¡Ole!flamenco by George Ancona: A Review
Author: Ancona, George
Title: ¡Ole! Flamenco
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2010
ISBN: 9781600603617
ages: 8-12
Flamenco: It’s singing, it’s dancing… it’s a passionate, expressive art form that has evolved over hundreds of years. George Ancona visited and photographed today’s generation of flamenco dancers in Spain and New Mexico, capturing their dance in a beautiful collection of color photographs of swirling skirts, stomping feet and flowing limbs.
¡Ole! flamenco traces the Gypsy origins of flamenco as they fled from foreign invaders in India, migrating across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, traveling with camels and caravans to escape, bringing their dance and a strong sense of independence with it. Although the Gypsies remained outsiders wherever they went, they eventually found safety in Southern Spain, where their music and dance blended well with that of the Moors, Arabs and Jews.
Today flamenco remains a heartfelt tradition that is passed down from one generation to the next, each lending their voices, zapateado (footwork), hearts, and hands to the ever-evolving tapestry of this colorful art form. ¡Ole! flamenco offers the reader history, terminology and and inside look at today’s up and coming young dancers. Both elegant and educational, it’s also inspiring enough that you may finish the book with a desire to sign up for classes yourself.
Are you a Good Dancer?
My first ballet teacher always said, “If you are satisfied with your dancing, then you’re in the wrong field” which meant that as far as she was concerned there was always room for improvement. Perfection, or the closest thing to it, is a dancer’s job description. Over time we improve through intention and practice. But many of us still wrestle with the question of whether or not we are good dancers.
It’s common to feel pressure to get ahead, to be more, to do more. I certainly felt this way when I was dancing in professional ballet companies. Every career holds hundreds of performances with each one (hopefully) being the best that it can be.There were times when I asked myself am I any good at all? It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where you stand in the dance world, because feedback is often minimal, if it exists at all.
It was only after a well-known musician/composer friend introduced the idea of “good enough” that I found any resolution. “Generally, I don’t read reviews of my work,” she said. “They are simply one person’s opinion. I know with every project that I have given my personal best and that is all that I can do. I find peace knowing that.”
The same thing applies to dance. There will always be some dancers who are better… and some that are not as good. There is a wide spectrum of talent and every dancer’s career is a personal journey with a distinct starting point and an ending point. How we get from point A to point B can vary, but somewhere within all the hard work we need to enjoy the ride. If you know you’ve done your best, then let go and relax. Just a little.
Further recommended reading:
School of American Ballet’s master teacher Suki Schorer’s book offers advice and affirmations to young dancers.
Terpsichore D’Amour at Trails and Vistas, Terpsichore Diaries, Part VII.
Trails and Vistas is now over and our debut performances as Terpsichore D’Amour were a success. Spooner Lake is an absolutely stunning place to spend time; it’s all groves of whispering aspen and wildflowers, the air sweetly scented with sage. We arrived the day before performances to allow ourselves time to scout out our site and see how the choreography worked.
The first run-through was a disaster. Granted, we were tired from the long (almost 4 hours) car ride up to Tahoe, but… we were basically trying to dance in a swamp. Or maybe it was just a bog. Either way, the ground was dangerously bumpy and uneven, the grass was knee high, itchy and riddled with sticky burs that clung to our clothing. The dog went exploring only to come back covered in so many burs that she looked brown instead of black. Things were looking tenuous at best.
Dancing in nature is not at all like dancing in a studio or on stage. We knew this already, and thought we had prepared with outdoor rehearsals. However, circumstances dictated that we had to make do with the site we were given, so we got creative. We moved everything up onto the hiking trail and danced a few feet on either side of it. It was a small space, but we realized this was probably a good thing because we would be performing so many times. We took out the jumps and simplified a few other steps that were dangerous to try on uneven ground. We pounded down the bumps with a giant log. We were ready.
The audience departed on their docent-lead hikes every 15 minutes, which meant they arrived at our site…. um… whenever they got there. Some groups were fast, some incredibly slow. Sometimes they arrived only moments apart. In between each performance we chugged water, kept a sharp eye out for the next group, laughed a lot, discussed what was and wasn’t working in the dance. Sometimes there was even enough time to cop a squat and go pee… but we had to be lightning fast- we could never really be sure when the next group would round the corner.
It all came together; choreography, teamwork, costumes, makeup. For the first time ever, dance and theater both came into play. It was such a different dynamic to interact with my dance partner and the audience, all of it framed by nature.
It was an accomplishment.
The stats:
• 27 performances over 2 days
• 26 installations, 18 performing groups
• ~ 750 people
• countless hours lost sleep (dreams are ridiculously vivid at altitude)
Our friends raved. But they are our friends, and therefore inherently biased. However, we did have a final moment of glory late in the day on Sunday, just as we were almost through. A father wandered down the path, trailed by two boys on bicycles, ages 4 and 6 (approximately). He stopped.
