CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES FOR EVE COSTARELLI SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES FOR EVE COSTARELLI SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013


CLASSES:
Veteran’s Yoga (Mondays 6:15-7:15) Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

• This yoga class is free for all veterans, family members and providers. This class focuses on the specific needs of veterans. Experience the benefits of yoga to relieve stress, recover from trauma, focus the mind and heal the body. All veterans welcome regardless of age or physical ability. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Mats and props are provided. Please wear comfortable clothing and avoid eating at least one hour before class. (Classes are co-taught with Michael Thomas and Lynn Stoller)

Yoga for Tweens and Teens (Mondays 4:30-5:30; starts Monday September 30) Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

• Yoga is the perfect complement to all activities as it promotes flexibility, strength, friendliness and calmness. Students will learn yoga postures to work the body, breathing techniques to increase the flow of oxygen to the body’s tissues and meditation to calm the mind.

Youth Flamenco (ages 4-16) (Wednesdays 4:00-5:00 (ages 4-9) & 5:00-6:00 (ages 10-16)

The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

• Youth I (Level 1/2), ages 4-10

This class includes basic technique and technique to improve flamenco dance to include correct posture, hand, arm, and foot placement. The student will become familiar with basic flamenco vocabulary. The course will include exercises that will develop and improve the clarity of the students’ footwork, develop their upper-body to lower-body coordination as well as stamina and endurance are included. Basic castanet playing exercises are practiced. Basic to medium level footwork and choreographic variations are taught. Repertoire will be taught. Required attire: leotard or fitted top, castanets, flamenco shoes and skirt for girls. Castanets and flamenco boots for boys.

• Youth II (Level 2/3+), ages 10-16

This class offers Flamenco technique to improve posture, hand, arm, and foot placement. Exercises that will improve clarity of the students’ footwork, upper-body to lower-body coordination as well as stamina and endurance are included. Medium to complex footwork and choreographic variations are taught. Repertoire will be taught.

Required Attire: Flamenco shoes, flamenco skirt, leotard or fitted top, castanets. Castanets and flamenco boots for boys. Other dance accessories may be required such as Spanish hat, mantón and fan, when necessary.

WORKSHOPS:

Intro to Youth and adult Flamenco Workshops; Saturday October 19^th 2013 Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham

• Introduction to Youth Flamenco 1:00-2:00PM
• Adult Introductory Flamenco 2:30-3:45PM
  
• These introductory workshops will introduce beginners of all ages to the joys of flamenco dancing: the rhythms (compás), correct posture (postura) , arm and hand movements (braceo y floreo), footwork (taconeo) and the flamenco heart (duende). No previous dance experience is necessary.
  

All participants should wear hard bottomed shoes; women and girls should also wear skirts.

Pre-Registration is encouraged. For more information, please contact Eve Costarelli 617-216-1643 or AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com

PERFORMANCES:

ZARZUELA! SPANISH OPERA FROM THE BOSTON ARTS CONSORT TO YOU Saturday September 28^th 2013

• The Boston Arts Consort and the Democracy Center are proud to be part of Boston’s inaugural ArtWeek.

Zarzuela! Spain’s unique brand of opera filled with music, dance, comedy and passion is coming to the Democracy Center in Cambridge on Saturday, September 28th. Be part of the production by singing the fiery choruses and clapping to the rhythmic palmas of flamenco, while lovers woo and men duel over their señoritas, and get to know a little-known gem in Harvard Square —the Democracy Center, a non-profit haven that has been incubating grassroots organizations and providing space for events, classes, the arts, and community collaboration for over a decade with the goal of advancing peace and justice.
Drawing from the many talented musicians, artists and scholars from the Boston area and abroad since 2008, the Boston Arts Consort presents programs that combine the aesthetic, cultural, and historical elements of its themes for a well-rounded and enjoyable audience experience. The Boston Arts Consort performers include Elizabeth Leehey, clarinet; Eva Lorca, flamenco artist; Donal O’Sullivan, actor; Linda Papatopoli, pianist and director; Roberto Rios, flamenco guitar; Clara Sandler, mezzo-soprano; and Gary Tucker, baritone; with lecture by Margarita Campos, Professor of Communications at Barcelona University.
Refreshments will be provided.

Tour of the Democracy Center at 7 pm, Lecture and performance at 8 pm
Tour is free, “Zarzuela” is free for students, $10 general public
45 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Call The Boston Arts Consort (617-666-7973) or the Democracy Center (617-492-8855) for more information.

