Postcard from Sharon from Seville — Flamenco Australia Magazine

Flamenco Australia Magazine welcomes articles from Australians visiting Spain for flamenco - whether it’s for performance, study or simply to enjoy a show!

This article is from Queenslander Sharon Tickle, who’s been in Seville for two weeks. Thanks, Sharon!

If you are visiting Spain and would like to contribute to Flamenco Australia Magazine, please get in touch.

What did you come here for?

I’ve returned to Seville, as I do almost annually, to guzzle greedily at its cool, deep well of flamenco.

In 2011 I committed to three months of flamenco dance study here. Within a couple of weeks the city had got its claws deep into me. The flamenco opportunities in Seville are the most diverse and profound one could wish for.

This time I only have two weeks, but in those two weeks I’ve studied with three different maestros and watched six high quality performances plus informal flamenco in bars with Sevillanos such as Joaquina Amaya.

My specific goal this time was to deepen my understanding of the palos I studied. I’m not a performer or teacher, I’m not interested in hoovering up choreography. I focus on listening to the guitarist and singer (in this case the teachers) and internalising the rhythms. If I can find the steps inside me and use them appropriately I feel an intense thrill.

During flamenco shows I focus on identifying the palos, listen deeply and try to determine what special gift, if any, the performer brings to the stage.

And…. have you found it?

Yes, bucketloads! My week with David Pérez and Andrés Peña at Academia Manuel Betanzos was all about bulerías. Andres and David are both gorgeous, natural singers and dancers. With David I was able to push myself to learn some nifty new remates. With Andrés, whilst I was on more familiar ground, I was, for the first time able to tackle solo opportunities without panic and acquitted myself well.

I spent the second week with Angel Atienza studying technique and soleá por bulerías. Angel is a human metronome and a hard taskmaster. I was forced to be more precise in my soniquete which is a very good thing. Nothing gets by Angel.

What's the best discovery you've made this trip?

That even at 63 years of age, with Rheumatoid Arthritis (well managed), I can continue to improve in both my understanding and execution of flamenco. That’s all the encouragement I need to keep learning.

Along with that I’ve become more discerning and unforgiving of flamenco artists. Whether they are a dancer, singer or guitarist, if they make no attempt to connect with the audience then I don’t rate them, regardless of their reputation. Flamenco exists to communicate, to convey emotion. If the performer stays entirely in their own head they can’t connect. Case in point, the highlight of El Capullo’s 50th anniversary show (almost four hours long) that moved me the most was watching El Capullo, Rancapino Chico and Arcángel sitting around a table using their knuckles for percussion as they took turns singing bulerías unaccompanied for 5,000 audience members. Spine tingling stuff!