“We saw the show this morning,” he offered. “You guys were our favorite performers.”
Guerilla Art in the Park: Terpsichore Diaries, Part VI.
Dance rehearsals for Terpsichore D’Amour are still happening in our friendly, neighborhood park, at least for the immediate future (weather permitting). We run through our piece once, twice, three times with a rotating cast of overenthusiastic ball-fetching dogs, vigilant moms and goggle-eyed toddlers who line up at the fence, watching every move. I can’t help feeling like there’s something important happening here; we are making dance public, more accessible, more tangible and meaningful, bringing it to people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to be exposed.
Having direct contact with an audience is a completely foreign concept for me. During the many years I danced as a professional ballerina I never once had the opportunity to look at my audience. They always remained one step removed, a sea of heads in the darkness. It’s far more intimate to have eye contact, to witness the look on a person’s face. I can’t say I’m completely comfortable with it, but I’m getting more and more opportunities to settle into the new paradigm.
I’ve had a lot of moms ask what we are up to, and the feedback has all been positive. We’ve both enjoyed our park rehearsals enough to begin planning a performance circuit at other parks throughout the county.
I like to think that we are leading by example. When we are out there doing what we do, we are sending a message: this is what 40-something can look like… we are moms and we are also creative people… artistic expression has value. By creating this troupe we have given ourselves (and anyone who watches a rehearsal or show) free artistic license to be creative, no holds barred.
It’s a reminder that life is full of complexities and layers of being. It is energizing to be a part of something that brings joy to ourselves and others. This aspect of my being feeds my soul so I have more to offer the rest of the areas of my life. If dogs and toddlers are interested, all the better.
How to Find the Right Costume for A Dance Performance: Terpsichore Diaries Part V.
Finding the right costume for a dance performance is critical to the success of a the show. When you are working on a tight budget, finding costumes is a lot more difficult. We decided to start with simple white unitards figuring we could dye, paint and embellish original creations. The only problem is that unitards are no longer popular- it seems they had their heyday in the 80s and now almost no one makes them anymore. The few that were available were either the wrong style or the wrong color… or we couldn’t find two matching ones.
Finally, when the frustration had reached an all-time high, I decided to look into alternative options. I ask the Universe for a little guidance. Okay, I begged. (Hey, it couldn’t hurt).
Within moments my fingers stumbled, quite literally, across a website that had a whole lot of glitzy stuff, but they also had a costume that looked interesting. It was a whole new approach, but Mymuna and I decided that it would work. We ordered immediately.
The costumes arrived a few weeks later. I was so excited to try them on. I tore open the package, wondering what they’d look like. The website had shown the outfit in black, but we’d ordered brown, thinking it was a better choice for an outdoor, daytime performance. The fabric was soft to the touch as I slipped it from the bag. I laid it on the bed for a closer look.
Um. Not gonna work. Like, really not gonna work. Is this really what I ordered? Did they send the right costume?
It looked nothing like the picture on the website. And there was so much gold… gold shorts, gold tank bra… it looked way too Flashdance/Solid Gold dancers. Not at all what we had thought. Definitely not family-friendly. More appropriate for… cheerleading. Or pole-dancing. Yikes.
It’s times like these where ingenuity and flexibility come in handy. We would simply have to add to what we already had. There wasn’t enough time left to do anything else. And parts of the costume were cool (and even faintly resembled the website photo)… we could work with it.
We went fabric shopping and found beautiful fabric. On sale. Spent a few hours cutting strips and panels, tucking them into place, with Mymuna as a live model. Tuck. Strut and spin to see how it looks when we move. Good. Pin. Next panel.
And so on.
The finished products will certainly be one-of-a-kind. Pretty cool, really. Soon to be posted. Just as soon as I get a free moment to pull out the sewing machine.
photo by: Rayko Swensson
Preparing For Performance- Terpsichore Diaries Part IV
If you’ve ever wondered what goes into getting prepared for a dance performance…
suffice to say it’s a lot. We have less than three weeks of countdown until our first performances as a company. Although we have been rehearsing for the past few months, we are still refining the beginning and closing segments of choreography. They must be fine-tuned because Trails and Vistas is not your typical performance venue; the show will occur outside along a trail, with the audience standing and no clearly delineated performance space.
Right now we are working out the following…
• Crowd management: we plan to use props (large decorated staffs) to indicate the border of our performance area.
• Our characters: the archetypes we will embody during performance.
• Moving around during the opening and closing chants instead of standing still, as originally planned.
• Clearly indicating the end of a dance that has no music. If we stand still long enough, will it be obvious?
