Flamenco is Actually Really Cool!

If you weren't at Sunday's flamenco performance, you seriously missed out.

I did not really have high expectations. I didn't really have an image of what flamenco is like, so I was worried I might be struggling to stay awake.

It was a needless concern.

To get an image of flamenco, open your mind, pour in tap-dancing, a step-show, and the latin dances you might see at ballroom dance competitions.  Cover, and blend until creamy.

In the first 30 seconds the dancers stomped so hard I could feel the vibrations in my gut, and I knew I want in for more than I bargained for.  

Check out the photos!

She had really intense facial expressions.  Get it, girl!

Sometimes they'd stomp and strike a pose in the middle of the dance, as if to say, "ALL EYES ON ME!".  It worked.

There are lots of slow, fluid movements paired with fast, strong movements.  Plus, they do this interesting finger-swirling hand-twisting thing a lot.  Maybe I have an early form of arthritis or something because when I tried I just looked like I was having a seizure.

This girl was almost seductive.  She makes me want to try flamenco, too!

The fan dance was so cute and festive-looking!

They kept those fans spinning and snapping the entire dance.

Flamenco involves a kind of tap dancing foot stomping thing.  It doesn't look like much on camera but you can hear how quickly their feet are moving. 

The girls dance with props like hats and fans.  There are also girls who stand in the back of the stage clapping and cheering in Spanish.  "Ole!" or "Viva la guapa!" or something like that.  One girl had castanets, too!

 The girls performed outside during the intermission.  Icouldn't help thinking about "Zoro" when they wore these hats.

There were handing out these lunches FOR FREE!  Herb grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and salad - it was so healthy and delicious! Plus...there were plenty of drinks.  Hello, Natchan!

This girl in the orange and green was intense.  She put her whole body into dancing.  I talked to her during intermission, and she's only been learning for 3 years.  Plus, she can speak 5 languages.  Cool girl.

There were about 3 girls in the group who sang for all the performances.  They sang in Spanish, and had rich-sounding, deeper voices.  They were all fantastic, and they made the experience feel very authentic (as opposed to playing a CD).

The guitarist!  First of all...I really liked her outfit! I haven't see a girl wear men's clothes so well in a long time.  Plus, she had a really bored/zoned-out expression the whole time, as if she were just sitting alone in her house playing the guitar for fun.  She was on point, though - never missed a beat.

So bottom line, you missed it.  These girls were fantastic dancers, to the point that I actually wondered if they get any studying done because it looks like the spend all their time practicing.  Their performance was dazzling and powerful, and what's more, they genuinely looked like they were enjoying their selves.  I hope I can see them perform next year!  You should come, too...

Liz