Radical ideas that shouldn't be radical (in flamenco more specifically, but in other dance forms too): 1) holding auditions 2) letting dancers wear their natural hair (i.e. not slicked back) 2.5) letting dancers be individuals 3) not choosing dancers based [...]
I think artists often get pigeon-holed by audiences, critics, and even their peers. And I think that sucks. Big time. I've heard through the grapevine that people talk about my shows as "out-there contemporary stuff" that they're not interested in. [...]
Lineage in dance, and particularly in oral dance traditions, carries a great deal of weight. Without respect for those that passed the traditions on to us, we lose the essence of the art form. And without allowing our students to [...]
Recently I was honored to have two high school choreography students call and interview me for a class project. They asked some outstanding questions that really made me think. And one answer I keep going back to...they asked what was [...]
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 [...]
I wanted to share the link to New York University's Spring publication of Esferas, published by the Spanish and Portuguese Department and edited by Professor Lourdes Dávila. This issue is all about movement and language, and I had the honor [...]
What makes a good marcaje? First, let's start off by defining that word within the flamenco context. For me, it's any step that holds time, or marks time. Unlike ballet, flamenco does not name every step--in flamenco, a step's purpose [...]
A studio at Amor de Dios flamenco school in Madrid.photo: http://lucioyromana.com/amor-de-dios/I have had moments in my career where I have been detrimentally humble. I've blown off compliments by shying away and saying things like, "Oh it really wasn't that good" [...]
Earlier this year I was invited to give a TEDx talk on flamenco. For anyone unfamiliar with TED, here is their mission statement: "TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 [...]
Last night at a gig, a colleague mentioned to me that guru actually means someone who brings you out of the darkness. According to the dictionary, guru "(in Hinduism and Buddhism) is a spiritual teacher, especially one who imparts initiation."In [...]