We both have quite a bit going on in our personal lives…
busy work lives, household changes of casts of characters, injured children, anniversaries… it’s interesting juggling it all. While we may not always have full-blown energy by the time we arrive at rehearsals, we always arrive and we always accomplish something. The piece moves forward. We move forward as performers. Our relationship as fellow dance company members continues to grow.
We will need to be in tip-top condition for the show…
since we will end up doing this piece at least twenty times over the course of two days… at over 6,000 feet altitude. I devote time each day to improving my (cardiovascular) level of fitness- the dog and I run up the trail behind my daughter’s school. Here’s how I’m getting fit:
• a million sit-ups (which I hate, in my heart of hearts, and can only do if I put on inspiring music)
• push-ups
• free weights for arm strength
• core-strengthening exercises like plank pose
• plies, plies and more plies
And dancing as often as possible, of course. The most exciting part of the whole venture is that these performances are merely a beginning of things to come in the future. Even as we prepare for the end results on September 17th and 18th, we are already planning the next performances… and the next.
The other day as I was perusing an article about New York City Ballet, I was shocked to see that one of my ex-colleagues is still dancing with them. And then I realized that I am doing the same thing… only I’m doing it on my terms. I’ve got to admit it feels good.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dancing With the Stars: The Terpsichore Diaries Part 3
Dancing with the stars is a great description for the dance rehearsals for Terpsichore D’Amour. Most of the time we practice outside since our upcoming performance in September is going to be outside. It makes perfect sense, after all, since we need to be comfortable dancing on the same sort of terrain that we will use for performances. We have had a few rehearsals in a traditional studio, but dance studio space comes at a premium and when you rent by the hour it’s not always easy to get the space when you need it. And really, it’s kind of nice to dance in a natural setting for a change, looking at nothing but trees, grass and blue sky (and easy on the wallet).
I live close enough to our rehearsal space in the park that I usually walk. I’d much rather walk than drive whenever possible. I could get used to this, was my thought as I walked over for rehearsal the other day. It’s pretty cool to dance under the big blue sky, nothing but you and the clouds and stars overhead. It’s free, heck it’s freeing. Honestly, I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing and admiring our ingenuity for thinking of it in the first place.
Until I got to the spot where we usually rehearse and was confronted with:
Um. Okaaaaay.
Getting a dance performance off the ground, especially with a brand new dance company that you’ve made up from scratch, requires a certain degree of flexibility and the ability to think quickly on your feet. Then again, so does parenthood, so I’ve had a fair amount of practice in on-the-spot decision making over the past eight years since I became a mom.
What did I do? I did nothing.
Okay, that’s not exactly true. I laughed about it. Then I stretched and waited for my dance partner to show up.
It all worked out, of course. We just shifted down into a different (much busier) area of the park. We performed to an audience of energetic toddlers and the caregivers and hyperactive dogs against the l whining of chainsaws and grinding of heavy machinery.
I figure it was the perfect preparation for the real thing.
Taking a Professional Promotional Photograph: The Terpsichore Diaries, Part 2
There’s a lot that goes into preparing for a dance performance. Everything that goes into making a show adds up to countless hours of rehearsals, choreography and refinement, not to mention the time it takes to design, construct and purchase materials for costumes, props and sets. But the work doesn’t end there- there’s a whole new realm to conquer: marketing and promotion. Press releases must be written and distributed, bios executed, promotional photographs taken and polished. Getting a single decent promotional photograph is often a job in itself.
I had the perfect location in mind. Scouting for a the perfect photographic background is yet another job in itself, so it was good to have that part taken care of in advance. However, the location was deep in the midst of a busy shopping center which meant we’d have to photograph there sometime during off hours, specifically extremely early. Since one of us (who shall remain nameless) is not an early morning person, there was a certain amount of wheedling, pleading and cheerleading (you can do this! we must seize the opportunity!) that lead up to my 6:45am arrival to pick up my partner in crime, Mymuna. While it was a little bit painful to spring into action with the sun as our sole companion, it was nothing a little coffee couldn’t rectify.
And we had some killer costumes. Man, were they stylin’. Several of the construction crews that drove past said so (probably on their way to Starbuck’s four doors down). But don’t get me wrong, the guys weren’t lecherous, merely appreciative- I didn’t feel the need to shower after they said what they said.
We were a little antsy anyway, with the limited amount of time we had to work with before the stores reopened and the masses descended. We worked quickly and diligently to get ourselves costumed, feathers strategically placed, pointe shoes properly affixed, the camera set up and ready to go, and we basically had the place to ourselves.
Until we didn’t.
Just as we had gotten into position with the shutter on the camera ready to click away, a work truck pulled up and parked right behind us a few feet away. I hoped they would move on in a matter of moments, but it soon became clear they had no intention of leaving anytime soon when they unhinged the back gate of their truck and began unloading heavy equipment. We couldn’t figure out what they were up to until one guy unfurled a long hose with a fierce-looking nozzle.
