Masters of rhythm

Time flies again in Granada. I don't know where the last 7 weeks went. I feel like I'm still behind everything, running after time, trying to find my rhythm. And I have to leave in two weeks for Sevilla. How did that happen? 

I absolved my first two weeks of "avanzado" dancing more or less successfully. The wonderful Estefania taught us Soleá por Bulerías. There were only two of us in class - semiprivate lessons!
And guitarist Antonio was so nice to sing for us...

Estefania, master of rhythm, my fellow class mate, Antonio

I've got to hand it to my teachers. They are doing a amazing job. First of all, they are all fantastic dancers. Every one of them has a different style - some more classical, some more gitano, some very sensual and some with incredible feet. Every one of them has something different so teach us. So many students pass through the school year in, year out. And yet here they are, every day, giving us their very best. They push me to my limits every day. I am always a bit dismayed to discover how much more there is to learn about flamenco. The footwork rhythm patterns that Estefania comes up with are mindblowing. It takes all I have to understand them - let alone command my feet to perform the steps. I feel my brain is made of some synthetic plush animal filling sometimes. And suddenly, as if by magic, I get the step. I get the step! And as soon I start thinking about it I mess up again. Ah, feet...!!

Judit, who drilled us in footwork

Then there is all that business of listening to the singing. Without the 'cante', we dancers are nothing. We need something to dance to. Dancing flamenco is all about listening to what the singer is doing and dance accordingly, and there are some strict rules about that. The problem is that very few teachers will tell you the secrets about listening to 'cante'. This is because many of the great dancers have grown up with the music in their blood and know instinctively how to react when the music goes this way or other. That leaves us poor foreigners quite clueless. And it's actually being explained to me in school! Hallelujah!

My teachers work hard outside of school, too - most of them perform several times a week in the tourist tablaos to earn money. One of them works in a tablao SEVEN nights a week. I don't know how he does it. And every day in class, he yells at us until we get the step right! (He doesn't yell at us in a bad way... he is just very strict and cuts us no slack at all. But in a funny way. I have to keep from laughing all the time and then he'll stare at me even harder, but with a twinkle in his eye... so funny!)

Curvy Pilar

So, I'm very happy with the Carmen de las Cuevas as my current dance school.  I'm given just what I need right now. It feels good to be dancing every day. I'm being pushed to my limits every day. I have to look, really look at myself in the mirror every day. I have to confront my fears every day and train my slow brain to coordinate my hands and feet and to memorize complicated patterns. I'm surrounded by very caring teachers who are demanding, but fun. It will be hard to leave...