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Flamenco at University of Mary Washington's Multicultural Fair
Flamenco dancers Yolit Yospe (left) and Cecilia Terrasa with guitarist Miguelito at University of Mary Washington's Multicultural Fair. April 14, 2012 (photo by Celinda)
It's 3-something on a Wednesday afternoon as I type the words. I'm happy to report that business is pickin' up for us local performers. Is it the economy? The unseasonably warmer weather? Who knows? The point is to enjoy it while it lasts. So this past Saturday, I performed at University of Mary Washington's Multicultural Fair with dancers Yolit Yospe and Cecilia Terrasa. If you're a DC local, you know about the weather we've been having: unusually hot and sunny one day, then back to normal cold and windy. Since we were scheduled to perform on the outdoor stage, I was crossing my fingers and hoping for warm and sunny. Mother Nature was kind to us and granted us a beautiful day, thank you! 
Yolit dancing tangos. April 14, 2012 (photo by Celinda) At around 75° F and breezy, it was a bit on the warm side but not quite enough to need my Ten Tips for Outdoor Flamenco Performances in Hot Weather. Although in retrospect, I think wearing sunglasses would've helped. I could see just fine in the sun, but let's be honest, squinting while performing doesn't look good. 
Cecilia dancing soleá. April 14, 2012 (photo by Celinda) For our 40-minute time slot, we opted for a simple program: Interspersed with educational commentary, I gave our audience a crash course in the basics of flamenco history. While we could've easily gotten away with doing the show without a little spiel, I like to do my part in informing the general public the little-known facets of flamenco especially the part about how the guitarist follows the dancer and singer and the "secret" signals to the guitarist known as llamadas. That almost always seems to impress people about how we can almost go onstage with little or no rehearsal and pull off a performance as if we've performing together for years. The skill of an experienced performer is demonstrated in how clear the dancer communicates what she wants musically through her movements and how the guitarist picks up on these cues and provides suitable accompaniment that musically complements the dancer. 
Yolit and Cecilia dancing Sevillanas. April 14, 2012 (photo by Celinda) It was funny how when I introduced the dancers and myself to the audience, I announced which countries we represent and we got cheers from respective members of the audience. Yolit is from Israel. Cecilia is from Spain. And I have filipino heritage although I was born in LA. 
View of the stage after our flamenco performance. April 14, 2012 (self-portrait using my iPod Touch camera) Thanks to my contact Adriana and the University of Mary Washington for letting us be a part of their Multicultural Fair! Incidentally, this wasn't my first time here. I performed here back in the late 90's with the group Sol y Sombra. 
Flashback to the Multicultural Fair in 1996: that's me and dancer Edwin Aparicio with the DC-based group Sol y Sombra. April 1996 Special thanks to Celinda aka my mom for the performance pics! So happens she lives closeby to the University. VCU Flamenco Festival III: Miguelito and Friends. March 24, 2012
It's 2-something pm on Wednesday as I type these words, four days after my Saturday night concert at the Third VCU Flamenco Festival which took place in Richmond, Virginia the weekend of March 23-25, 2012. Lineup for this year's Festival:
Ideally, I would've also attended the Flamenco Completo and Flamenco Finale concerts, not only as a professional courtesy but just to show my support for flamenco. But it didn't work out for me schedule-wise. Oh well. Kudos to organizers Leah Kruszewski and John Patykula for doing all the hard work behind-the-scenes to make the VCU Flamenco Festival a reality once again! Come to think of it, this is actually my fourth time to perform here at VCU. The first time was in 1997 with the Ana Martinez Flamenco Dance Company where I played alongside guitarist Paco de Málaga. Then I was invited to perform as a solo performer in 2007, 2010 and now 2012 and each time I had a select group of dancers and singers joining me onstage. In addition to the concert, I was also invited to give a flamenco guitar masterclass earlier that day... 
