Flamenco Envy

I have Flamenco Envy. Have you ever experienced that? When everyone seems to be doing some fun flamenco thing and you’re not? I mean look at this picture! Dancing on the tables! Wine bottles on the floor!

Well, that’s me with the envy because this week is the Flamenco Festival in Albuquerque with a stellar line up as usual (Antonio Canales, Pastora Galvan, Concha Jareño, Adela Campallo, etc.). Workshops all day and flamenco shows every night. Plus the bonding with compañeras over painful feet and a glass (or two) of wine. AND I’M NOT THERE! 🙁

I have never been to the festival either because of scheduling or because I wouldn’t have anyone to shuttle my kids around for that week that I would be gone. But, many of my students go to it and my classes are usually a little bit more quiet that week. More personalized attention to my own students, ha!

But even though I’m not there in body, I’m most certainly there in spirit because this is the first year that the festival had a showcase for the dancers taking the classes. Only a handful of groups performed and they were backed up by the most excellent singers Kina Mendez and Vicente Griego. What an honor!

My two advanced students, Astra and Karan performed a guajira con abanico that I had choreographed for the last student show. I was so proud of them for jumping into doing this and for working so hard for it. They looked amazing in rehearsal with me and take a look at the picture of them. Beautiful! Ole for representing!

So, I swallow my flamenco envy, and let the proud mama shine!