Flamenco Residency at Escuela Amigos School Day Two

Day Two and the students were very excited to see me-chattering about my beautiful shoes and saying hello to me as they finished their activity.

I started again by putting on my shoes and skirt and realizing that ritual is very good with young children. They like to see the transformation. They had immediately sat in their assigned spots and were waiting eagerly for me to being. I turned on my flamenco music-one of my favorite CD's Cai by Son de la Frontera, and used it as background music. I had brought an excellent catalogue and shared pictures of flamenco costumes, bata de cola, men's and women's flamenco shoes, earrings, fans, shawls and even young children dressed in Sevillana finery. I also brought a beautiful photography book by Carols Saura Flamenco and shared pictures of dancers, singers ad musicians.

After, we got up and went to tables to make fans. First the kids drew pictures on the front and backs of their paper and then carefully folded them into fans. We then went to the dance area and danced to flamenco rumbas with the fans and then without.

We danced and said our flamenco poem and then as a special treat, my student, Giselle, who has danced flamenco with me for 3 years, came and joined the class and we performed our Garrotin for the class! They gave us palmas and cheered ¡Olé! and ended with shouts of ¡Encore!

We ended the class with more rumbas dancing and then a simple sit and stretch! Next class, parent will come and we will present for them!

¡Olé! ¡ Namaste!