What it's all about

Time certainly flies. Last week has been very hard on me. I started to feel very pressured and trapped and didn't know why. My classes are hard, but good. I'm enjoying the training and the sweating. It's tiring but I can already feel some progress: My back is getting stronger, I can hold the positions longer - I'm finally working on my body. And that felt good. So why was I feeling so anxious? I sat down to do some hard thinking and it finally struck me that I usually feel this way when I'm forcing myself to do something I don't really want to do. I've always had a hard time finding the difference between "want", "should" and "must". The lines are really fuzzy for me. But in the last few years, my body and my soul, or you could call it my inner child, have gotten better at letting me know when something is wrong. And when I dreamt that I was being held at gunpoint, I knew something was very wrong.

I thought to myself, 'why am I doing this school'? In my mind, I believe it's the only way to get better at flamenco dancing - something I definitely want to do. But when I think about it, I'm starting to doubt it. Of course, a 9-month academic intensive training will help me progress immensely. But the endless, daily, mind-numbing training has a way of killing creativity. Suddenly it's all about going to school every day and following the rules and trying to fit the mould. There are so many things one can do wrong in flamenco. It's an aspect I don't like about it. Maybe there's a more creative way to go on about this year? I will definitely keep thinking about it. And as soon as I realized what the problem was, I felt better already.

In other news, last week was quite exciting. Here's a quick resumé with pictures:

We went to see La Choni's show. She is our bata de cola and technique teacher. She is a master of the tail skirt and had such a playful and humorous dialogue with it, she had me grinning all the time. She dances Alegrías the way they should be danced - I loved her charisma, stage presence and the way managed to include batting her eyelids in the dance.

A procession took place in the same street that night (one Virgin was being moved from one church to another), we had a hard time getting to the venue. Catholic processions are a big thing in Sevilla. I am absolutely not religious but I had to admit there is something very spiritual about them: The solemn music, the way people from the whole neighbourhood march along. This kind of devotion is absolutely foreign to me.

On Monday I got to pick up my very own bata de cola! My classmates and I went to seamstress Pili Cordero. She was been making tail skirts for 30 years and is sewing for dancers such as Alicia Márquez and Belén Maya. It is one of the most exciting pieces of clothing I have ever posessed! 

 Finishing touches at the sewing studio:

Totally in loooooove! No comment about the color! ;) Sorry for the bad phone pics. 

This week I also saw an old friend of mine, Pedro Viscomi. He's from home, but went to Sevilla 5 years ago. He's now making a living as a flamenco guitarist. He gave a small concert together with singer David Bastidas on a rooftop terrace:

On Wednesday, we went to the Peña Torres Macarena, where the "Compañia CAFS" (my school) performed. They consist of Sara Lopez (dance - my castanets teacher), Lucas Ortega (singing), Eva Ruiz (singing) and Idan Balas (guitar - our cante accompanyist). It was a great performance.

After so much going out, I was tired and took it easy the rest of the week. But last night I went out with my Swiss friend and she took me to some very authentic tapas places. We talked and drank and it was a very relaxing evening. Thanks, B! First, we killed some Langostinos and Salmorejo at "La Bodega" (found it, Kaljinka! ;))

  

Then we went over to "El Rinconcillo", the oldest tapas place in Sevilla,
for Jamón Ibérico (killer ham!):

 

And we ended up in "Morales", a very old wine bodega, for some tintos de verano and finished with Solera, sweet sweet Sherry from Jerez...

Salud!

B has had an amazing life. For the last 13 years, she has been spending the winters at home working, and the summers in Spain, working as a tour guide and dancing flamenco. What a great concept. B is graciously subletting her Sevillan apartment to me while she goes home for the winter. I'm moving there next weekend. Can't wait to have my own place! Guests are welcome - COME!