What I've Learned After 10 Years of Student Shows

I’ve been presenting my students in showcases since 2005. They started off as rag tag events at a restaurant in Hermosa Beach. Now they’ve evolved into a polished show at small performance spaces and theaters.

I celebrate our ten-year anniversary student showcase on September 20, 2014 at Alvas with “Comunidad Flamenca.”

I also initially taught the choreographies in 8 weeks – simple choreographies but still boot camp! Now it can be as much as 8 months for a single dance. The dancers first started all in group choreographies then they were able to improvise bulerias. Now there are many soloists and I have to choose which ones get to dance.

Each production is a great experience for me even with the pressure, stress, surprises and meltdowns. Actually there haven’t been any meltdowns, but it seemed to flow that way.

I’ve developed a tight system to producing these shows. Sometimes I don’t always stick to the system and things tend to go haywire when that happens.

So, here for you, is what I’ve learned throughout the ten years of choreographing and producing shows.

Creative Side

1. Don’t shoot for perfection but go for emotion. I am so underwhelmed by any dance performance that the dancers all look perfect in their technique and form but lack any spark onstage. Of course you don’t want them to be passionate but sloppy. You still want cohesion on stage. But I’m not going to quibble over arm position when the dancers are really “feeling” it.

2. It’s not about you the teacher but all about the students. Don’t make the choreography so difficult that only one standout dancer can do it. It just makes them feel insecure. I’ve had to adjust choreographies so that the group as a whole or a soloist can actually perform it and feel good about it. This doesn’t mean that you make it too easy. You still want to challenge them because they will rise up for it.

3. Pick musicians that are supportive of students. The best ones are understanding that students are learning as they go and can’t improvise as professionals would. But also make sure the dancers know their choreographies inside out so that when it’s time for rehearsals with the musicians you can focus on teaching the musicians the dances and not worry about teaching the dancers.

4. Make sure the dancers truly understand what they’re dancing. It’s difficult to remember a choreography if they don’t understand the context. That means that they know why they’re doing the the natural order of all dances- llamada, letra, escobilla, buleria, estribillo, etc. I “sing” in class so that they can learn letras and know that they are resolving with the cante. Granted it can be very difficult for some to remember what is what, but keep reminding them!

5. Encourage that the dancers rent studio time and practice together using solo compas. This is where lots of magic happens because they become self sufficient and create bonds.

Business Side

1. Create the budget for the show. Think about the true cost of the show. Is it going to create tension and resentment if you require that the dancers sell ten tickets each to cover your costs? I personally don’t require they buy a certain amount of tickets but I do charge a fee that covers the extra rehearsals.

2. Choose a convenient way for people to buy tickets. Have them available at the studio as well as online. Ticketing services like brown paper tickets or eventbrite are easy to use.

3. Have people help you out where you need it. Delegate! That’s a hard one for me but I’m learning!

4. If you’re renting a theater, make sure you understand all the costs involved: lights, sound, extra hours fees, insurance. You don’t want to be surprised in the end with a bill of all the extra expenditures.

5. Don’t assume that the theater knows what flamenco is! Seriously! That means you talk about what flamenco shoes do to a stage. You may have to provide your own wooden stage area or Marley floor.

I’m amazed that ten years has passed and that I have done so many events with my dancers. It can be emotionally exhausting as a teacher because of everyone’s needs, but it’s worth it in the end. The dancers get an opportunity to dance in a quality setting and get to learn exponentially in a short amount of intense time. Ole!