2013 in coming to its end, and it's the perfect moment to review all the exciting moments we've been living together. 
We started the year with lots of snow in January so we decided to heat the environment up starting a new Flamenco group in Yeadon at Peace Dance Academy. This group is currently lead by Luisa Galán Aguilar and is working really well, so thank you Luisa for keeping the Flamenco spirit up in Yeadon!

February was the perfect month to travel to Newcastle and meet the Flamenco Lovers over there; Paco Bethencourt has done an impressive work spreading the Spanish culture and music up in the north, and we'll miss him a lot now that he's back in Madrid...Good luck Paco!

 In March we had the pleasure to count on the amazing Natalia García-Huidobro and her workshops for beginners and intermediate students at The Dance Studio Leeds. Despite the bad weather, the workshops were a huge success and more than 30 people attended!

With my friends Candy, Kevin and David, we brought a little bit of Spanish air to the Thirsk Racecourses in May, and then June arrived full of events: June's birthday in June (thanks for letting us join your lovely birthday party!!), and then the first Flamenco Festival in Leeds where we achieved to gather more than 200 people around Flamenco Art. Thanks so much to Samuel Moore, Holy Trinity Church and all my colleagues at The Instituto Cervantes, who made possible this amazing event (we are actually arranging everything for the Second Flamenco Festival in 2014). To finish the term with the best taste, the students and I went to the Hebden's Bridge Arts Festival where they could repeat the choreographies they had been practising through the year, and it was possible thanks to Patricia Skeet, who's been the one and only teacher in Yorkshire for years...Thank you Patri!

Right after the summer we could join Cherie Froude and her students at the Freedom Festival in Hull, where we had lots of fun once again. Thanks Cherie for organizing this!
September arrived with all the new groups starting the Autumn term at Yorkshire Dance and The Dance studio Leeds, and also I was given the opportunity to join the Heydays team at The Playhouse, to teach the Sevillanas to 20 lovely ladies who were brave enough to perform at the end of the term...and they did a great job, cogratulations!

Apart from that, we've had a number of performances as for example at Thai Sabai, Café Lento, Mint Café, and we've been lucky enough to give a hand to Kendall's Appeal at St. Edmund's Church, as well as all the "Flamenco Jungle" workshops at Primary Schools. 
To finish, after a few months rehearsing, we finished the Flamenco year joining Mestisa (latin american music band) in their concert about Latin/Spanish music at The School of Music in (University of Leeds). It was an exciting and amazing event where musicians of different styles worked together to give the best of their shelves and I think we got it!

So...it's been a busy, exciting, challenging and very happy year, we deserve a little rest for Christmas but we are already working to beat the expectations in the 2014 coming up. 
Once again, I would like to thank everybody who's been helping and supporting my work, specially to: Marisol, Chema, José Luis, Samuel and all the team at The Instituto Cervantes, Candy and Patricia for being such a wonderful persons and teachers, Katie at the Dance Studio Leeds, Catherine at Peace Dance Academy, Solveig at the coffee every other week, Ana, Ten and Mike because I would have made nothing without them, Alvaro my friend and husband for being there, all the friends and audience saying ole at the performances and, most important...the students!!! you are the reason why Feel-Flamenco! started to walk and keeps on running, so thanks for paying attention, for being patient, for attending the classes when it's windy and rainy and snowy, for helping me with the language and, over all, for making me so happy!!

SEE YOU EVERYBODY IN JANUARY AND REMEMBER...

Feel the passion
Feel the dance
Feel-Flamenco!

Dear friends and Flamenco lovers: 

It's been a nice summer with lots of activities and news and I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I did. The month of July finished with the Spanish Dance Society Summer Course in London where I could make the most of the amazing artists teaching there: Ángel Muñoz and Charo Espino for Flamenco, Javier Palacios for Stylized Spanish Dance and Antonio Estepa for Folk Dance. There, I could learn many different new steps to refresh my knowledge and now I'm ready to share them with the students, great!
August was a quiet month (not for me: I got married!) and then September came with the Hull Freedom Festival and the workshops at Moor End Academy and St. Augustine's Primary School.

