A Few of my Flamenco Secrets

Hot-Damn Flamenco. Whoever in this life, watches flamenco. The answer is "No one."

Having said the above, I should just sign off, but hard head, me, I'll persist. Flamenco has been my life long passion. I learned to dance Flamenco from the gypsies on the beaches outside Algeceris, Spain during the Korean War. (The war during the early '50's ..... not this thing they are going through now). I still consider myself a purist, although there's always a modern movement in every art form.

My new header is a Flamenco guitar that cries in the closet. I don't play the sacred little instrument. To achieve that would require constant practice and I chose dancing as long as the old bode allows. The picture to the left was taken last year.

Traditionally, the guitar accompanies dancers and has only been around a little over a hundred years. Pre-guitar, there was keeping rhythm of hands (clapping) or a cane (stick) striking the ground. A few dances still use the pounding of an anvil for it's rhythm as the gypsies were usually traveling smithies.

Male dancers used to beat out a rhythm with their heavy footwork and the grace of the upper body was left to the women. Carmen Amaya was one of the first female gypsy dancers to put on trousers and dance the frenzied footwork. Even when I started Flamenco, 60 years ago, women still concentrated on body movement and left the heavy footwork to the men.

There's very little interest in Flamenco in Montana..... land of cowboys and honky-tonks. For one thing, the learning takes time and dedication and it's just damn hard work in the beginning. I carry on my art for myself with a few faithful followers. I'm starting a kid's program this summer. Kids just do it, without all the hangups.

There. I've opened the door and shared my passion with you, dear bloggy friends. Now you can share your passion with me and others. We all have them, if they are for real or only wannabes. Let's share!!!!