Guitarist Clarke Hedgepath performing for Miguelito at the 2:00pm masterclass at the James W. Black Music Center Recital Hall. March 24, 2012 (photo by Leah Kruszewski) If you recall, I majored in classical guitar performance at Cal State Fullerton. So I had taken quite a few master classes back then and had a pretty good idea of what to expect: highly-accomplished artists perform a piece in front of the master and an audience of guitarists and afterwards the master gives (usually) constructive criticism and advice. 
Miguelito offering his interpretation of Clarke's music. March 24, 2012 (photo by Leah Kruszewski) Yikes. I am by no means a master, but I do have close to 20 years of practical experience performing in front of audiences with dancers and singers. And after a long hiatus during which I didn't accept any students, I started to teach guitar again about six months ago. I do have a sincere desire to pass on whatever useful knowledge I have to offer the future generation of flamencos. So I just reminded myself of all of this as I was about to give my first master class! 
Clarke applying Miguelito's suggestions. March 24, 2012 (photo by Leah Kruszewski) Two guitarists performed for me:
Miguelito teaching basic concepts about flamenco guitar playing to the class. March 24, 2012 (photo by Leah Kruszewski) Leah and Clarke both played beautifully. My job was to give a critique and offer some suggestions to improve and so I did, but I had the additional challenge of having to turn towards the audience of fifty or so (primarily classical) guitarists and present basic concepts about flamenco guitar technique and theory. 
March 24, 2012 (photo by Leah Kruszewski) I presented basic rasgueado patterns for the palos that I worked on with Leah and Clarke. Fellow flamenco guitarist Charlie Moeser chimed-in from time to time to offer some additional advice to the audience of guitar majors and students from a local high school with a classical guitar program! 
March 24, 2012 (photo by Leah Kruszewski) 
March 24, 2012 (photo by Leah Kruszewski) The masterclass was from 2:00pm until 3:30pm. Went well and gave me an extra boost of confidence for the concert I was about to give later that evening. But I was starving. So I grabbed a bite with Festival organizer Leah and chilled for a bit before heading to the theater at 5:00pm for sound-check and run-through with the dancers and singer. 
Program for the Saturday night Flamenco Festival concert titled Flamenco Fiesta. March 24, 2012 (iPad photo by Miguelito) On the day of a major performance at a theater, my demands are simple:
As the dancers arrived, we did a quick run-through of their numbers fine-tuning the collaboration with our singer Carlton. I work frequently enough with dance soloists Ginette, Sarah Louisa and Pam that I had a pretty good idea of what to expect, but we always leave a little room to stretch with some inspired improv when the mood strikes. That's the fun part of working with soloists. House opened at 7:00pm and the concert started a little after 7:30pm. Sorry, no performance photos. Couldn't get clearance for the photographer understandably. It can be distracting to the performers and some theaters are stricter than others for a good reason. Being that this festival is part of a guitar series, the first half was focused on moi playing guitar solos:
During intermission backstage at the Singleton Center for the Performing Arts with singer Carlton Ashton, dancers Sarah Louisa, Ginette and Pam de Ocampo. March 24, 2012 (iPad photo by Miguelito) Ten-minute intermission then it was time for the second half: Tablao Flamenco!
View from stage-left just before starting the second half of the concert. March 24, 2012 (iPad photo by Miguelito) Here's another view of the stage by dimjay via Instagram just before we went onstage. Not going to lie. Despite all the meticulous preparation leading up to a major performance, things don't always go the way you hope they will. But this concert was an exception. Despite the gloomy rainy weather that day that would dampen anyone's mood, there was something in the air that inspired us more than usual. There was a good energy onstage and the audience was very receptive and enthusiastic most especially during the second half. Kudos to my fellow flamencos who performed with me that night: Ginette, Sarah Louisa, Pam de Ocampo and Carlton Ashton. You guys rock!
