themes. It was such a wonderful and artistically challenging process. This is why we do what we do - why we dedicate our lives to flamenco - give up so much - so that we can be here, gathering our talents and ideas, collaborating together, creating a show. Flamenco puro for the stage! To have your work enhanced by the musical and choreographic ideas of others, adding the lighting effects, the energy of the audience - it all creates a special magic that can't be replicated anywhere else.

Each show was completely different. Those of you who saw both nights know what I mean. For me it was a great learning experience, adapting to changes that happen onstage - pulling it all together. It wasn't quite as I expected it to be - but flamenco is full of surprises. Some moments on stage were so charged, and the way Vicente sang (so incredibly powerful) I almost didn't need to dance, he carried me with his voice. Some of our best moments were also backstage or in rehearsal, those spontaneous jamming moments. Ideas pop out and disappear so quickly that you can barely grasp them...your dance becomes a reaction to the creativity around you. I love that about flamenco. The cycle of energy and emotion, the support of jaleos and palmas - the feeling when everyone catches the remates....like we are all working on a purely 'flamenco' level of consciousness.

Those of you who saw the show, may have picked up on the vibe of the group. We felt like a flamenco family by the end of it...we spent a whole lot of time in fits of laughter...whether it was during rehearsal or afterwards watching flamenco clips or comedies. Ricardo and Vicente are born comedians themselves. I put them in the 2 rooms downstairs and almost nightly we would hear the sound of their laughter (deep belly laughs) coming up through the floorboards. That would get us laughing upstairs...soon there was this cycle of laughter on all floors! That's how many nights ended....

It is a beautiful opportunity to be able to get up, rehearse, eat and rehearse some more. I love the focus of the lifestyle and how the pieces get tighter and more cohesive every day. It is a rare occurrence to have so many international flamencos in Calgary for such a period of time! I am so happy that many of you were able to participate in the workshops, guitar classes, watching the rehearsals and attending the shows. We hope that your love for flamenco grew just a little bit more as did ours!

Please post your comments about the show on the blog. You can also post comments and a show rating on http://www.flamenco.ca/

Pictures are soon to follow....keep checking back!

Andres Marin

Just to follow up on class tonight where I talked about Andres Marin...


You can visit his website http://www.andresmarin.es/


And read an excellent interview on Flamenco World www.flamenco-world.com/artists/marin/entrevista.htm

He is an incredibly disctinctive dancer with a wealth of brilliant ideas. I greatly admire is approach to dance...which you will understand more about through reading the interview. Post your comments on the blog!!

Nina de los Peines

Frederico Garcia Lorca wrote this paradigm of a singer possessed by duende, who was once one of the most famous singers (1890-1969). She is a legend! You often hear her letras still performed today.

"Once, the Andalusian singer Pastora Pavon, La Nina de los Peines, dark hispanic genius, the equivalent in capacity for fantasy as Goya and Rafael el Gallo sang in a little tavern in Cadiz. She played with her voice of shade, with her voice of melted pewter, with her moss covered voice and she tangled it in her hair, or wet it in manzanilla wine, or lost in some dark, far away cordials. But for nothing; it was in vain. The listeners remained silent. Pastora Pavon stopped singing in the middle of the silence."

Sevilla on Sunday

I am sitting at an internet cafe unlike no other...right beside the largest Gothic cathedral in the world ! (Giralda). Every now and then the bells go crazy and I am nearly shocked out of my chair. It is Sunday after all :-) I wandered into the Cathedral - but I far prefer the magic of wandering around by the exterior by night.

I have now been away in Spain for over 4 weeks, there are still several more weeks to go. Just moved into a little studio flat in Arenal that I love. I can run down for yummy croissants in the morning down at the bar Buzon, I am also right by the Alcazar gardens so when I have time in the afternoons I sit there on the wall that overlooks everything. Around in Arenal are enormous palm trees and moorish arched windows, heavy wooden doors, hidden tilework underneath balconies and trees dripping with oranges. I´ve bought a blue bicycle and cruise through town on that. It´s very interesting riding on those uneven cobblestones without proper shocks!! Yesterday I rode over the Puente de Triana and saw the sun setting over the Gualdaquivir, casting a golden glow on the shore opposite Triana. I swear Sevilla is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I am obviously completely enamoured!!

I have spent so much time eating, drinking, sharing experiences with friends. I see friends here more in a week than I do in half a year in Canada (keeping in mind that I am often away of course! :-) But relaxing with friends is an integral part of the culture of Andalucia. They love life, they take the time to enjoy it before everything else. What a healthy and beautiful way to live.

