At Bambule in 2003 featuring dancers Marta Chico Martín and Sara Jerez with guitarist Ramin Rad and percussionist Jason Vera y Aragón. August 14, 2003
It's almost 1pm on Thursday as I type these words. Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter knew that I had a Hispanic Heritage Month gig yesterday. The typical routine:
1. Wake up early to meet up with the dancers and singer to carpool together to the gig. (these shows are typically at noon)
2. Setup sound system while the dancers change into costume.
3. Ceremony starts. Speech or two then we go on stage.
4. 20-minute flamenco performance. Applause applause.
5. Put away sound system and collect big fat paycheck. :-)
6. Deposit big fat paycheck and spend it.
Easy money, right? Yeah it is. But we deserve it. Us full-time artists have paid our "dues" practicing for years developing our flamenco skills so that we can crawl out of bed, show up at a gig, perform, and get paid an extravagant amount of money considering we're only actually working for 20 minutes.
But I left out one tiny but still very important item from the above routine. Can you guess what it is?
It's the tablao!!! For those of you who don't know, a tablao is very simply a wooden stage to give the flamenco dancers a percussive surface to showcase their footwork. And yesterday for the Hispanic Heritage Month performance, we had to bring a tablao to the gig because the room we performed in was carpeted.
So we arrive at gig and the singer and I carried the tablao from the car to the room. It's something I've come to accept as a part of my duties as a flamenco guitarist...supporting my dancers. But yesterday as I was carrying the tablao, a very large piece of plywood requiring at least two people, my hands were feeling a little pain. So I said to the singer, "Dude, my hands are in pain here. I shouldn't be doing this to my hands. I'm the guitarist and we have a show in 20 minutes."
Our security escort, dressed in business attire took my hint and offered to carry the tablao. 20 minutes later we went on stage and I played guitar just fine. But still c'mon I shouldn't be carrying heavy stuff right before a gig.
This morning I was thinking about how most of our clients have no idea about the technical requirements of a flamenco show. It's not their fault of course. It's up to us flamenco performers to educate them. And I'm not about to impose upon you my ideas of what kind of stage is most appropriate...because each dancer has a different level of what they'll accept as suitable for a performance. So for the benefit of those thinking of putting on a flamenco show in a restaurant, private party etc here's a small sample of some of the tablaos I've seen over the years here in the DC area.
8' x 8' on a raised platform Pictured at the top of page. Built by Jason Vera y Aragón, this consists of two 8' x 4' birch wood sheets supported by 2" x 4" lumber around the edges. This allows the sheet to have a hollow space underneath giving it a nice sound for flamenco footwork. The platform raises the stage about 6-8 inches and locks onto the latches. This kind of stage is pretty costly but it was a long-term investment for the show.
First Night Alexandria gig in 2004 at Regent University with dancer Ginette in December 2004.
8' x 4' wood sheet supported by 2" x 4" lumber around the edges Pictured above. The price for parts and labor to build this stage is a few hundred. But since this was for a one-time gig, we were fortunate that we could borrow it for free from the Spanish restaurant Las Tapas which was down the street anyway. To keep the tablao from shifting around on the surface I placed an oriental rug underneath. Built by Antonio former chef of Las Tapas.
Fourth of July gig in 2005 at a private house with dancer Estela Velez, percussionist Behzad Habibzai and guitarist RJ Uebersezig.
8' x 4' wood sheet supported by 2" x 4" lumber around the edges Pictured above. Very similar to the Las Tapas tablao but with a prettier wood stain finish. Built by RJ.
Holiday part at the IMF in 2004 with dancer Sara Jerez.
Parquet floor with built-in lighting Pictured above. This kind of floor is what we usually encounter at wedding gigs and for a good reason. It makes a good dance floor for the guests. But for flamenco, a parquet floor is not very good. For one thing it's not hollow underneath so the sound of footwork is very subdued. It also tends to be very slippery.
Gig at Taberna del Alabardero with dancers Nelida Tirado and Anna Menéndez, singer Jesús Montoya and guitarist Richard Marlow.
