Flamenco dancers Emily Mazzotti and Sara Candela performing Sevillanas at L2 Lounge in Georgetown. July 1, 2010

It's almost 11pm on Monday as I type these words...my second blog entry in one day! This past Thursday International Club of DC hosted "An Evening in Madrid: Flamenco and Paso Doble Dance Performance" at L2 Lounge in Georgetown.

For the flamenco portion of the evening the featured artists were Emily Mazzotti and Sara Candela, both of whom danced beautifully!

Sara and Emily. July 1, 2010

The music wasn't live however. They used CD's. But I'm not going to make too big a deal about this. Although, it felt a little strange that someone who was fully capable of accompanying these dancers on guitar, that's me, instead was standing right in front of them watching the show. But the reality is that it's a matter of economics and it's cheaper to use a recording instead of live musicians. Still a very enjoyable show nonetheless! And I suppose any opportunity to present a flamenco show to a new audience is a good thing for the flamenco community as a whole.

Interesting concept: a ribbon to establish a boundary between the audience and the performance space. It worked! July 1, 2010

So for the past couple of months, International Club of DC (ICDC) has been hosting these Spanish-themed evenings and featuring flamenco performances at L2 Lounge and at other venues including Cafe Citron's third floor VIP lounge. There's always a modest cover charge, but it's for a good cause. According to their website ICDC is "Washington's premiere organization for internationally-minded professionals who enjoy international cultural experiences as well as social, educational, and outdoor events while helping the community."

Sara. July 1, 2010

When I arrived, I ran into some of my Romanian friends, Sandra and Diana. Of course, they've known me for years and they knew why I was there: to take pictures of the show. They stood by closeby assuming I knew where the show was going to take place. Truth is that I didn't know. This was my first time to see the flamenco show at L2 Lounge.

ICDC has done cultural events for years in venues ranging from embassies to clubs like L2. So right before the show started, one of the organizers, Marina, cordoned off the performance space with a ribbon...an ingenious idea if you ask me. It discouraged people from walking across the "stage" during the show. And it worked!

Emily. July 1, 2010

The next Spanish-themed party will be August 5, 2010: A Chocolate Feast in Spain: 12 exquisite Chocolates and Truffles masterfully pared with Cava, Red, and White Wines from Spain which includes FREE admission to Flamenco party at L2 Lounge.

Domingo and Chris, the dancers' most loyal supporters: their husbands! July 1, 2010

Sara and Emily. July 1, 2010

Dancer Emily Mazzotti with a few of my fashionably-dressed friends: Diana, Sandra and Lloyd. July 1, 2010

I hope you enjoyed these pics. I'm going to try and get started on a third blog entry for today. Ciao for now!

Posted by Miguelito at 10:36 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Furia Flamenca members Karina, Estela Velez (director), Evlyn, Sylvia, Amy and Lauren opening the show with Sevillanas. June 30, 2010

It's 9-something pm on Monday, the day after Independence Day, as I type these words. I'm behind on blogging as you know, yada yada yada...but hey, cut me some slack: I've been busy performing! And I'm just one of those types that can't just blog like it's a job. I have to be in the mood. Ugh...yeah I know. Us artists can be so temperamental. :-)

So this past Wednesday, DC-based dance company Furia Flamenca gave a free performance at The Forum at Harman Center for the Arts in Chinatown. With camera in hand, I did what I do best: document the DC flamenco scene wherever and whenever. Being the struggling artist that I am, when admission is free, you can bet I will cover it! :-)

Sylvia. June 30, 2010

Of course when admission is free, sometimes more people will show up then there are seats available. So when the theatre doors open, the competition for prime seats can be aggressive. Unfortunately, I arrived 10 minutes before showtime, and there was a crowd already waiting to get in, so I pushed my way through to the front of the line acting like I was a member of the press...which I am, in a way. When the doors opened, my guitarist friend Torcuato Zamora caught my eye and said hello but I kept our conversation very brief. You see...I was on a mission to get a good seat and no senior citizens or moms with baby carriages were going to stand in my way! :-)

Evlyn and Sylvia in Garrotín. June 30, 2010

Don't be fooled by the appearance of The Forum when you first walk in. Yeah it looks like a meeting room but if you look up at the ceiling, there's a pretty decent array of stage lights ready to transform the space into a very intimate theatre. There were about 100 people in attendance...yeah I counted. After a few introductory remarks by member of the theatre staff, the house lights dimmed and the stage lights beautifully illuminated the dance floor as Furia Flamenca made their entrance opening the show with Sevillanas.

Estela and Amy providing palmas as Torcuato Zamora plays a bulería. June 30, 2010

They were accompanied as usual by flamenco guitarist Torcuato Zamora with a special appearance by an amazing percussionist from Puerto Rico named Coco who played the cajón.

Tanguillos de Cádiz. June 30, 2010

During the 50-minute performance I took about 300 photos...that's about 1 photo every 10 seconds! Of course, in the interest of catching up on blogging, I just randomly chose just a few to publish here. Enjoy!

Furia Flamenca director Estela Velez introducing her dancers and musicians and promoting future performances. June 30, 2010

That's all for now. I promised myself I'd crank out at least one more blog tonight, so moving on! For more information about Estela Velez and Furia Flamenca, visit www.Furia-Flamenca.com.

Posted by Miguelito at 8:56 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)