The Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Wells has become an annual fixture for us in London UK. The 2010 programme promises a good blend of new and old, but again the advertising showcases almost exclusively the danced element.  It would be nice to have a little more information about the singers and guitarists who are in the various groups.

My recommendations this year are for Eva Yerbabuena (17th-19th February) and Rocío Molina – a truly exceptional dancer who is featured in the Gala at the end of the festival.

Shows in this season

• Saturday 13 February 2010 – Monday 15 February 2010
  Nuevo Ballet Español
• Wednesday 17 February 2010 – Friday 19 February 2010
  Eva Yerbabuena
• Saturday 20 February 2010 – Sunday 21 February 2010
  Rafaela Carrasco
• Monday 22 February 2010 – Thursday 25 February 2010
  Maria Pagés
• Friday 26 February 2010 – Saturday 27 February 2010
  Gala Flamenca

SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE, ROSEBERY AVENUE, LONDON EC1R 4TN
Tickets   £10 – £38   Ticket office: 0844 412 4300

Betty Cid is NOT part of  Flamenco Pasión.

Over the past month or so there have suddenly been a large number of articles posted on the web which make a a variety of claims about a dancer called Betty Cid, and that appear to be using content taken directly from my own website.

I must stress that Betty Cid is NOT part of Flamenco Pasión or Sonido Flamenco, and has never been a member of any of my flamenco groups.

Interestingly, according to these various “articles” and “announcements”, Betty Cid has performed at the Commonwealth Institute, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Royal Festival Hall – the exact same venues detailed on my own biography page.

I cannot comment on all the other various claims made in these articles (and on her own websites), but I have been reliably informed (by one of her fellow students in fact)  that part of the video footage currently on her site is actually of a class run by La Escuela de Baile last year…where she was taking part as a student.  Betty Cid is certainly not a regular performer at the Phoenix Club as far as I am aware, and I am also having difficulty tracing the other groups and shows mentioned in her biography.

Sandra

Sandra La Espuelita

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I have just got back from time in Seville and Cadiz (a couple of performances and a bit of sun on the beach – wonderful combination) and while in Cadiz I went to a fabulous performance by the flamenco singer David Palomar at the Teatro Falla of his show ‘Trimilenaria’.

What a show it was too!  The only tickets left were up in the gods and the atmosphere was electric long before the show even started – David is a local lad and the place was packed out.  He is a fantastic singer and hugely moving in soleá and malagueña – with an excellent mix of traditional and more modern styles.  The (obviously very knowledgeable) audience were on fire, particularly when he came to sing por alegrias, and the man sitting next to me had to physically sit on his hands to stop himself from doing palmas all the way through.

David Palomar has just bought out a CD of  ‘Trimilenaria’  Produced by DP-Dezza Producciones and I really think it is worth checking out.  He has various clips on YouTube too.

Juan Vergillos has reviewed David’s new CD on the www.deflamenco.com website, and part of what he has said is as follows  – “The most interesting part is the classic styles, or when he shows his ease with bulerías, especially in the ending fiesta without guitar which closes out the work.  Also in cantiñas, classic and one hundred percent refinded.  Of the deeper styles, two stand out: the malagueña, fine, stylized and subte, and soleá, with references to Chozas de Jerez and Fernanda de Utrera.  In my opinion, the latter is the most moving cut of the record, with the sublime guitar of Rafael Rodríguez, who also plays for the malagueña, with both artists believing in every bit of it.  The work finishes with seguiriyas, with the Jerez guitar of Moraíto Chico, cantes a capella (pregones and fandangos) of Macandé, the crazed candy vender of Cádiz.  And fandangos of his own: Palomar created a melody with a classic feel, surprising melodic turns and a certain technical difficulty.”

Couldn’t agree more!

Sandra

It’s that time of year again when some of the top flamenco performers head for the Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Wells for what is now a real annual treat. With the exception of singer Estrella Morente, the advertising for the event focusses strongly on the dance element (not that I am complaining as this is a wonderful chance to see the exciting Rocio Molina and Eva Yerbabuena amongst others) and it would be good to have a little more information about the singers and guitarists who are in the various groups. They are bound to be excellent, but I guess you need to go to the shows to find out who’s on stage!

