Gilded
Serpent presents...
Flamenco
Dance: Secrets of the Professionals
Book reviewed by Surreyya
Hada
Flamenco
or not, I guarantee this book will take your dance to the next
level.
In
one of my moments void of dance inspiration and full of dance
desperation, I came to Lynette and asked her for some help. My
incessant begging and pleading resulted in this book review
(which is incredibly overdue – apology to editor of GS and
author of book). I wasn’t sure if I was being punished at first.
Living
a large part of my life in Texas, I was exposed to many Latin
cultural soul searching efforts in various forms. Flamenco
was one of them. We were all given the mandatory dance lessons
in elementary school, from an often older plump school teacher
with warm hugs, endless enthusiasm and neon magenta lipstick
that just wanted to leave its impression and coffee breath
aftertaste hanging on your cheek. Then there were Mom’s event
center adventures in her effort to “give this family some culture!”
which I dreaded more than nails on a chalkboard. Hard seats
in a cold venue, taking in what seemed to be endless hours
of forced theatre while some man wailed painfully in Spanish
and a guitar hacked away. I did like the costumes, I did like
the palmas. Outside of that, I was bored senseless,
but did leave with a morbid sense of curiosity.
Alas
as years passed and taste buds changed, I welcomed the passionate
music and fiery dance into my heart after several interludes
in the music industry and theatre. Just a few years ago, I
saw an ANDRÉS MARÍN Y SU COMPAÑÍA FLAMENCA at the Brava Theatre
- that experience completely hooked me.
How
anyone can question the shared influences of Middle Eastern
dance and Music and Flamenco dance and music is beyond me.
You would have to be blind and deaf.
However,
having a love-hate relationship with Flamenco over the years,
I came into this
book with little expectation. Never did I imagine I’d come
away with a new awareness of belly dance and heightened sense
of professionalism through the eyes of a Flamenco book!
Paco Sevilla,
one of the foremost flamencologists, writes nearly an encyclopedia
and professional reference book for the ambitious dancer let
alone, flamenco enthusiast, musician or dancer. A guitarist
and instructor, Sevilla clearly organizes a multitude of topics
in an easy read that is interesting, colorful and far from
boring. While your aptitude of flamenco is tested, you are
provided an excellent history lesson with an entrée of performers
and musician to surely inspire further reading and research.
What I found
in this book is an endless resource of wisdom I can continually
draw from and refer.
Author Paco Sevilla |
As a musician
and dancer, I appreciated Sevilla’s experiences and viewpoints
on communication, interpretation and style. With a very common
sense driven perspective, Sevilla takes the reader on a very
personal lesson, forcing them to face fears, address shortcomings
and inspire emotions and bring them out into their dance. His
skill in writing, instruction and years of experience are paramount,
but not condescending to the reader at any time. Sevilla takes
great care in relating the material to all walks of people,
ages, experience levels and challenges your intellect in harmony.
Obviously
some knowledge or curiosity of flamenco will help you become
interested in this material, but the skills and subjects transfer
quite readily to a variety of forms. From music comprehension,
posture, practice, emoting, getting the most out of a dance
lesson, communicating with musicians, choreography tips, expression,
stage presence – you name it, it is covered.
What
Sevilla does in this book is help to identify the magic,
the mojo,
and the presence that set so many flamenco pioneers apart
from their contemporaries. It also takes you on a profound
leap inward to analyzing and improving your own style and
persona.
If you are
a reader I STRONGLY encourage you to have this book in your
collection. It has a wonderful anthology of images, and each
book is lovingly hand made – not off an assembly line. Very
special, it should be an essential part of every dancer’s collection.
purchase
through authors website here-
http://www.flamencobooks.com/
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letter!
Check the "Letters to the Editor"
for other possible viewpoints!
Ready
for more?
3-14-07 Morgana's
Animal Magnetism, Interview with Morgana of Madrid by
Surreyya
After
seeing Morgana’s Serpent Dance, where she embodies the
personality of the serpent, I was hooked. Any snake lovers or
snake dancers will have a special appreciation for this piece.
1-27-07 Mining
for Gold in the Gilded Serpent Archives - List #1 Surreyya's
Favorite Articles
I've
compiled a list of articles that have inspired, influenced and
enabled me to cross many intersections when arriving at a challenge.
10-31-06 Dancers
Arms by Aruna, DVD review by Surreyya
Why
you must get this DVD and why some instructors don’t want
you to know about it…
8-14-07 Tamalyn
Dallal's DVD- 40 Days and 1001 Nights, reviewed by
Barbara Sellers-Young
Thus, the film did expand my visual awareness. Now, did it deepen or
extend my understanding of what that diversity implied? My response would have
to be no.
7-24-07 The
Zar, Trance Music for Women, CD Review by Amina Goodyear
produced by Yasmin of Serpentine.org. “Once a spirit is called, it must
be appeased. Then it will always be there.”And it will have to be periodically
dealt with.
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