ZARZUELA! SPANISH OPERA FROM THE BOSTON ARTS CONSORT TO YOU: ARTWEEK BOSTON

ZARZUELA! SPANISH OPERA FROM THE BOSTON ARTS CONSORT TO YOU


Zarzuela! Spain’s unique brand of opera filled with music, dance, comedy and passion is coming to the Democracy Center in Cambridge on Saturday, September 28th. Be part of the production by singing the fiery choruses and clapping to the rhythmic palmas of flamenco, while lovers woo and men duel over their señoritas, and get to know a little-know gem in Harvard Square —the Democracy Center, a non-profit haven that has been proving space for events, classes, the arts, and community collaboration since 2001 with the goal of advancing peace and justice.


The Boston Arts Consort performers include Elizabeth Leehey, clarinet; Eva Lorca, flamenco artist; Donal O’Sullivan, actor; Linda Papatopoli, pianist and director; Roberto Rios, flamenco guitar; Clara Sandler, mezzo-soprano; and Gary Tucker, baritone.



Doors open at 7:00 PM for guided tours of the Democracy Center. At 8:00 the music event begins with lecture by Margarita Campos, Professor of Communications, Barcelona University.


Tours of the Democracy Center are free of charge. Tickets for “Zarzuela” are free to students with ID and $10 general public, and can be purchased at the door.


The Democracy Center is located at 45 Mount Auburn Street, a short walk from the Harvard T Station.

Please call The Boston Arts Consort at 617-666-7973 for more information. 

Flamenco & Yoga: Summer 2013: Northeast Youth Ballet, Reading, MA.

Flamenco & Yoga: Summer 2013: Northeast Youth Ballet, Reading, MA.

This summer, for my 12 consecutive year, I joined the staff at Northeast Youth Ballet for six weeks of flamenco and yoga classes. To say that teaching at this school is an absolute pleasure would be an understatement. This is an amazing dance school. The dedication of the owners and the teachers to the students is unparalleled. You can tell this from the moment you walk in the door. The total vibe of the place is one of harmony, cooperation, focus and positivity. I am so fortunate to be part of it all!


The last four weeks have been dedicated to the intermediate and advanced students. Having them both for flamenco and yoga has really upped my game. I can work theories of physical and energetic movement throughout flamenco class, using the pulsations of the specific rhythm they are working on and then bring those same energetic movements back in during yoga class. I am so satisfied being able to combine these two art forms. This is where my heart lies.


At the beginning of each class, I would lead a flamenco centering exercise to get them in the mindset for flamenco. I needed them to connect to the songs they would be dancing too and to soak their minds and bodies with the rhythms. Most of the time, we started lying on the floor. After an initial breathing exercise, we would listen to the song to ingest it. I would talk about the essence of the song, how it's particular rhythm would motivate the movement and allow your soul to show through while you danced it. I would talk about grounding, being able to hold the song in the heart, almost being able to grasp it with their hands.


The intermediate students and I worked on the fourth Sevillanas. Now it is true, that you would normally learn them in order -1, 2, 3, 4- but I chose just to work number four with this group. It is full of -step, ball change- which I knew would be a motor skill they already possessed and by working on only one Sevillanas, we would have time to do it in partners and in a circle formation. For the demonstration, they are dancing it four times. Firstly they will do it facing the audience; second, they find their partners; third, still in same partnerships; and the fourth time, they move into two circles, one inside the other, and then those two circles partner each other. It reminds me of Bugsby Berkeley’s choreography from the 1920's (stylistically, my favorite era).



The advanced students took on a Tangos de Triana ( I was so motivated by my workshop with La Lupi to explore the rhythm and movement of this song style. It is really snarky (from the Urban Dictionary “A witty mannerism, personality, or behavior that is a combination of sarcasm and cynicism. Usually accepted as a complimentary term”) and full of bravada and fun. The attitude just jumps right out of my heart. I tell them it feels like hip hop danced on the street-an expression of the creators, the gypsies in Andalucia, fighting persecution, like the blues. We worked tirelessly on giving the dance the right attitude and grounded-ness. 







I cannot wait for tomorrow's performance to see these students dance. To see them perform my flamenco but also to see them dance ballet, character, modern and musical theater. I adore seeing them in all these different elements and how each of their souls comes out. It just is so revitalizing!