Do try and catch Estrella Morente (14th March) – a fabulous singer.

Shows in this season

• Saturday 14 March 2009
  Estrella Morente
• Sunday 15 March 2009 – Monday 16 March 2009
  Gala Flamenca Mujeres
• Tuesday 17 March 2009
  Rocío Molina
• Thursday 19 March 2009 – Sunday 22 March 2009
  Antonio Gades’ Carmen
• Monday 23 March 2009 – Wednesday 25 March 2009
  Ballet Flamenco Eva Yerbabuena
• Friday 27 March 2009 – Sunday 29 March 2009
  Ballet Nacional de España

SADLER’S WELLS THEATRE, ROSEBERY AVENUE, LONDON EC1R 4TN
Tickets   £10 – £38    Ticket office: 0844 412 4300

I am going to excuse myself a bit of self-promotion here! Some of you may know that I do make traditional flamenco skirts in small quantities. These are of high quality, extremely durable, and aimed at the professional dancer and dedicated amateur, with a range of lightweight models which are ideal for practicing. There are both adults and children’s flamenco skirts available, in a good range of colours and styles.

Each skirt is hand-made to measure, and takes around a week to make. For anyone who may be interested, please visit my flamenco skirt shop for details on models and prices.

I performed some flamenco at a Christmas Party last week (December 2007) held at  MAR I TERRA , a small but perfectly formed restaurant just behind Regent Street in London’s Soho district. I get to dance at a good few Spanish Restaurants in and around the UK, and have to say that this one had the best tapas I have tasted this side of Seville. Each dish was cooked to order on the premises and was fresh and tasty – the tortilla and gambas (prawns) were particularly good, and even my husband (an inveterate vegetable-phobe) loved the espinacas (spinach).

The restaurant is small and on ground level, although the servicios were down a steep flight of stairs. The Valencian manager and other people working there were great – fun and friendly and keen to get us to taste new dishes when we showed an interest in what they were preparing. The wine (a temparanillo) was excellent too.

If you get a chance, you must give this one a try. The food, ambience and company is 100 x better than some of the chains of "Spanish" restaurants that have sprung up over the past few years – Mar I Terra deserves to be packed out every night!

The original Mar I Terra is in Blackfriars. I have not tried this one yet, but intend to do so very soon and would imagine the quality would be just as good.

Enjoy!!

Last weekend I had a great time working with a group of flamenco guitarists taking a series of workshops from Francisco Antonio organised by  the Peña de Londres. They had been studying Solea for a few weeks and were ready to apply their skills and accompany a dancer for the first time. Tony and I took them through the basics of the discussions that dancer and guitarist would normally have at the outset – how many letras (verses); how the entrada (entrance; opening) would lead into the llamada (call) for the singer; where the escobilla (specific footwork section) would be positioned; how to transition into the bulerias and so on. We then went on and all performed solea together – with a very satisfying result!

It made me remember what a minefield it can feel like when you first pluck up courage to take what you have been learning and try to fit in it with other dancers, guitarists and singers without descending into complete chaos. Unless you work together for a while and rehearse regularly to a very specific routine, you will always need to be able to ask the right questions and pick up the right signals (those of you who know me will know how much I hate over-rehearsed “formation flamenco” that follows the same path every time – but more of that on a separate post……)  and perhaps the following tips will help all you rookie guitarists: more…

Here are seven tracks you can practice Flamenco Tangos to on guitar without spending tons of cash on practice CD’s.

read more | digg story

I get a lot of enquiries from people looking for good flamenco classes across the UK and always pass on details when I can.  There seem to be pockets of interest all over the place, which is great – my dream is to learn of an equivalent Morris Dancing Class somewhere in Spain…..

Let me know if you go to or have heard of a good Flamenco class near you – who the teacher is and what its like.

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