DCFLAMENCO - Flamenco in Washington DC

Miguelito's Photo Diary

March 19, 2004 - March 25, 2004

Encuentros concert at the Warehouse Theatre March 19, 2004
La Truco workshop March 21, 2004
Fox 5 live broadcast interview with Anna Menendez March 23, 2004
La Tasca DC March 24, 2004
Andalucia March 25, 2004

Andalucia March 25, 2004

At the Andalucia we customarily do only one show at 8:00pm. Technically it's really two short sets with a long guitar solo in the middle.

After our show, we hung out, jammed a little, and loosened up a bit. Soon we were feeling especially inspired so when one of the late-arriving customers requested us to do another show (and slipped us a little something as incentive) we enthusiastically complied.

Of course, we had to continue our little fiesta back at our table. Even yours truly was inspired to sing a little.

A very rare moment where yours truly attempts to sing a letra por tangos as Behzad Habibzai accompanies me on guitar. March 25, 2004 10:31pm

Ginette tries out some of the recently learned La Truco choreography por tangos. March 25, 2004 10:33pm

March 25, 2004 10:35pm

The tricky footwork section. March 25, 2004 10:36pm

Whew! What a workout! March 25, 2004 10:40pm

La Tasca DC March 24, 2004

It's been a month now that we've been performing at La Tasca. The staff is very friendly and very supportive of the show. Unfortunately, still, very few of my flamenco friends actually show up--maybe it's the early showtimes that makes it difficult for them to come. The first show is at 6:15pm, the second at 7:15pm.

Last night, however, one of the restaurant customers asked me, "Did your dancers study with a particular teacher?"

It turns out she was looking for a dance teacher herself and seemed to like the style she saw in our show. So while I was giving her my recommendations, I mentioned that all the teacher contact info can be found at my website.

She quickly interjected, "Yeah, I already know about dcflamenco.com."

That made me feel good. Although most of my friends don't show up at La Tasca, this was proof there are some people who do read my website and follow-through by coming out to the tablaos and supporting the local flamencos!

Sara Jerez and Sara Candela. March 24, 2004 7:10pm (photo by Carlton Ashton)

March 24, 2004 7:11pm (photo by Carlton Ashton)

March 24, 2004 7:16pm (photo by Carlton Ashton)

Immediately after the show, the two dancers packed up and walked down the street to Jaleo DC to start the Sevillanas show promptly at 7:45pm. March 24, 2004 7:20pm

Carlton Ashton and Juan Delgado. March 24, 2004 9:04pm

March 24, 2004 9:05pm

Fox 5 live broadcast interview with Anna Menendez March 23, 2004

I was still in bed when I got a phone call at 6:49am. It was Anna, "So, are you still coming?" In the background, I could hear the familiar sound of footwork. Then I quickly realized that today was the live broadcast!

"Oh, I thought it supposed to be on Tuesday."

"It IS Tuesday!"

"Alright, I'm out the door!"

Fortunately, I live within walking distance of the American Dance Institute, where the broadcast took place. So I threw on some on clothes, grabbed my guitar and arrived at 7:25am.

March 23, 2004 7:43am

We're going live in two minutes. March 23, 2004 7:44am

Fox 5 reporter, Holly Morris, asks Anna some basic backround questions about flamenco. At the end, before we cut to commercial or whatever, I loved it when Holly faced the camera and said, "It's flamenco not flamingo!" March 23, 2004 7:48am

Holly quickly learned a few compases of tangos. March 23, 2004 8:15am

During the second short broadcast, she talked to the camera while executing the recently learned steps! March 23, 2004 8:17am

March 23, 2004 8:21am

Perhaps, it's a little shallow of me to get a thrill out of being on live TV. Well, actually I wasn't seen but my guitar playing was definitely heard! In any case, it was worth it just for Anna to get some publicity and to hear Holly explain the difference between flamenco and flamingo. Every little bit helps. Thanks Holly!

La Truco workshop March 21, 2004

Last day, last workshop. Edwin offered to take pics for me. (thanks Edwin!) But I don't think most of the dancers would appreciate me showing to the world what they look like all sweaty etc, so you'll have to settle for what I have published here.

That's yours truly relaxing on the couch at the DC Dance Collective, where the workshop took place. I went in to the studio later to record the footwork. I know I'm going to be accompanying some of the dancers soon when they call me to practice the new choreography and techniques. March 21, 2004 7:59pm (photo by Edwin Aparicio)

Dancer Mariya Kostystka calling it quits for the night. Still, she made it through to the last day. March 21, 2004 8:02pm (photo by Edwin Aparicio)

Watching the class from behind the glass. March 21, 2004 8:04pm

La Truco and Tamara Sol Flys. March 21, 2004 8:07pm (photo by Edwin Aparicio)

"Survivors" of the last workshop of the last day! Congrats everyone. Thank you La Truco! March 21, 2004 8:43pm

La Truco proudly wearing a Bailes Inéditos t-shirt. March 21, 2004 8:55pm

Someday, Edwin and Anna will be famous. Bailes Inéditos was their first major collaboration. Get your t-shirt before they're all gone!

March 20, 2004 3:53pm

Encuentros concert at the Warehouse Theatre March 19, 2004

I have to rant about something today...

(I also have to apologize for today's collection of photos. They're not very good: most were blurry and I just wasn't in a picture-taking mood. The Encuentros show was excellent and these photos do not do it justice.)

Recently a few have complained to me that I have been showing pictures of the same people repeatedly. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about that--we have a very small flamenco community here in DC. So I regularly see a lot of the same people at my gigs and local flamenco events etc. And anyway, this is MY photo diary and I can publish whatever I want. However, I've repeatedly invited people to send me photos to publish but only scant few have actually come through.

A large part of increasing community-awareness of the flamenco scene is accomplished by documenting local flamenco events through photos that you've seen here the past year or so, but I can't be everywhere, so I do my best taking pics at events that I can attend. Thanks to the photo diary, many people can put a lot of names with faces. However, I'm a full-time professional musician and only a part-time amateur (unpaid) flamenco reporter. So I can't be at every event, although I do try my best.

There are many other flamenco communities around the world (and I'm not making this up) that admire very much the sense of community we have here in DC. We are fortunate to have good people (and I'm one of them if I may say so) doing good constructive things for the flamenco community. But a lot of that good stuff would go unnoticed if I didn't take the time to create this website and (almost) tirelessly keep up with everything that goes on.

Think about this: if there was no DC flamenco website, where would you go for flamenco information? All the other DC websites promote individual artists or companies--that's completely understandable. People tell me that before they discovered my website, there weren't aware of all the flamenco events that go on here.

Despite the complaints, the photo diary is, by far, the most popular page on my website so I'm not going to eliminate it, but I will be publishing pics less frequently. Please help me out by sending me your photos (preferably somehow DC flamenco-related) and there's a very good chance that I'll publish some of them here.

Please continue to give me feedback, especially constructive criticism--I want to make this website the best it can be. Just be sure to present your criticism in a respectful way. I deserve it. End of rant. :)

Congrats to Edwin Aparicio, La Truco and the whole cast, supporters and ticket-buying public. The Encuentros concert was a huge success!