A ‘flamenco’ clock for a 12-count flamenco rhythm.

To count or not to count? Flamenco rhythms can be pretty complicated, especially for people only used to rhythms in 3/4 or 4/4 time. I remember it took me forever to figure out seguiriya; the first workshop I took with Andrés Marín when I was 15 years old was a rhythm called seguiriya, and I’d never been taught the rhythm before. He didn’t exactly break down the compás, and instead, I just learned the steps, all the while trying to figure out how he was counting. 1, 2, 3..4..5, what??? A measure in 5 counts? And not all the counts are even???? I was pretty lost. Nevertheless, I learned the steps, and I even still remember and use one of the marking patterns. I could do it without even really understanding the compás beacuse I was simply listening.

I think outsiders to flamenco often spend too much effort trying to count the steps; I know I am guilty of this. Sometimes I get so lost in trying to figure out the precise count the step starts that I lose my ability to just go for it. At the end of the day, counting gets in the way of actually dancing. My mathematical mind loves to figure out how each sound fits into the measure, yet doing so often hinders my ability to do the step correctly. Yes, dance takes immense concentration, consciousness, and thought, but that can’t get in the way of the movements. The thing is, you can move faster than you can think.

I can’t imagine that flamenco steps were originally taught by meticulously counting; passed on in informal jam sessions, they were shown from one individual to another, imitated, assimilated, and then possibly altered or interpreted. That’s the way it still happens. You can’t get so caught up in knowing what count precisely the step enters that you can’t just listen and simply do the step.

Someone asked me recently what I think about while I am performing. On a good night, absolutely nothing. I’m just listening, letting the music carry me–the dancing becomes a sort of meditation. Does that happen every time I perform–no. Does that happen through a whole dance–no. But that’s really the end goal; to transmit the music through your own movements and expressions. If I’m trying out a new step, yes, I tend to count, or at the least sing the melody of the step in my head. Sometimes I think about what step I am going to use next. If I’m tired, I might think about how tired I am and how weak my legs feel. But the goal always has to be letting go of all of that muck and being completely present with the music. A big part of it is trusting your muscle memory and your ear.

Yes, we very often need to count to learn the steps (although I learn steps better when I just do them rather than count them). But we have to leave the counting behind at some point, get out of our heads, and just dance (while staying in compás, of course). Easier said then done….