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Dear Flamenco Dancers,
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a happy and healthy holiday. It is hard to see this holiday end but January is alas, upon us. I hope to see you all this week as classes start on Wednesday January 6th.
COMPLETE SCHEDULE
Bring in 2010 with a new fitness regime learning Flamenco Dance. Flamenco has proven to be a grounding force physically and mentally, and effectively rids us of negative emotions through stomping. Our students find it therapeutic to engage in physically, mentally and psychologically challenging dance movement! Newcomers should check out our Introduction classes on Thursday at 6pm and Sunday at 10:30am!
For continuing students, welcome back! If you have been with us for some time, our class schedule remains largely unchanged. Please see our COMPLETE SCHEDULE.
POR FIESTA CHANGES
POR FIESTA – If you are already taking a technique class or two, then I would strongly recommend learning getting some por fiesta into your curriculum. Oscar Nieto and Kasandra are famed for teaching students how to dance bulerias and tangos, personally, effectively and efficiently. I would dare say we are better at this than going to classes in Spain. We boast many flamenco students who have learned the art of flamenco improvisation through these courses. I must warn you they are not for the meek, as they are personally challenging to the ego. At least once a term, I get a call or wailing email from a student who does not know how to cope with the course. But let mama tell you, it often takes 12 months to “get into” it, and 3 years to really feel comfortable dancing in a circle alone. But the rewards are great and unfathomable. All those who have weathered the initial storm have really found these courses to be rewarding, personally, psychologically, mentally and have gone on to understanding flamenco at a deeper level. Flamenco is a cuadro experience, that means live singer, guitarist, palmas and dancer. Dancer is only 1 out of 4 components that comprise flamenco.
- Monday 6:00-7:30pm timeslot now belongs to Tangos por Fiesta! It has been many many years since I have offered Tangos por Fiesta at the intermediate level, so it might be a really fun time to join this class if you have done 4/4 time signature before, danced Tangos or have been in our Beginner Tango por Fiesta class on Saturday before. We have live musicians accompanying the class so you can practice your solo chops.
- Saturday 12:00-1:30pm timeslot now belongs to Bulerias por Fiesta. Again, it has been a while since I have offered a Bulerias por Fiesta course at the beginner level. I have had a few newbies try to “drop in” to the previous Monday bulerias class with little success. So if you are interested in learning Bulerias from scratch (eg: Bulerias 100 for newbies), then I suggest getting into this course ASAP. By spring, these people will have an entire structure choreography and start to jam their own buli.
TECHNIQUE CLASSES
All other technique classes resume in their regular timeslot. All levels begin a technical regime starting this week. All classes at Al Mozaico Flamenco Dance Academy, 828 E. Hastings St are as follows:
Introduction
Thursday 6:00-7:30pm Kasandra
Sunday 10:30am-12:00pm Andrea
Beginner
Thursday 7:30-9:00pm Kasandra
Sunday 12:00-1:30pm Andrea
Intermediate
Wednesday 6:00-7:30pm Kasandra
Saturday 1:30-3:00pm Kasandra
Advanced/Estilo de Mujer
Monday 7:30-9:00pm Kasandra
Bata de Cola
Wednesday 7:30-9:00pm Kasandra
Tangos por Fiesta
Monday 6:00-7:30pm Kasandra
Bulerias por Fiesta
Saturday 12:00-1:30pm Kasandra
OSCAR NIETO
Please note Oscar Nieto is teaching all classes from his home, therefore class sizes are limited to about 5-6 people. FRIDAYS are the only days he teaches from the Vancouver Tap Society. Email Oscar.
www.oscarnieto.com.
SUBS
Students are asking my plans regarding Andrea’s trip to Spain and Kasandra’s impending childbirth…so here is the scoop.
- Our dear Andrea has won a 3 month study grant to go to Andalucia to study flamenco. She is leaving end February and returning beginning May. During this time, Sunday classes will resume and we will have a wonderful program for her Introduction and Beginner Technique Classes. They will be subbed by Michelle Harding who has been Oscar Nieto’s teaching assistant for a year and also Kasandra La China, maestra.
- Kasandra is technically due May 5th but I suppose any time mid-April is fair game. Read my latest blog. Having done this before, I can say that I will probably teach you all until end of March. I will be able to announce substitutes within the next 2 weeks. Thursday and Sunday Introduction and Beginner Classes are unaffected. Estilo de Mujer will definitely be cancelled but the timeslot may resume as a practice session for the class choreography, TBA. It is my intent to teach you as long as possible and return as quickly as possible. I have decided I really need to work and continue to maintain sanity.
Happy New Year,
Kasandra La China
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