November 25, 2006 10:54am

November 25, 2006 10:54am

November 25, 2006 10:55am

November 25, 2006 10:55am

While I do have some fond memories of Ana's old studio in Arlington, I do like this new one much better. It's more spacious. The floor is so much better. And the windows let the sunlight in on a clear Saturday morning. Of course, each person has their own personal preferences, but if I was a dance student, I'd consider this a great environment for learning.

November 25, 2006 10:56am

The turnout was decent considering that many people usually go out of town for Thanksgiving weekend. But another student or two came rushing in right at 11:00am. They lined up in two rows as Ana entered the studio, greeted them briefly and began the class. This first hour they focused on technique begininning with a variety of challenging footwork patterns in the rhythm of seguiriyas.

Look at the mirror on the right, next to Isabel. You'll see a reflection of guitarist Paco de Málaga, Ana's husband. He came down to say hello and spent a few minutes providing palmas but had to leave to open up his store, the Guitar Gallery, in Cleveland Park.

November 25, 2006 11:00am

Ana is a very demanding instructor, and rightly so. Flamenco is not easy and if you're not doing the step right, she'll tell you right then and there. For the student, this is a good thing. You get immediate feedback on your progress. And while many students quietly dread when the teacher says, "OK, show me the step, one by one," it's probably the most valuable part of a group class. Yeah, I feel your pain, but trust me on this: this is good for you, really!

Daniela demonstrates her knowledge of the footwork pattern as Ana watches carefully. November 25, 2006 11:29am

Now it's Isabel's turn. November 25, 2006 11:29am

I was kind of put on the spot myself, when Paco asked me to play for the class. The main reason why I was here was to take pics and give you my readers yet another little peek into the DC flamenco scene. But I couldn't pass up this opportunity, plus Paco offered to let me play his personal instrument, a Conde Hermanos, the "Cadillac" of flamenco guitars!

Miguelito playing for Ana's class. November 25, 2006 11:46am

Back in 1997, I did a concert with Paco and Ana at Virginia Commonwealth University and obviously spent a good amount of time rehearsing and learning their material. But this was the first time that I played for one of Ana's classes.

Bear in mind that each teacher has her own style of cueing the guitarist. Some will countdown the compas "seven, EIGHT, nine TEN!" Others will just clap out the rhythm without saying a word and expect the guitarist, in this case me, to hear the accents and catch the compás instantly. As a guitarist, it's not the end of the world if you don't catch it the first time like I did, but you do lose a point or two of confidence from the teacher if you don't make up for it the second time around. In a way, a dance class is like a show. The guitarist and the teacher are giving a presentation to the students who are paying their hard-earned money to learn, so pay attention and concentrate!

Ana demonstrating the step. November 25, 2006 12:43pm

Got a LOT of blogging to do today, so I'm going to cut it here for now, take a break before getting back to work editing photos and writing about last night's gig at Tapeo and the Sala Rociera party, drafting a little promo for Edwin's upcoming show and transcribing a recorded interview with a relatively new local flamenco artist.

I went to bed at 4:00am this morning and got up around 9:00am. Despite the long night, I'm wide awake and feel fine. But it'll catch up to me and eventually I'll have to catch up on sleep. Hehe. I'm not complaining though. I'm living the flamenco life, so to speak. Although it would be nice every now and then to have some kind of regular schedule with consideration for a decent night's sleep. :-)

Anywayz, I hope you enjoyed this little peek into Ana's classes and that you'll consider giving her a try. I'll do an interview with Ana and Paco sometime soon. In the meantime, you can get more info by calling 301-299-0054.