Furia Flamenca at The Forum at Harman Center for the Arts - June 30, 2010
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.
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