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New design in the worksTuesday October 22, 2002 When I went to the workshops this past weekend, several people that I never met before thanked me for the DCFLAMENCO website. It certainly makes me feel good to hear from real people that all my work is being put to good use. I ran into one of the local performers who was very grateful. Apparently I do help generate some business for many local and visiting artists. That pleases me even more! My mission here, as always, has been to make flamenco info easy to find for the DC community. I'm going to start working on a new design for this website. The launch date will be on or about Jan 1, 2003. If you have some ideas that you think would improve the website, please let me know. Use my comment form or email me directly at dcflamenco@yahoo.com
Omayra Amaya's DC workshop so far... Friday October 18, 2002 I haven't been able to attend the workshop since it began Monday. But the organizer, Kyoko was able to get some quotes from the students: "I had the opportunity to take with Omayra in NY last spring and was very excited that Kyoko managed to bring her to DC. Omayra's method of teaching breaks down the steps and drills them in a way that they are in your body and you can begin to focus on actually dancing and not 'doing steps'. She also focuses on smaller things, such as when to turn the wrists/hands and how to create an accent in that movement, that can make a significant difference in the dynamics and strength of a choreography. Omayra's direct corrections to individuals is rare to get in these types of workshops and has given me enough to work on on my own. This week has been fabulous (not to mention a great workout!) - I hope DC becomes a regular stop on her workshop schedule!" "It is quite a privilege and pleasure to be attending Omayra Amaya’s flamenco workshop this week. She is an inspiration. I am becoming more aware of some subtle, yet essential, nuances of flamenco dance, ranging from hip and torso placement, to coordinating wrist/hand movement with the compas. (Not that I can do all this, of course, but she’s got me thinking about and working on it!) I even learned something new about a simple marking step involving where the weight of each leg should be on each beat. But she doesn’t get bogged down in minutiae either. She encourages us to get into the spirit of the dance by accompanying the challenging choreography with palmas, singing, and throaty jaleos! She readily demonstrates steps to clarify any questions we have and seems to enjoy teaching. It’s a friendly, hard-working atmosphere. I’m learning so much; she makes me want to be a better dancer, and to continue practicing and improving. Thank you Omayra for coming to DC and thank you Kyoko for arranging the workshop!" "Omayra's classes were phenomenal! She is phenomenal!!! I feel as though I've improved after just one week with her, and I most certainly have a greater appreciation for how much there is still to learn and experience of flamenco. She is a total powerhouse with an amazing command of the compas. What I especially appreciate about Omayra is that she makes every beat count for something. In both the intermediate/advanced and beginner/intermediate classes, she insisted that every movement be executed with a purpose -- a snap of the head had to be just as sharp as a stamp, a flick of the wrist had to be just as meaningful as a turn. Nothing was ever wasted and the result was pure intensity. I am so grateful that Omayra included DC in her tour, and I hope we'll see her again next year." In recent years more and more famous flamenco artists have been including DC on their tours. Still, some people say things like, "I wish _______ (insert name of favorite artist) would come to DC." Then there are a few people who take it a step further and actually do something about it. Kyoko is one of those people! Again, a big thank you to Kyoko for bringing Omayra to DC and setting up this workshop.
If all goes as planned I should be able to go on Friday night, provide guitar accompaniment and report on the workshop firsthand. See you all there!
Miguel Poveda makes his DC debut
Friday October 4, 2002 Sorry it took so long to report the debut. The pictures I took with flamenco singer Miguel Poveda didn't turn out very well. However, guitarist John Boulet (pictured center) was kind enough to send me his pic with Poveda and guitarist Chicuelo at the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage from Tuesday October 2, 2002 where the debut took place. In any case, guitarist Behzad and I arrived at the Kennedy Center especially early to meet Poveda and personally welcome him on behalf of the DC flamenco community. By now, you've all probably seen the video of the hour-long concert which is in the Millenium Stage archives. As is typical in flamenco concerts, the artists departed from the printed program. It began with unaccompanied voice a palo seco and as the program progressed guitarist Juan Gomez "Chicuelo" and violinist Ernesto Briceño joined Miguel onstage. The concert ended with a Taranto danced by Miguel's sister, Sonia Poveda. At one point during the concert, he acknowledged the Latin community and the Americans who dedicate themselves to flamenco. Interestingly, Poveda comes from Barcelona along with guitarist Chicuelo. Other artists from the same area include singers Mayte Martín, Montse Cortés and Ginesa Ortega. In a recent article in the Miami Herald, Poveda says, "You don't need to be Andalusian or gypsy to feel flamenco as your own music. It belongs to the world, to those who feel it and do it well"
When the concert ended at 7:00pm, I had to rush off to Las Tapas in Old Town Alexandria where my show started at 7:45pm. Surprisingly, I made it on time. When I met Miguel earlier I handed him the business card for Las Tapas and invited him to come see my show. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. If Miguel and company did show up, I'd probably be very nervous knowing that artists of his level were in the audience. Instead of Las Tapas, they went to Sole restaurant which is only a few minutes drive from the Kennedy Center anyway. I was pleased to see quite a few local flamencos come out to enjoy this free concert. Still there were many faces that I didn't see. It's a shame, but I hope that Miguel and company will come back to DC again very soon. In the meantime visit his website at http://www.miguelpoveda.com Letter from LA Monday September 16, 2002 Dancer Sonja Teri (pictured left), formerly a member of Natalia Monteleón's Arte Flamenco, currently lives in Los Angeles, California. She writes: "I went to see Juana Amaya perform a few weeks ago (which is a treat of a lifetime), and in my lifetime I have had the fortune of seeing her perform four separate times. It was part of a small flamenco festival that Yaelisa and Caminos Flamencos put together. I saw the show on closing night and this one man kept yelling and giving palmas from the audience, keep in mind it was an intimate audience so it wasn't frowned upon, but the whole time I couldn't help but think that he sounded familiar. Anyways, after the show, everybody was on stage doing bulería and Silverio Heredia got up and it occurred to me why I had recognized his voice (it's a small world). I saw on your website that he will be performing with Yaelisa in San Francisco, unfortunately that's a little to far from LA.. He was there because the following week he performed with her in Orange County. I have been taking some decent classes and workshops, but it's still not the same as in DC. There are not many places to go for nightly performances, but I'm finding my nitch. Anyways, keep in touch and I will keep you informed on any LA excitement in the flamenco community as best I can. Adios, SONJA Yours truly got his start in flamenco in the Los Angeles area playing for the dance classes at the Blanca Luz Academy in Buena Park. After 11 years in DC, I consider myself more of a Washingtonian than a Californian, but LA will always be my flamenco "home." Thanks Sonja, for the report.
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Oh
what the heck, here's the photo of me and Behzad with Miguel Poveda.
It turned out fine accept that my eyes were squinting from the sun.