Teaching yoga after a full day of flamenco is idyllic. My dream job. I love to use energetic movement, from inside the body, the subtle body’s movement, to heighten the yoga experience. This is a perfect age group for this as it allows them to drop down and totally relax, take notice of their breath and how their bodies are feeling, and then begin movement from a place of presence. I find a good combination of activities in a youth yoga class, keeps the kids present and fully engaged. Some of the things I like to include are meditation, breath-work, poses, games and open discussions about principles such as Ahimsa (a principle of yoga that means to do not harm), karma , practicing yoga off the mat.

Karma class. Karma is defined as an action or a deed; a result of an action; destiny or fate, following as effect from cause. Synonyms are fortune, fate, destiny. Karma yoga is the yoga of selfless service (altruism= one acts without being attached to the fruits of one's deeds).


Kinder people live longer lives; people who volunteer experience fewer aches and pains. We feel good when we give because we experience the “giver's lift”, a distinct physical sensation from helping. Kindness makes us happy. It reduces depression, lowers anxiety and builds our self esteem.


How to you practice Karma? One way is with Random Acts of Kindness (RAK). It is stated that one RAK a day keeps self-centeredness away! As Aesop said “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”


I read to the class-I love reading stories out loud to kids of all ages-The Three Questions (Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy) written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth. It is a wonderful story about Nikolai who wants to “be a good person” and so proposes three questions to his friends: When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? They never answer him directly, but by the end of the story, Nikolai has answered the questions for himself. I had them contemplate kindness and the ways they are already kind and the ways they might like to add more kindness into their lives. I gave each of them two pieces of paper and a crayon and they wrote two examples of how they are and how they want to be kind. The recurring themes were of helping out family members, giving attention to those around them, and being positive, friendly, loving people. We left our slips of paper in a vase soother people could read our notes and feel connected.


We then stood and did some fun flows to different songs on my play list: Jamaica Resting by The Pool; Give Me The Sunshine by Leo's Sunshipp; The Sun Can't Compare by Larry Heard presenting Mr. White.


Taking a cue from one of my mentors, Shakta Khalsa, I taught them the “Detective” game (from the Radiant Child Yoga's teacher's manual). Dividing the the girls into smaller groups, I had them sit in circles. One person, the “detective”, would leave the room. The group them decides who will be the secret leader. The leader makes different motions such as leg taps, hand claps, eye blinks, small quiet movements or loud fast movements and everyone else follows as immediately as possible, trying to accomplish this seamlessly as to not give away the “it” person. The detective then returns to the scene and tries to determine who is it. This game develops powers of observation and the ability to be subtle, focused and alert. The game was a huge success and the smaller groups allowed for each girl to take a turn.


I wandered around the room listening into their giggles and relaxed chatter.  We gathered into one large circle, held hands, breathed in and then lay back (usually we play the hand squeeze game here, but today I just had them relax).

These students have been the most willing participants in everything I have given them this summer. They have expanded their repertoires, their presence, and their characters. They have expanded mine. 

Ole Namaste!

Eve Costarelli

Outside the Box Festival Boston: Eve Costarelli to perform!

Summer 2013

Always Be Dancing!

Anthony Tiriti Tran and I are thrilled to be a part of Outside the Box, a free, outdoor arts festival in Boston, July 13 - 21, 2013!

You will find YAMA artists/ensembles: 

Alastair Moock, Behind the Mask, Eve Costarelli, Mystic Paper Beasts, Odaiko New England and Roots Music Collective on the "Lily Pad" and "Squirrel's Den" stages on Boston Common.

Come see Eve Costarelli and Anthony Tiriti Tran presenting “The Birth of Flamenco” on the Lily Pad stage (next to the Frog Pond) on Thursday July 18^th and Saturday July 20^th, both shows start at 12noon.

A revolutionary event is happening this July in the heart of Boston, one that promises to unite neighborhoods, citizens, and artistic communities throughout the city: Outside The Box.

From July 13th – 20th, the first annual performing arts festival will turn public spaces like the Boston Common and City Hall Plaza into performance spaces, with over 200 events showcasing the best of Boston and Massachusetts.

And one of the things that makes Outside The Box so revolutionary? Every event is completely FREE!

In true festival tradition, Outside The Box not only aims to unify the community, but to make art accessible to everyone. From theater to dance, the symphony to independent bands, classic to cutting-edge – whatever your preference, Outside The Box will intrigue you, draw you in, and introduce you to new talent. All you have to do is show up, and let our diverse programming do the rest.

Now more than ever is the time to support the city and show the world our talents, so join us this summer at Outside The Box, Boston’s MASSive performing arts festival.

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