1. 

   natalia
   December 14th, 2011 - 12:15

   Loved Carlos’ quebrada turns – styled like Carmen Amaya! What an amazing dancer for one so young – and his dancing was so sincere and earnest.
   Loved Sergio’s alegrias – my kind of dancer! There’s plenty of room in flamenco for playfulness and charm – we don’t see enough of it – I love it, love it, love it!
   Loved Norberto’s solea – It exuded both strength and grace. As I recall he didn’t start with an explosive llamada – but stood there center stage and just commanded attention with his presence.
   Loved the farruca – but what can I say – everyone knows I love the old fashioned classic lines – and this was a pleasure to both eyes and ears.
   And Edwin – Our boy continues to amaze and surprise us. Not only a great dancer, but one who is doing a lot to keep the level high here in DC. Ed – you’re my hero!

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2. 

   natalia
   December 14th, 2011 - 12:16

   oops – I didn’t say anything about the musicians and singers!!!! Please forgive me.
   Richard continues to sail into the statosphere with his playing! I won’t comment further on the others – leave that to the rest of you!

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3. 

   Lis
   December 15th, 2011 - 09:42

   I wrote my reactions to a friend right after I saw the show. I see here someone else also used “strength and grace” but I swear I wrote this before the blog came out. I realize I am no flamenco expert, but this is what I wrote to my friend:

   I loved this perspective. It was so unique to focus on just the male expression of flamenco and seeing one after another of different male expressions. Note I didn’t say “masculine” because to me, it wasn’t about focusing on masculinity. It was focusing on male expression, whatever it is for that specific man. It was amazing to see the various expressions of male flamenco because of their different personalities. I thought overall it was a fantastic program. I was amazed by all four of them and loved their individual styles. Loved the opening piece, loved the Farruca, really loved the solos.

   Sergio Aranda — I was most blown away by his footwork.

   Carlos Menchaca — beautiful lines and form. What I liked best was that what he was feeling was so outwardly visible, in his moves and in his face. It didn’t feel contrived. He really threw all of himself with all feeling into his dancing and everything showed on his face. Sometimes a dancer has a fixed expression, like a stage face. With Carlos, you could get swept up as much as he himself was swept up. It was very infectious.

   Norberto — My favorite for all around everything. I loved his dance form and lines, the whole appearance and footwork. Maybe it’s a style preference, so it appeals to me the most.

   Edwin — I finally understood what it is about Edwin’s dancing that makes it unique and beautiful. Of course I’m always impressed, but I didn’t quite know what to make of his dance style. The problem was, that when I watched him, I was expecting the classical male flamenco dance style. But that’s not Edwin. I realized Edwin is a combination of strength and grace. His moves are very graceful compared to the others. They’re very fluid. He also has strength and sharpness, and you see the masculinity in that. Of course females have strength too, but Edwin’s strength is male strength. I think his uniqueness is how he captures the beauty of femininity, as a man, alongside his masculinity. And the femininity he captures is what he expresses uniquely from other men. He doesn’t appear like “a man dancing like a woman.” He is a man, dancing with a blend of femininity and masculinity, not distinct elements but blended and balanced. So in that way, I found his solo very beautiful. It’s Edwin’s unique style. And really, no other male flamenco dancers show these qualities in their dance.

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