Fab photos of Flamenco Night at Plaza del Sol
Miguelito at Plaza del Sol February 4, 2012 (photo by Hélène Myko) It's almost 6pm on Wednesday as I struggle to type these words. As much as I love my iPad, the onscreen keyboard is a pain to use for extended periods. Oh well. So it's official. After a short trial period, the flamenco show at Plaza del Sol Restaurant is now EVERY Saturday. Yeah flamenco-wise, it's not exactly something new in Bethesda, Maryland. There have been flamenco shows here on and off over the years: Andalucía Restaurant, Thyme Square Café, Jaleo Bethesda (if you count Sevillanas as flamenco), Frascati, Divino Lounge and now Plaza del Sol. And of course, there are the flamenco dance classes at Joy of Motion Bethesda. Of course I'm thrilled to have yet another fun night of flamenco every week while also making some money. But I'm also thrilled about the opportunity to expose more people to the art of flamenco who might not discover it for themselves unless they happen to walk by Plaza del Sol. The cool thing is that the "stage" is right by the window. The original intention was to put the show in an area of the restaurant such that the servers wouldn't get in the way of the dancers. But as it turns out, having the show by the window attracts people's attention and hopefully draws them into the restaurant. But there's more to the draw than the flamenco. In the few months that Plaza has been open, they've gotten a rep for excellent food and service. So come for the flamenco but definitely stay and try the food. 
Flamenco dancer Ginette with guitarist Miguelito at Plaza del Sol in Bethesda. February 11, 2012 (photo by Steve Johnson) And of course, a number of my fans and friends in Maryland who have been lamenting for years that venturing out to DC and Virginia is too far to go for flamenco, now have no excuse! Plaza del Sol is located at 4932 St Elmo Ave in the heart of Bethesda conveniently across the street from a multi-level parking garage. Anyway, today's blog is really about showcasing the work of some of my very talented photographer friends: Hélène Myko and Steve Johnson. Enjoy! 
Ginette and Miguelito. February 11, 2012 (photo by Steve Johnson) 
Miguelito. February 4, 2012 (photo by Hélène Myko) 
Ginette. February 11, 2012 (photo by Steve Johnson) 
Ginette. February 11, 2012 (photo by Steve Johnson) 
Ginette. February 11, 2012 (photo by Steve Johnson) 
Miguelito. February 11, 2012 (photo by Steve Johnson) Flamenco Night at Plaza del Sol is every Saturday at 7:00pm and 8:00pm. Call 301-215-4199 to make a reservation. Text and original images ©1996-2012 by . Please do not republish content from this website, including text and photos, in whole or part without prior written permission. |
 Details in the calendar.  News and updates1/10/2012 Just heard that dancer Rocío Montoya from Granada will be teaching from January-April at Arte Flamenco studio in Laurel, MD. Formerly with the Rafaela Carrasco Company and Riverdance! More info at Arte Flamenco. 12/20/2011  Checkout this preview photo of the upcoming mobile version of DCFlamenco.com! 12/18/2011Read George Jackson's review of Edwin Aparicio's "Flamenco Men". 12/14/2011Read the Metro Diversity review of Edwin Aparicio's "Flamenco Men". 12/07/2011Just added to the calendar: Read the Washington Post review of PostClassical Ensemble's "El Amor Brujo" mentioning flamenco singer Esperanza Fernández. 11/29/2011Lisner Auditorium's Flamenco Festival is back in February/March 2012!!! Sign up for their mailing list to get early ticket buying privileges. 11/21/2011Check out the music sample of DC-based flamenco guitarist Behzad Habibzai on his ReverbNation profile. 11/14/2011New Tuesday night Adult Intermediate Flamenco Class by Yolit Yospe starts November 15th at 8:00pm at American Dance Institute in Rockville, Maryland. 10/30/2011Read Sarah Halzack's Washington Post review of the Friday October 28th performance by Compañía Flamenca José Porcel at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. 