The most "flamenco" experiences I've had outside of Spain were not flamenco at all. One was a break dance battle at Wayne State University in Detroit and the other was a jazz concert in Albuquerque at the African American Performing [...]
Someone said to me the other day: why don’t you rent studio space at X studio and teach classes there, you know the owner is very collaborative. Wait, what? What does collaboration have to do with where I rent studio [...]
Here are two words I am absolutely sick and tired of hearing, mostly because they are misused: community and collaboration. This blog post will address the first one, and the latter will be addressed in a future blog post. Let’s [...]
No one person is the be-all end-all. Well, maybe your kids, or grandkids, or significant other are your world. But that's not what I'm talking about. In the dance world, I've seen dancers flock to a single person and talk about [...]
What do I want for Christmas? More than anything, I want dancers. I've been trying to choreograph on just myself pieces that I really envision for multiple dancers. And guess what? It just does not work. It's like a painter [...]
Snippets from conversations I have had with audience members after performances that give an idea of how flamenco is viewed by U.S. audiences:Where are you from?I grew up in New Mexico, but I've lived here since 2008 (NYC).But you must [...]
Last year, I helped a colleague in Spain with her thesis for the Conservatorio Superior de Danza María de Ávila. She had spent a month in the U.S. observing and helping flamenco Arts Education programs. She had a lot of [...]
I had the privilege of being on "the other side" of flamenco performances this past week. First, let's be clear, two other sides exist to the dance. First, the musicians who usually find themselves behind the dancer, and second, the [...]
Dancers know the struggle for balance very well: Dancer working on balance on an unstable base. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUg1ExCLmjA Balance requires strength and control. But I am not talking about exercises on balance boards or landing a triple pirouette. Life as a [...]
I remember hearing one of my mentors once say to someone else, she's been extremely lucky in her career. At the time, I thought to myself, luck has nothing to do with it. She has worked her butt off, she [...]