But summer is gone now and autumn brings us new melancholic winds so it's the perfect time to speak about Tientos (we're practising this palo in the Fridays class at the Dance Studio Leeds)
The Tientos is -along with the Soleá and the Alegrías- one of the most common palos for any Flamenco class, as it needs from the dancer to work through different skills: footwork technique, arms movements and a huge amount of expressive capabilities as well as compás understanding. It is believed to be born at the end of 19th Century, and Joaquín el Feo is considered to be the Tientos "father".

Tientos is a 4 beat palo, in the same family as the Tangos, but slower and with different topics, lyrics and mood. Actually, every Tientos becomes a Tangos at the end of the song/dance. Tientos lyrics tend to be pathetic, sentimental, and speak about the lack of love, disillusionment and revenge. Tientos dancing has to be imposing, majestic, grave and dramatic, that's why a considerable amount of interpretation skills are needed.
It can be danced by a man or a woman, but it's specially appropriate for women and checking the following youtube out you will understand why. It's a Pastora Galván performance in an Andalusian Tablao and shows how a Tientos must be played. 
I hope everybody enjoy it and as always...


                                                                                      Feel the passion
                                                                                        Feel the dance
                                                                                       Feel Flamenco!

Dear Flamenco Lovers, 

Summer is here, Flamenco Festivals and Fairs are all around, and it's the perfect moment to speak about one of the most popular flamenco palos: Alegrías. 

English translation for Alegrías is happiness, and this feeling is present in the music, singing and also in the dance making this rhythm so special, joyful, particular and fun.
There are different kinds of Alegrías, depending on where they come from (Cádiz, Huelva, etc), but they all belong to the "Cantiña" family, and have a common basic structure similar to this one: 

- Introduction (guitar)
- Singing beginning ("ti ri ti tran")
- 1st verse
- "Llamada" and "cierre"
- 2nd verse
- Silence (slow part)
- "Castellana" (transition to the footwork)
- "Escobilla" (footwork)
- Bulería and ending

This lovely palo is usually considered a feminine one, although male dancers can permorm it giving it a more masculine style. Classic alegrías are danced with the typical "bata de cola" dress, becoming a really difficult goal to achieve to every flamenco student, apart from the style and interpretation difficulties...so, don't you want to start practicing right now??
Here you have an amazing example by the incredible Concha Jareño, Ole!

(In a few days I'll be posting all the info about the new term, dates, timetables and prices, don't forget to check the web and facebook page out - https://www.facebook.com/FeelFlamenco - to be updated!)

                                                                     Feel the passion, Feel the Dance!

Dear Flamenco lovers...

Dear Flamenco Lovers, 

The end of this amazing and exciting year-course is coming up, and we're finishing it in the best possible way: DANCING!!

As you already know, all the Cervantes Institute students will be performin next 21st June at Trinity Church (7 pm), but also the Dance Studio Leeds students will be at the Hebden Bridge's Arts Festival....Thanks so much Patricia Skeet for inviting us and allowing us to join you and your students in this wonderful event!!
We will be performing on the Marina, next to main road and canal,  Sunday 23rd June in  two slots: 12.00 Noon - 12.30pm, and then 1.30 - 2.10pm, and we have prepared an amazing Soleá choreography for us and you to enjoy, so would be really pleased if you join us!Check Hebden Bridge Arts Festival website for more info: http://hebdenbridgeartsfestival.co.uk/



Another new this month is that my colleagues Ana Luisa Muñoz, Mike Holland and Tenley Martin and I, have started our Flamenco Diez Facebook page, where you'll be able to find all the info about us and what do we do, our next gigs, as well as pictures and videos from other performances. It's really worth it to take a look and "like" !!
https://www.facebook.com/FlamencoDiez?ref=hl


Next month I'll be coming back with more info about Flamenco Palos and plans for the following term after the summer. 
Enjoy!!

                                                                     Feel the passion. Feel the dance!



  

Dear Flamenco Lovers!
This summer coming up is going to be really exciting for all those interested in new flamenco experiences as we have two really  important events, and both in the same weekend! 
We start with the Leeds Flamenco Festival, 21st June at 7pm, where all the flamenco students from The Instituto Cervantes will be performing  tangos, sevillanas, alegrías and farruca. They've been working really hard during the three terms and now they are able to share their achievementes in the best stage possible: Trinity Church, at leeds City Center, has been recently refurbished and will give the distinctive touch to the evening! You'll also enjoy the best Flamenco music by Samuel Moore, Mike Holland and Tenley Martin, and I'll be performing as well so it's something not to be missed!