Yesterday I was at the bar Labarinto and a man was reciting stories from Greek Mythology to a captive audience. I also went to see a local soccer game in Triana - I´d never seen soccer live before (or hockey for that matter!) but it was a lot of fun, especially if you know people that are on the team!

As far as classes go, I am taking 2 classes with Manuel Betanzos as well as classes with Isabel Bayon, Andres Marin and Ursula Lopez. Ricardo, the guitarist I worked with in Calgary in October (whom some of you know) is also here, performing at the Pena Torres Macarena. He and I get lots of chances to chat & he will likely be coming to Calgary again to perform again in September!

Performances have been very exciting and fulfilling. The places in which I have had the opportunity to perform are magical, with so much history that they fill me with a unique energy and inspiration. One of them is the Tablao Patio Las Cruces in Santa Cruz, a tiled moorish patio, with the centre open to the sky, lots of potted plants and birds...

Last Thursday I performed at the Alcazar (palace) of Jerez de la Frontera. Which was an one of the happiest days of my life. They closed off half of the Alcazar for us so in between rehearsals I had the whole run of the gardens, castle walls and towers. I ran, and danced and sang and looked at the view of the Cathedral which was directly in front of me, the city of Jerez, barrio of Santiago (where flamenco is said to have been ¨born¨) and the hills of the countryside stretching out on all sides. I felt so grateful to be there. I am still incredulous that life brought me that opportunity. The Levante was blowing (a wind from Africa) and at night when the stars came out, it felt like I was in the gardens from one of the stories in Arabian Nights.

They filmed the show live and emphasized that I was Canadian. I was really happy that they mentioned it!

Off I go to practice a bit and then find a few friends to share dinner with! The summer heat has not hit quite as yet. When it does, you´ll find me back in Calgary!!!

Comments about the recent Spain trip...

Here is one comment posted by a student who took part in the recent Sevilla Tour 2006:

"My trip to Sevilla, Spain was most memorable and I am glad that I went. The comradeship of all the other girls and the sights of Spain will not be forgotten - from the tapas bars, the Sevillanas bars, the flamenco shows, the long walks (which turned out to be long) since I found the way without reading the map. I found out that knowing some Spanish turned out to be very helpful but the next time I would make sure my Spanish is more fluent. The Plaza, the bull ring, the stores and the people (including the flambouyant ex bull fighter Antonio that we met through Fiona) all added to the flavour of Sevilla. The intensive flamenco dance lessons we got with Felipe Mato was also very beneficial. I realized how great a dancer I could become if I practised like that every day. I am glad I had the opportunity to go!!"

Sylvia
(Sevilla Flamenco Tour participant, 2007)

Going to Costa Rica

I will be in Costa Rica for the next couple of weeks! We will arriving in San Jose and then travelling onward to Parque Manuel Antonio, Monteverde Cloud Forest & Santa Elena, Volcano El Arenal and finally we will spend a few days in Tamarindo where a close friend is getting married. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to go! Adventure stories and pictures to be posted shortly....

Isn't he cute?!!? (pictures courtey of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve). www.monteverdeinfo.com

More pictures from Spain!

La Moneta bailando....

Below are some great group shots that Liane just sent! This is all of us at El Monte after an amazing guitar concert by guitarist Miguel Angel Cortes with guest singer Arcangel...

We didn't expect Arcangel to be there and we were blown away!!

This picture was taken the first night that the group arrived, I can't believe they were all up for going out after travelling such a long way - but here we are in Santa Cruz.

Posing in the photo below with us is Pablo, a guitarist at La Carboneria. Liane was very bold & got his CD AND a picture! :-)

New updates on the trip to Spain Verano (summer) 2007. The dates are:

Arrival July 22, starting class July 23 - August 4. Departure August 5. Jerez de la Frontera, Southern Spain.

On the weekend we will have excursions to the beach, but you could even go each day if you like it is so close!! Other optional excursions will include a trip to Sevilla, the Royal Equestrian School, the Cathedral and a Sherry Bodgea. Instructors to choose from include Belen Maya, Angel Munoz among others...

Let me know if you are thinking about joining us at this time & I will send you more info so you can decide!

Composting

If you're interested in learning about composting, there is a free workshop hosted by Clean Calgary www.cleancalgary.org on Sat March 17, 1:30-3 pm. Call (403) 221.3942 to reserve a spot & for more info....

Candidate Nominated!

Great news... we held our nomination meeting today and Randall Weeks was nominated as the candidate for the Green Party of Canada, Calgary West. We are very excited to have a new candidate in place in preparation for any upcoming elections. The EDA and I are looking forward to helping him build his campaign. Congratulations Randall!
www.calgary-west.greenparty.ca

Sevilla Flamenco Tour

Sevilla 2007.....

