THE SIXTH ANNUAL JEREZ FESTIVAL
(REFLECTIONS OF TEACHERS AND PUPILS ON THE CLASSES)

An alternative to Esperanto

Silvia Calado Olivo. Jerez, March 2002

"Now I can dance with a little more passion". This is how Chi Yuan Lin, who now just calls himself Paco Lin, summarizes his experiences after his course of classes in the sixth annual Jerez Festival, an event which brought together more than 400 pupils from 25 different countries. Although he came from Taiwan with a basic foundation of knowledge, more than seventy hours of devotion over the past two weeks alongside Manolete, Lola Greco, El Güito and Inmaculada Aguilar have helped him to "have greater control over his body." He has also become infected with that "pasión", that he glimpsed in Antonio Gades when he met up with Carmen on that Asiatic island in Carlos Saura's movie of the same name.

María del Mar Moreno and her pupils
dance in a class (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

Paco Lin's story isn't that different from that of Kirsten from Germany, She directed her education towards Spanish Philology in order to find more about the flamenco that some ten years ago a German friend had played on his guitar. Although she feels that "would need a lifetime to learn about flamenco", she is keen not to lose time. So she has taken advantage of the classes to learn alongside Manolete, whose main strength is his ability "to care for his pupils .. if he realizes that you do not get something, he goes back, and it is important that you have the feeling that you can get there". At the same time she is investigating what exactly it is that allows flamenco to overcome cultural and linguistic hurdles.

Strangely enough teachers and pupils agree that, as Belén Maya points out "the language barrier has not caused any difficulties". You only have to look in at the classes for proof. María del Mar Moreno, who is a linguist, but in French, managed to get through by asking "How do you say 'caballos' in English?". When someone gives her the answer the teacher says quickly: "Like horses, no... dancing, dancing". And the baile does the rest, because "in flamenco you make yourself understood through the force that each person has inside themselves". And through the passion, the fire, the expressions and the traditions... " together all this is what gets you hooked".

For most people the cultural and linguistic mix has been the most rewarding part of the experience. Ingrid, who hails from Malta and already pronounces Jerez with a guttural 'J' and a lisping 'Z', explains that "It is great to see the mixture of people that flamenco attracts from all over the world and it is good to exchange addresses and e mails". Perhaps there is some common language in this "dance of the soul" in which in a sort of catharsis, "all the pent-up emotions are brought to the surface". This, at least, is what Ingrid, who declares herself to have fallen in love with the cante and the toque, believes. So it isn't strange to hear that Carlos, a Madrid lawyer, has for the last two years made time to come " to one of the best places to learn about flamenco because of the exceptional atmosphere". Kaori, a Japanese office worker, has also found the time in order to help her turn her hobby into a career. For the time being she is happy to "practicar y enseñar a chiquititos" (practice and teach the little ones), as she says in her rudimentary Spanish. And to achieve this she is taking with her some of the skills of Matilde Coral whose "elegance, teaching style and personality" have captivated her.

Award ceremony at the Bodega de
San Ginés (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

"Anyone can do it"

Not everyone is completely happy. Of all the pupils, Pilar is perhaps the most skeptical. The Argentine student, fed up of the distorted image that flamenco has outside Spain, describes the courses as "for export" , although she recognizes that "thanks to the Internet and Bill Gates the possibility of gaining greater access to flamenco has now been opened ". In Jerez she says she has experienced "things as strange as seeing twenty Taiwanese women dancing flamenco" which made her "feel that anyone can do it".

The view of the teaching staff has been one of general approval. José Granero, el maestro, says that amongst his pupils, "there have been a core that have worked well and enjoyed themselves. But it also true that others "have fallen by the wayside, because they are getting involved in something that requires a good deal of preparation". And that means, "not just technique, but also personal development in the dance". For her part María del Mar Moreno could hardly believe the hard work and enthusiasm of her group: "In just three days they had performed some bulerías". As to the problems there was also agreement from Antonio el Pipa and Belén Maya to Granero and Matilde. All noted the wide range of levels of their pupils. In fact they are already planning how to resolve this problems for the next time.

It is clear that both teachers and pupils are already looking forward to repeating the experience. Such a sentiment can be appreciated as the local wine flows during the award ceremony at the Bodega de San Ginés. Pupils photographing themselves with their teachers, exchanging addresses and even some premature signs of a yearning to return next time. Angelita Vargas's wish already appears to have come true: "I hope that they take with them a little of that special sensitivity that flamenco possesses." With a little step from a bulería she shows what she means.