And after that, 23rd June a new edition of the famous Hebden Bridge Arts Festival!! Lots of different activities, concerts, street performances in a cultural environment, where you'll be able to enjoy again the best flamenco in two different sets (timing to be confirmed) with all the students and friends from my classes at The Dance Studio leeds and my colleague Patricia Skeets' at Hebden. Again farruca, and also soleá, tientos, bulerías and tons of fun and art! Thanks so much Patricia for giving us the oportunity of joining you for the Festival! 

Hello everybody!

2012 is coming to its end, and fortunately the Mayan people were completely wrong and our world is still alive!

It’s almost four months since I started with my Flamenco Classes in Leeds, and lf I look back, I feel really happy and lucky because I’ve found such wonderful people who is helping me from the beginning…and that’s why I would like to finish this year giving thanks to everyone!

Thank you Cervantes Institute (Marisol, Chema, José Luis, Asun and all the others) for trusting me and for providing me the backup of such a big Institution, as well as your personal support.

Thank you very much Patricia Skeet and Candy Kaiser for your warm and friendly welcome and for opening the Leeds Flamenco doors to me.

Thank you Mike Holland for carrying on coming to the classes and playing so nicely, for encouraging me every day and for helping looking for new opportunities, and also thank you Cath for being so lovely and for organizing the Peñas!

Thank you very much my dear Solveig for helping me with the English Language, for giving me ideas, good advices, for translating the texts for me, and over all for such great moments we are having together.

Thank you Ana L.Muñoz and Tenley Martin for allowing me to join you at Flamenco Diez, and for making me enjoy so much in the rehearsals! And thank you James Stephenson for your help introducing me so much people interested in Flamenco around Leeds.

Thank you Katie Hedges from The Dance Studio Leeds for giving me the opportunity to work with you at such a beautiful place, and for being so nice and helpful to me.

And, the most important of all…Thank you very much indeed my dear students, to the beginners and to the advanced, because I receive from you more than I give and I learn every day and become a better teacher with you. You already know I love my job, but you must know that it’s for you that the effort is worth it!

MY BEST WISHES FOR THIS 2013!! 

Dancers, musicians, flamenco enthusiasts, friends and families are all warmly invited to an evening of flamenco music and dance.
A relaxed and informal get-together where anyone is welcome to take part in dancing, singing or playing, or just to sit and enjoy!
Tea, coffee and wine will be available – please bring anything else you would like to drink.
Grey’s Fine Foods will be selling gourmet Spanish food to take home!
Entry: £3

FLAMENCO WORKSHOP WITH RUTH TEJADO
Technique class 4.00 – 5.00pm. Cost: £8
Choreography class 5.15 – 7.15pm Shawl for Ladies: Soleá (shawls won't be provided) Cost: £15

Food can be provided after the workshop at a cost of £5 if booked in advance (please book before 27th November) 

Address: Jubilee Hall, Layton Avenue, Rawdon, Leeds. LS19 6QQ.
Any enquiries: contact Cath Boardman
[email protected] Mob:07712 814679

Hello everybody!

This post is specially dedicated to my complete beginners students, who are in contact with Flamenco for the first time. They are working really hard to go beyond the difficulties that all the beginners must face up to, and they are doing it really well so…congratulations!

Why do flamenco teachers always start with “Tangos”? As you are starting to know, some flamenco “palos” have strange, long and difficult rhythms, hard to recognize and follow for those who have never heard about them before. Nevertheless, “tangos” sounds  somehow familiar to you, doesn´t it? This is because Tangos is a 4/4 rhythm, which means that you can hear 4 beats in every “compás”, exactly like in Madonnas’, Elvis’ or Beyonces’! And that’s the reason why it’s so easy to identify for you, because you’ve been hearing similar rythms since you were born.

On the other hand, its lively and cheerful character, makes this palo perfect to be tought in the first months, students enjoy it and it is not as stressful for them to learn as a deeper  palo such Solea or Farruca could be.  But don’t forget: the easiest palo can become the most advanced one if a well experienced dancer performs it!  Examples? Here you have one, by the Sara Baras Dance Company. Enjoy!