In case any of you are interested in also visiting Spain, keep reading about our recent trip!! The plans for the next one are currently in the works - quite possibly sometime this summer....

The flamenco tour this year turned out to be fantastic!! The students keep telling me how much they enjoyed themselves. There was a great group dynamic and so much adventure in 2 weeks that I couldn't believe they managed to do it all! Classes, sight-seeing and tapas all in one day! It helped that this time around we were all centrally located together, right by Alfalfa, the heart of the cultural district in Sevilla. The picture to the above is of Tracey, Julie, Linda and Liane at Bar Universal, just around the corner.

Daily classes were held at Taller Flamenco, with Felipe Mato - an hour and a half of hard work a day...The beginner group studied Solea and the intermediate group worked on a Solea por Bulerias. Here are are a couple of pics of the girls at the school & also practicing on the rooftop...(our funky outdoor "studio").

We were able to have meals together a number of times - tapas at our apartment with wine before going out...the group also got together for a tapas evening on our rooftop terrace and we had a terrific dinner at Eng and Sylvia's the evening before everyone left. Most often, however, we ate at one of the many fantastic restaurants around Alfalfa. Here is a picture of one of my favourite hang-outs, Bar Alfalfa, where they serve Italian/Spanish dishes and great Tinto de Verano.

The day most of us arrived, we took a trip to the Giralda. The largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Beautiful and magical (especially when half-hid in the fog at night). The weather this first week (and some of the second) was mostly rainy, it is winter after all. However we managed to catch several days of great weather...and now of course that we're all gone it is sunny and warm every day!

The first weekend we hung out at La Carboneria with Ricardo (some of you may remember him, he played guitar in the Flamenco Sur show this past October). Over the course of the 2 weeks we got to know Antonio as well, Cristina's boyfriend (an ex-torero with lots of fascinating stories). In the last week of our stay we met Tonico, a flamenco guitarist, who was extremely kind and generous - plus a lot of fun to hang out with and talk to.
Holly, Kevin, Tonico and I had some great evenings - complete with orange blossom wine and a flamenco bar that shuts its doors so that if you walked by outside, you wouldn't even know it existed....

One of the highlights out of all the excursions was undoubtedly the day that everyone went to the Alhambra. Tracey led the tour there and here are few of the amazing photos she took of the interior of Alhambra (one of the wonders of the ancient world) and of Albaicin (the old moorish quarter of Granada).

Other organized excursions included a visit to the Alcazar (palace) of Sevilla. We wandered around the gardens and took many, many photos. Tracey and I climbed over a gate and snuck onto the very high ramparts of the castle wall. There are fantastic views of the grounds from up there! It is one of my favourite places to be. I can be often found there (usually by the security guards :-) writing in my diary....


Here is a picture of Eng, Sylvia, Tracey and Julie together in the gardens of the Alcazar.

Needless to say, we saw more flamenco shows that most people do in a lifetime! They included: several trips to Casa de la Memoria (Choro, La Moneta, etc.), Nino de Pura, Miguel Angel Cortes, Arcangel, Angeles Gabaldon, Jose Merce, Antonio Canales, Carmen Gomero.... and I think I am missing a whole bunch. There were lots of opportunities to not only see dance, but to fully appreciate the cante and guitarra. What better place than in Sevilla?

During their stay, most of the group also managed to see lots of the other amazing sights Sevilla has to offer (all you have to do is take a simple walk to see the most incredible architecture). The sights included: Plaza de Espana, Museo de Belles Artes, Museo de Flamenco (literally around the corner from home), Torre de Oro, Triana (how I miss Triana!), and the shopping streets of Sierpes and Cuna. I noticed everyones suitcase was filled with mounds of polka-dotted fabric...I can't wait to see you all in your new skirts and dresses!

I shouldn't forget to mention that cafe con leche and chocolate napolitanas were also a hit...they became a dietary necessity :-)

Bernadette stayed an extra week which was a really nice surprise. She took in more classes, came to my show (it was wonderful to know she was there). We were able to wrap up our trip together with the most memorable and amazingly magical night of salsa dancing! (look at us smiling!). That is Ilse on the far right, a dancer from Toronto who was in Sevilla at the same time.

So now we are all back in Canada. Thought perhaps we'd missed winter, but not quite ;-). It was wonderful to be able to share Sevilla with all of you. It is very exciting being around students who are there for the first time...the enthusiasm is catching! Looking forward to meeting you all there again. Andalucia is after all only a plane ride away ----

Regreso a Sevilla

Here is a link to a clip from when I performed at the Alcazar, Sevilla. The music has been substituted as the original sound quality was poor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mximNKFq4XM