Two 8' x 4' sheets of plywood Pictured above. This is the least expensive way to go as far as tablaos are concerned. Plywood is relatively cheap and light but it's ideal for one-time gigs. It does provide a decent surface for footwork but usually requires the assistance of microphones. The disadvantage: splinters. After the show, you can expect to see tiny slivers of wood on top of and around the edge of the stage.
Las Tapas stage. The flamenco dancers' all-time favorite tablao!
Three 8' x 4' tablaos supported by a 4' tall platform Pictured above. Las Tapas has the best and probably most expensive set-up in the DC area. But the flamenco show here has been going on for 12 years now so I'm sure the business that the show has brought in has more than paid for the stage many times over.
Backstage closeup showing the platform that raises the tablao at Las Tapas.
The stage at Las Tapas also tends to be very loud. The reflective surface of the brick walls and tile floors make this a very loud space!
Toro Tapas gig back in 2004 in Shirlington, Virginia which has been closed for years. That's Edwin Aparicio dancing.
8' x 4' wooden box with vinyl kitchen tile on top and bass port vents on the side Pictured above. This is a beautiful looking stage but the sound is dull. We had always had to to put a microphone on the floor. Builder unknown.
Taste of Jerusalem gig in 2007 featuring guitarist Torcuato Zamora and Furia Flamenca dancer Estela Velez.
Approximately 6' x 10' on a raised platform Pictured above. This was a custom-built stage by the very handy guitarist Torcuato Zamora. I don't know anything about the construction but the sound was good for flamenco and I would hope so since it was built by a flamenco performer for his own gig!
Feria de Sevilla at Strathmore in 2007. That's Ana Martínez and Edwin Aparico dancing. (photo by Stan Peters)
4' x 4' sheets of wood with directional microphones Pictured above. This is at an outdoor stage which already has a wood floor but has been subjected to the damage of rain, snow and heat. For this show the performers brought in sheets of wood to lay on top of the stage surface. While small in size they still served their purpose: providing a stable loud soundboard for footwork.
Gig at Cafe Citron with dancer Sara Candela and singer Gerard Moreno in 2004
8' x 4' birch wood with 2" x 4" lumber around the edges Pictured above. By now, you've seen this format again and again. It's practically the tablao standard for DC. Note the stage lights at the front. An often forgotten piece of stage equipment, it's still very imporant to have good lighting. Built by Jason Vera y Aragón.
Cabanas gig with dancer Ginette in 2009
6' x 6' with 6" high lumber around the edges Pictured above. This was custom-built by the chef at Cabanas at the time. Painted black to give it a more presentable appearance. The builder also added wheels so that when the stage was turned upright it was easy to move around and store.
Andalucía gig in 2005
8' x 4' sheet with removable 2" x 4" lumber frame around the edges Pictured above. This design is unique because all you had to do was lay the rectangular frame on the floor and place the 8' x 4' sheet on top. This made it light enough so that only one person was required to set it up. The other 8' x 4' tablaos previously mentioned were extremely heavy and required two strong people to carry. Built by Antonio, Andalucía's chef at the time.
Gig at Elena's Oven in Fairfax, Virginia in 2003
Dimensions unknown with 6" high raised lumber around the edges Pictured above. Yet another custom-built stage made especially for this space. Note the built-in lights.
I could go on and on but I'll stop here. Hopefully this sampling this gives you and idea of the various designs that have been attempted over the years.
But getting back to my story in the beginning...it wasn't the end of the world that I had to carry the tablao. Despite the minor pain and strain, I just sucked it up and played the guitar and the show was fine. But for the future, I'm thinking of getting one of those portable dance floors that roll-up. You know...the ones made by Dance Mat Direct.
A friend of mine has one and we've used it in a gig or two and works great. I mean it's not perfect. The sound is decent but more importantly, it's not as a pain-in-the-butt to carry as an 8' x 4' sheet of wood. Even though it's more compact when rolled-up it's still heavy as hell but you can always put it on a luggage cart with bungie cords. They're expensive though (but probably worth it cuz you won't get back problems carrying a dance mat).
But for now us flamencos have to deal with carrying the wood or hope that our clients will consider springing with a little extra cash to at least buy some plywood sheets. And let's not even get into getting the damn thing into the car (or top of it!). That's a whole other story! :-)
On the way to the First Night Alexandria gig with Ginette in 2004