They were going to pressure wash. Technically, they were pressure-washing us right out of the picture. Our picture. The one we had so diligently (and painfully) prepared for.
Long moments passed. They completely ignored us as they continued to go about their business (which is interesting in itself since we were pretty hard to ignore in red and black corsets, pink pointe shoes and black tutus. Not the sort of things you see every day). Mymuna and I looked around, then back at each other. We threw our remaining scattered items into bags, grabbed the camera and tripod and moved down to the next part of the emporium… which we realized was also probably due to be pressure washed shortly after the previous location… which meant we had an even more limited window of time to create a photographic masterpiece. The pressure was on… both literally and figuratively.
Sometimes when life lights a fire under your feet it’s just the thing you need- that ubiquitous cosmic cattle prod, that jolt to create. The end result is an adrenaline-filled thrill ride.
Book Review: My Friend Maya Loves to Dance
title: My Friend Maya Loves To Dance
author: Cheryl Willis Hudson
illustrator: Eric Velasquez
ages: 4-8
publisher: Abrams Books For Young Readers, 2008
ISBN: 9780810983281
A young narrator describes her friend Maya’s love of dance, which is visibly present everywhere Maya goes. Whether she’s at the local mall, performing during worship at her church or pretending she’s dancing for a queen, Maya’s passion for dancing is contagious- for her friend the narrator, and all the other people she meets. Indeed, Maya, a young African American girl, is the picture of grace, dancing to every kind of music she hears; jazz, blues, rap, Bach or blues. Her lithe, willowy form is portrayed across every page in different settings and costumes. She is just as comfortable in a tutu or jeans… she’s even shown wearing Kente cloth.
This lyrical story is a pleasurable read. Ms. Hudson’s flowing verse echoes Maya’s graceful movements:
My friend Maya loves to dance
Wherever there is music,
Maya takes a stance,
She points her toes,
Then away she goes.
Dancing is fun.
Maya Knows!
In the closing lines, it is revealed that the narrator is confined to a wheelchair, yet she is still inspired to dance by her friend:
Maya dances strong, and free
With joy all can see.
Dancing is magic for her and for me.
Colorful photo-realistic illustrations by Eric Velasquez, a recipient of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for new talent, bring the story to life. This book is a great pick for anyone who loves to dance or dreams of being a dancer one day. Perfect for story time, bedtime and anytime in between, readers 4-8 and their caregivers will fall in love with Maya and dance by the time they reach the final page.
Post:Ballet: Bringing Ballet into the Present
Post:Ballet makes dance relevant to modern society. Artistic Director Robert Dekkers accomplishes this through his choreography (which is both expressive and organic) and the use of modern technologies, including cinematography and digital photography. The company also collaborates with visual artists, musicians and composers to create new works. Post:Ballet successfully completed its second season this past weekend with performance at the Herbst Theater, located in the center of San Francisco’s cultural aorta.
The program opened with Colouring, a piece that explores the nature of the creative process. Original score was created and performed live by Daniel Berkman. Artist Enrique Quintero diligently painted the backdrop with successive symbols and strokes as two dancers, Jared Hunt and Beau Campbell, reenacted a mock rehearsal. Photographer Natalia Perez captured the moment by moment action, which was projected at the end of the piece, showing everything in reverse. In essence, the audience was reliving everything they had just experienced with visual proof of how they had arrived.
Flutter showcased a trio of men, Daniel Marshalsay, Jonathan Mansgosing and Christian Squires. The piece opened with music by Steve Reich, a percussive, primitive, repetitive score, which later transitioned to the lyrical strains of J.S. Bach. Here Dekkers shows what he does best- explosive movement that made great use of three-dimensional space and highlighted the strength and abilities of the dancers, through successive turns and tours en l’air. Flutter is aptly named, for the behavior of the heart while watching their shirtless forms and the choreography – the dancers often looked as though they were moving through water…
Happiness of Pursuit, a playful piece for seven dancers, was a highlight, both for the wild abandon with which the dancers moved, and the music- this may well be the first ballet ever set to beat-boxing, flawlessly performed live by Joe Hickey.
The program closed with a world premiere of Interference Pattern, a study on the effects of observation. Dekkers was fascinated by a quantum physics experiment that showed that observation had an effect on the behavior of subatomic particles. This study lead to other questions: if observation effects the world on such a microscopic level, what other effects occur? The piece was performed against a cinematographic backdrop of the same choreography being performed during rehearsal times, both observed and unobserved by other dancers. Dekkers concludes that although the differences are subtle, they are palpable.
All of the dancers are classically trained, and collectively possess an impressive background. Post:Ballet provides them with a new expressive outlet of cutting edge choreography paired with creative collaboration. The sum total is a performance unlike any other. Ballet has taken a quantum leap.
