Charo ?La Joya?, a student of flamenco dance, was born in Lima Peru. She is married to a diplomat, and has lived in cities all around the world. Read more about her passion for Flamenco!
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In the beginning, I was attracted to flamenco for it?s overall aesthetic appearance, but after experiencing the artform, it was it?s inherent depth that drew me in. At first, I was enchanted by the rhythm, the overall look, and the contrast between strength and feminity found in flamenco dance. Flamenco is a beautiful mixture of strength of character, which is driven by powerful rhythms, and graceful feminine qualities, such as the softness and subtleties of the upper body and hands. After studying flamenco, it was it?s intrinsic depth that captivated me. The ideology of where the artform comes from gives flamenco it?s profundity. Flamenco evolved within the gypsy culture of the south of Spain. Gypsies have always been an outcast society, and throughout the centureis, they have been defending their beliefs and origins. The feelings behind struggling for life and freedom, and trying to better oneself while at the same time refusing to conform to society, all transpire from the dance. I love the strength of rhythm, combined with the feelings of struggle found within flamenco, which are direct reflections of the culture from which it came.
I will once again use the analogy of the gypsies to explain how I feel dancing flamenco. Improvisation, and the prominence of solo dance within flamenco, reflects how the gypsies live their lives. They move from place to place while fighting against being conformed to a society and confined to a specific place. Improvisation is a part of flamenco dance that allows room for the honesty and sincerity of one?s soul to come through. While imporvising, you are not going by something learned because there are no patterns to tie you down. You create your movements using your feeling as impetus. The emphasis upon solo dancing in flamenco demonstrates that through sheer strength, one must survive alone in the midst of oppression that is inherent in the human condition. There is an incredible strength and power within flamenco that allows a dancer to draw the force from within in order to improve herself, defend her beliefs, and keep her soul. While dancing flamenco, I feel very earthy? very human. I feel I am aloud the freedom to express the authenticity of who I am.
Beautifully stated Maritel. My favorite part of class is when our maestra does what I call "movement" exercises wherein whe dances, and we try to "copy" her. She is, of course, improvising, and often, we can tell what mood she is in by the way these movement exercises go. I look forward to the day when I have enough steps and arm movements in my muscle memory to be able to improvise in just this way.
quote:Originally posted by Maritel Centurion: I will once again use the analogy of the gypsies to explain how I feel dancing flamenco. Improvisation, and the prominence of solo dance within flamenco, reflects how the gypsies live their lives. They move from place to place while fighting against being conformed to a society and confined to a specific place. Improvisation is a part of flamenco dance that allows room for the honesty and sincerity of one?s soul to come through. While imporvising, you are not going by something learned because there are no patterns to tie you down. You create your movements using your feeling as impetus. The emphasis upon solo dancing in flamenco demonstrates that through sheer strength, one must survive alone in the midst of oppression that is inherent in the human condition. There is an incredible strength and power within flamenco that allows a dancer to draw the force from within in order to improve herself, defend her beliefs, and keep her soul. While dancing flamenco, I feel very earthy? very human. I feel I am aloud the freedom to express the authenticity of who I am.
For Flamenco enthusiasts, we would like to introduce Susan Walker, one of our Flamenco content contributors, who has been interviewing other Flamenco enthusiasts.
If anyone is interested in performances, lessons, or just wish to chat with her about Flamenco in general, please post your messages here or contact Susan directly at s.e.walker@usa.net .
Susan Walker is a sensitive yet passionate Flamenco performer who is attracted to the wide spectrum of emotional expressionism that Spanish dance has to offer. Her love for this art form has driven her to study flamenco, classical and regional Spanish dance with teachers from Toronto, New York, Chicago, and Spain. The highlight of her training was an opportunity for an intense period of study at the legendary Amor De Dios Studios in Madrid where Susana studied with master teachers such as Maria Magdalena, Ciro, Carmela Greco, Paco Romero and Pedro Azorin. In addition to her studies in Spanish dance, Susana is a graduate of the teachers training program at the National Ballet School, the dance program at the University of Waterloo, and has completed her Masters in Art in dance from York University.
Susan has extensive performing experience with Toronto based Spanish dance and opera companies, such as the Paula Moreno Spanish Dance Company, Arte Flamenco!Spanish Dance Company, and Toronto Operetta Theatre. For the past two years, she has been performing as an independent dance artist, and has collaborated with other flamenco artists such as Toronto-based dancer La Perla, and guitarists Anton Covic and Juan Toledo. In the last year, Susan has co-produced, directed and performed in two productions with indepedendent dance artist La Perla. These successful performances were El Viaje...A journey through the music and dance of Spain, and Flamenco Passion.
Flamenco correspondent, Susan Walker, has just posted a new interview with Professional Flamenco Dancer, Lupe Herdia. Lupe Herdia began her career in Spanish dance in 1977 at the York University summer dance program under the tutelage of Paula Moreno. Lupe has since studied and performed with Canada's most established Spanish Dance Companies of Paula Moreno, Esmeralda Enrique as well as in Los Angeles with the companies of Lupe del Rio and Linda Vega.
Flamenco correspondent, Susan Walker, has a fascinating profile on www.Dancescape.TV about La Perla -- a passionate and charismatic performer whose goal is to place herself within, and help deliver a complete artistic experience encompassing song, dance and rhythm.
One can best describe her as a "Citizen of the world". She has lived, studied and worked in many countries and speaks several languages. La Perla chooses flamenco to be her route to reaching into people's hearts and tapping into their passions, her route to belonging and merging the plethora of cultural influences that shaped her as a human being.
For more information about Flamenco, please post here or contact Susan at s.e.walker@usa.net .
