Saturday, May 29, 2010

THE SEDUCTION OF FLAMENCO

If you are a student of Flamenco, you will remember that sometime soon after your first class, you discovered that Flamenco was no longer optional.  Flamenco is seductive that way.  And if you are a student now, you will be a student forever - no one person can know everything.  That is part of the seduction as well, trying to quench the thirst of knowing more.  There will always be more.

There is also the thirst for the energy, encouragement and affirmation we feel from the Flamencos around us.  A beginner can feel empowerment from the energy of others in the very first class.  Empowerment is very seductive.

We dance to feel better.  We dance to purge the demons of ill will and hate in the world.  We dance to cure the ache in our heart.  We dance when we are happy.  We dance because we cannot do otherwise.   ¡Vamos ya!*

Because Flamenco is different from any other art form, the existence of an audience is less important than in other forms.  We perform for ourselves.  If someone else is watching, fine.  Audience applause is the non-flamenco way of doing jaléo.** 

¡Vamos ya!**

and now for a bit of blatant self-promotion..........................
We do like applause - a pat on the back - a thumbs up.  I like TangoPony's latest performance on the Etsy stage.   Three generous, lovely people have featured items from the shop in Etsy Treasuries, "curated galleries handpicked by the Etsy community."  Particularly since TangoPony is a relative newcomer to Etsy, it is an honor to have my things chosen by others.

thebluecottage selected a flamenco pendant and a vintage Andalucían scarf in her f-l-a-m-e-n-c-o Treasury


saphira selected a little tin in her small-indulgences Treasury




skywatcher1121 put the vintage soft kid Venetian cutwork opera gloves in her love-giacomo Treasury
  




I'm ready for Puccini. 
¡Vamos ya!

* Vamos ya, bah mo ya, properly translated means 'we are going now.'  In Flamenco land, we mean 'let's go already!'
** Jaléo, ha lay oh, properly translated means 'commotion.'  In Flamenco, it is the spoken word of encouragement, support and emotion directed to the performer. 

XXX,
TangoPony

Sunday, May 2, 2010

MOZART AND THE BAD BOYS

I was fortunate to attend the Kansas City Lyric Opera’s wonderful production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni last night thanks to my friends Tamara and Kirk. The work was first performed in Prague, Czechoslovakia in the 18th Century and was based on the legendary Don Juan of 17th Century Seville, Spain. The opera reports that Don G had so many lovers, the names were listed in books. The volume for Spain had 1003 names.


We just can’t seem to get enough of those bad boys…Don Juan of 17th Century Spain and Tiger Woods of the 21st Century golf course. If you think we will be celebrating Tiger’s escapades in the grand opera of the 24th Century, please let me know.

What we most enjoyed in the rather long musical telling of the tale (during the 2nd act I was able to have AAA come open my car so I could get the keys locked inside and hardly missed a thing,) was seeing the final downfall of Don G. There is nothing like a good damnation and descent into Hell to make one feel all is right with the world.

Something that always makes me feel right with world is knowledge. I want to know exactly what is going on… like knowing the synopsis and time frame of the opera before I go, reading the play before I attend Shakespeare or knowing that the restaurant serves fresh food rather than food cooked in a factory, shipped frozen and reheated. It might be thirst for knowledge. It may just be nosiness. Nosiness is Power. I think Francis Bacon first said this.

NOTE FOR NOSY PARKERS: There is a source for information in addition to Google. It is called a book. I like this one for all things related to music: The New College Encyclopedia of Music by J.A. Westrup and F. Ll. Harrison. (ISBN 0-393-00074-5)

This is a well-thumbed vintage book – copyrights 1959, 1960, 1976… three of my favorite decades. Along with Mozart’s 18th Century, of course.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog!
xx

Saturday, May 1, 2010

The latest treasures from www.tangopony.etsy.com

Drum roll, please!


A Set of Vintage
Coffee Pot and Cup
Salt and Pepper Shakers
  


        
A Pair of Vintage
                       Ponderosa Ranch
Souvenir Tin Cups




A Vintage Moss Rose
Porcelain Double
Egg Cup








A Vintage Silver
Personal Ash Tray



A Vintage Everlast
Hammered Aluminum
"Silent Butler"