10/28/2011If you're on FourSquare, live in DC and love flamenco, checkout my list Flamenco in Washington DC. 10/27/2011Read Natalie Stemp's review of the 2011 Velocity DC festival that mentions flamenco dancer Anna Menéndez. Read Rebecca Ritzel's review of the 2011 Velocity DC festival that mentions flamenco dancers Edwin Aparicio and Anna Menéndez. 9/11/2011Special message for a friend Alegrías por Giulia Risso  Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. La Comunidad Flamenca en DC, tus hermanas y madre dentro de este arte y tu familia te desean lo mejor en esta nueva etapa. 8/11/2011 Yeah it's official. Miguelito (that's me!) is going to start teaching guitar again. If you're interested in flamenco lessons, message me. 8/10/2011New Class by Anna Menéndez: Intermediate Flamenco "Lunch Hour Workshop" at DC Dance Collective from 12:30pm-1:30pm. Beginning September 7th through October 26th, 2011. Email or call 410-598-7562 7/9/2011Just added to the calendar: Flamenco Night at Divino Lounge in Bethesda. 6/6/2011 Dancer Kyoko just started an intermediate-level flamenco class at DC Dance Collective focusing on upper body/stylization. Thursdays 7:30pm to 8:30pm. "We will be working on everything but the feet (although some footwork will be introduced as part of the choreography) - so this means arms, wrists, shoulders, hips, torso, head, turns, markings, etc!" 6/3/2011Just added to the calendar: Una Noche Flamenca at Area 405 coming Saturday June 18th. Only 100 seats. Buy your tickets early! 6/2/2011 Yes it's true: Cafe Citron is officially back open! So is Cafe Citron's flamenco show this Saturday at 7:30pm and 8:30pm. 5/26/2011Just added to the calendar: Sergio Bernal-Alonso flamenco workshop from June 27th through July 1st. 5/23/2011Checkout this preview video of a flamenco documentary titled Inheritors of a Burden: A documentary by Carolina Loyola-García which features some DC flamenco artists including Richard Marlow, Anna Menendez, Edwin Aparicio, Marija Temo and Manolo Leiva. 5/16/2011Just added to the calendar for June: Furia Flamenca and Natalia Monteleón's Arte Flamenco at the Washington Folk Festival. 200% more visits compared to a month ago! The day after major flamenco events like yesterday's DC Feria de Sevilla, the number of visits to my website DCFlamenco.com goes way up. Not that more visits makes me rich or anything, but it pleases me that more and more people are taking an interest in flamenco and thanks to me, they have an online resource to help them find out more about it! 5/14/2011Just added to the calendar in June: flamenco shows at Taberna del Alabardero and concert by Carmen de Vicente at Gunston Arts Center. 4/26/2011Just heard that due to overwhelming demand, 3:00pm matinee added for April 30th performance of Anna Menendez's Pastora Flamenco at The Warehouse Theater. 4/23/2011Just added to the calendar: Bridging of Two Cultures: Andalucía-Crete at Lincoln Theatre. 4/9/2011Checkout the pics of the flamenco show at El Manantial in the Reston Patch. 4/2/2011Just added guitar teacher Maurice Arenas to the Teacher Directory. 3/15/2011Dancer Yolit Yospe is now teaching at American Dance Institute on Tuesdays at 8pm. Intermediate-beginners class. Technique of upper body, arms, foot work, and choreography for an alegrías. Just added to the calendar: Pastora Flamenco at the Warehouse Theater on April 30, 2011. 03/03/2011Sylvia Melecio is now teaching flamenco at Forever Dancing Ballroom in Falls Church, Virginia. A new session starts this Sunday March 6th at noon! 2/27/2011Here's the video of Berklee Flamenco at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage from last night. 2/24/2011Just added the Miguel Vargas masterclass to the calendar. 2/1/2011Just added a new event featuring dancer Sarah Hart and Behzad Habibzai coming up on February 17th. See calendar for more info. 1/27/2011Starting Thursday February 3, 2011 La Tasca in Old Town Alexandria will feature Sevillanas shows with dancer Sara Jerez and guest with live guitar by Miguelito. Performances at 7:30pm and 9:00pm. Call 703-299-9810. Paco Peña, Carmela Greco, La Truco, María Juncal and Pepa Molina are coming to DC! Just added a few new events to the calendar to start off 2011. Flamenco dance costumes for sale here. |
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flamenco show at 