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May 18, 2005
preconceptions # 2
Picture a lone flamenco bailaora dancing with passionate intensity in the dusty heat of Southern Spain. A rose between her teeth, her olive skin, brown hair and expressive dark eyes contrast with the long, full dress that hugs her hour-glass figure. A romantic ideal: few dancers in real life look like that unless; of course, they've contrived to do so. Holding anything in your mouth makes dancing with the face problematic and those thorns hurt! Anyway, we're in London where people of every imaginable size, shape and origin go to Escuela de Baile to learn flamenco. I also doubt that the very few flamenco students who look like that would ever do the clichéd thing with the rose.
Last Friday I went to the Latin Quarter to find out more about the forthcoming Escuela de Baile School Spectacular. It's a massive event with famous professional guests from Spain, and different performers and performances both days of its run. I found Nuria Garcia; the Principal, teaching.
Looking from the back of the class made me think that something was strangely different. It took a few seconds to realise the reason was that every student had dark hair! I briefly wondered whether they were Spanish women doing a special lesson, and if they were, whether flamenco came to them any easier than to me.
Nuria told me that the class would end later than planned. That's not surprising in the run-up to a show when every rehearsal minute counts, so I decided I'd watch while waiting. Settling myself at the front of the class (it gives the best view and I'm sure I'd be soon told if I wasn't welcome) I realised the students weren't Spanish at all but Japanese! Stumbling on to a flamenco class composed entirely of Japanese women in Central London is a strangely surreal experience, especially since they were all dressed in black with long flowing flamenco skirts and looked uniformly healthy, gorgeous and fit.
They were working on patterning (their placing and movements on stage) and as I watched I recognised the disorientation I've felt when I'm still unsure of the choreography but am no longer copying anyone or even (gulp) facing the mirrors. Even at this early stage I could see them begin to co-ordinate with each other in pairs or threes as well as with the larger pattern. As the Fandango started taking shape and it came together in their heads, their excitement at the prospect of the performance and passion for flamenco shone through.
Everyone is looking forward to the show at the Peacock and some are even doing an earlier local performance on May 22nd. Hitomi says she feels nervous and lucky to be in a big show so soon. Kaori loves the way that flamenco allows so much self expression and believes that her experiences at the Peacock will become a precious memory. Sachiko says that although for years she disliked flamenco and actively avoided it, she eventually allowed herself to be introduced by a friend because she needed some exercise and couldn't find an appropriate daytime ballet class. Now she is "absolutely fascinated by the diversity" and comes to both lessons every week.
All mothers, they come to Escuela de Baile while their kids are at school. They're a lovely group of people; open, enthusiastic, patient, friendly and generous. Even though I was a total stranger one lady even offered to share her small bottle of green tea with me!
This week I’m off to watch the Friday lesson as part of the research for a feature I'm doing for Dance Today. Apparently while still mostly Japanese, Friday lessons have a few gaijin (non-Japanese) students too. It'll be interesting to see if that makes a difference.
When the show's over and class goes back to normal there'll be one more gaijin in both daytime classes – me!
Escuela de Baile www.la-escuela-de-baile.co.uk has daytime classes on Wednesdays and Fridays and evening classes every night at the Latin Quarter www.latinquarter.org.uk
The Flamenco Spectacular is on July 1st and 2nd and you can get tickets here: www.sadlerswells.org.uk/peacock/2005_2006/escuela.asp
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