Flor Perez-Taboada.
The skin on Flor Perez-Taboada’s forehead starts to crinkle, her head tilts down followed by her eyes squinting from intense concentration. Her lips pucker tightly together as she raises her arms above her head in a V formation. She stomps her shoes embedded with nails on the heels and toes on the hardwood floor. She kicks, turns and stomps her feet again with a fierce rhythm and her skirt flaps around her legs and hips. The old flamenco music playing on the small stereo is filled with rhythmic clapping (palmas in Spanish), cheers and the familiar flamenco guitar. The intensity in Flor's body movements continue as her hands and wrists twist softly to make "floreos." The room fills up with the sound of Flor's feet as they make quick staccato steps all in and out of time of the music. Flor quickly stops, as her 3 year old daughter runs into the room and Flor focuses on her daughter in a toddler polka dot flamenco dress. She attends to her daughter who then runs away to play with the dance studio's staff. Flor turns off the music, looks in the mirror for a second, and she turns on the music again. Her face crinkles up in intensity again and then she's back to her flamenco form.
Flor is rehearsing for an upcoming flamenco tablao show she created called "Verano Flamenco" at DC Dance Collective. A tablao is arguably, the harder of the two flamenco performance venue types, a choreographed stage performance versus the live, unrehearsed, and intimate venue of the tablao. Flor began dancing in flamenco tablaos in Buenos Aires in 1995. She’s performed and taught flamenco in numerous countries, however one of her proudest dancing moments have been when she created and organized another tablao show called “Juglar Por Flamenco" in Madrid, Spain. Flor created Juglar Por Flamenco to give inexperienced flamenco dancers an opportunity to perform in the frightening but adrenaline filled world of tablao dancing. Her vision of giving pre-professional dancers a place to learn to dance in a tablao setting worked so well that Juglar Por Flamenco is still running years after Flor left Madrid, Spain.
A tablao is a venue, typically in a small restaurant where flamenco is performed either through baile (dancing), cante (singing), or guitarra (guitar). According to Flor, tablao shows are different from “stage” performances because a tablao performance is not choreographed, in the traditional sense. The silent communication between the baile, cante, guitarra, and even the cajon (drum) is in full view to the audience. This is where a performer's strength and weakness is put out on the table for the audience to eat up and spit it back in the dancers face or devour it and relish it.
Verano Flamenco is different from the couple of tablaos in the Washington metropolitan area. Flor created this show specifically for students and pre.jpg)
-professional dancers. Verano Flamenco offers these new dancers an opportunity to perform a tablao solo and to dance alongside seasoned professionals such as Flor and "La Genoveva." Flor and "La Genoveva" (pictured on the left) are the professional flamenco dancers for the upcoming tablao show. "La Genoveva" is a local DC flamenco star who was a member of internationally reknown flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes' dance company and Flor has performed in numerous countries. Another distinctive factor of Verano Flamenco is that anyone can sign up. Flor does not recruit dancers to perform. Dancers simply contact Flor and then they go on the list. No pretensions. Newcomers Pam De Ocampo and Jen Graham will dance this weekend, albeit they are "invited" pre-professional dancers since the show is new and there wasn't a signup list this time. The dancers are supported by seasoned flamenco musicians. Flor states "The beginner dancers need professional backup because they are learning so they need the musical support." The musicians accompanying the dancers include phenomenal flamenco guitarist Richard Marlow, Jose Oretea on vocals and more. The July 18 show will showcase, Flor, "La Genoveva," Maria Scala and Maria Roncal.
Verano Flamenco is currently running for two dates June 6 and July18, 2009. Flor states "I hope people come because it is a great opportunity for these new dancers to learn how to think on their feet and to perform. Some dancers are good in a class but the dynamics of being onstage is very different especially in a tablao setting. It is important for the flamenco dancers' growth." La Genoveva's advice for the newcomers, "Keep it simple. Keep it effective." La Genoveva's advice comes from her years of experience in dancing in well-known flamenco tablaos in Madrid such as Las Carboneras. "I messed up in my first tablao....," Genoveva continues. " You will mess up but you will grow so don't do the crazy steps! Keep it simple and effective." Great advice for the future tablao stars.
At press time, there are still available tickets for the show on Saturday, June 6. The show is expected to run for 1 hour.
Dates: Saturday, June 6, 2009 and July 18, 2009 Time: 6:30pm Ticket Price : $15-$20
Place: DC Dance Collective, 4908 Wisconsin Ave. Washington, DC 20016 (202) 362-7244
For more info: www.florpereztaboada.com; www.dcdancecollective.com
A video of flamenco guitarist Richard Marlow at a flamenco juerga (party). Richard Marlow is one of the professional performers for Verano Flamenco.
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