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July
2004 + FANNY ARA-HERMS Photo by Patrick Herms FANNY
ARA-HERMS After graduating from the Bayonne School of Art, she relocated to Sevilla. Over the next two years there, she pursued intensive flamenco studies with Juana Amaya, El Torombo, Manolo Soler, Hiniesta Cortes and others both privately and at the Christina Herreen foundation While in Spain, she was also accepted into the prestigious academy of Mario Maya, which she briefly attended before making her way to San Francisco. Fanny has become an established and important performer in the Bay Area. As a company member of the Oakland-based Caminos Flamencos, she has shared the theater stage with artists such as Antonio de la Malena, Manuel de la Malena, Juan Ogalla, and Domingo Ortega. She regularly performs with Yaelisa and Caminos Flamencos at San Francisco’s ODC Theater and Cafe de la Paz in Berkeley. Her schedule also includes frequent tablao appearances with the established bay area company, Arte y Compas. Fanny is currently working as choreographer/dancer for the developing project Flametal, which fuses flamenco music and heavy metal.
An Interview with Fanny Ara-Herms and Jason Engelund JASON "EL PINTOR" ENGELUND: You first trained in classical ballet, non? What brought you into flamenco? FANNY ARA-HERMS: My first experience in dance was modern, and then at 8, I began Spanish classical dance and I ended up doing that for ten years. I tried ballet but, for me it wasn't so powerful. I always loved spanish classical dance because of the music.......Manuel de Falla,Turina, Albeniz and others geniuses. And it is so theatrical! So enjoyable! So much grace and power at the same time. And when I graduated from the school of art, I decided to go to Spain in order to train with the best people. I wanted first to go to Madrid to study more spanish classical dance, but at the end I chose Sevilla, to explore something that i didn't really know....flamenco. I wanted to try something new, and one of the reasons I tried flamenco was because you don't need the whole orchestra behind you. It's a more intimate way to share your art. So I lived there for almost two years, the best experience in my life so far, and I ended up studing flamenco " full time". Then I moved and danced in San Francisco, but I still have in my heart the love for spanish classical music/dance. And dancing, I like to mix them both. Can't help it! JASON: Tell us about your entrance into our San Francisco Bay Area Flamenco scene? FANNY: Well, first of all, I came to San Francisco because my husband, Patrick, was living here. We met in Sevilla and I left Spain to be with him. But before I made the jump to come to the US, Patrick checked out the flamenco scene and told me it looked very promising in the Bay Area. After I got here we went to several shows, I met Yaelisa, then it all started happening surprisingly quick. I took classes with her, and she brought me into Caminos Flamenco (her dance company) where I had the opportunity a few months later to perform at the Yerba Buena dance theater. She’s been very generous in helping me along here. And as far as the level of flamenco here... AMAZING! It really shocked me coming from Spain how good it could be here in the Bay Area, and it feels good to be part of it. JASON: Est que tu faites flamenco en France? Dites-nous au sujet de la scène de flamenco en France... en anglais si tu plait. Ou en français, lo que sea. FANNY: From my experience in France, I didn't really do flamenco. I did a sort of flamenco. My teacher is impassioned about spanish classical and when she taught me flamenco, at the end it looked a little too graceful. Flamenco in France is huge, we have several festivals all around the country. But people are still pretty ignorant about it. But I have to say, in France, artists are very respected. People always pay attention to us. JASON:
Pick one: Le vin, fino porto de Jerez or Bud Light? FANNY:
how can you ask that to a french/basque girl???? J:
Sorry... ; ) Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones? F:
i can't resist at mick jagger 's voice. J:
Alegrias or Siguriyas? F:
siguiriyas. no hesitation. J:
Serge Gainsborg or Leonard Cohen? F:
gainsbourg....such a poet....such a hilarious guy. love him! JASON: Bud light and Zeppelin, wine at my "beggars' banquet", some fino porto y alegrias. We know it's all good. Ya gainsbourg is pretty funny, Ever hear Luna's remake of Bonnie and Clyde? It's fantastic. Anyway.... thanks for playing. JASON: You picked out this month's letra. Why that one? FANNY: Pareja Obregon in an amazing pianist and writer, and I always loved Sevillanas. And me, as a pianist, he makes me feel so much emotion.... why this letra particularly? because it reminds me of my father. JASON: What do you look for in accompanyment from both a guitartist and singers? FANNY: INSPIRATION!!!!!!!!!!and great communication.i just want we understand each other, listen and pay attention to each other,,,,,and have a lot of fun!!!!!!!!!! JASON: What do you think duende is? FANNY: the most difficult question ever. i think everybody has his own view of the duende. but finally everybody will end saying..."there is not definition!!!!!" JASON: I've heard some dancers say that while performing they are 'possessed by panthers', or 'pull and moving energy, like tai chi, moving energy like salt water taffy, stretching, snapping and releasing it.' Some experience it simply as a pure form of expression. What do you experience when you dance flamenco? FANNY: EMOTIONS. I love to be on stage, I love to communicate with the audience and the musicians. For me, it is the only way to expresss myself 100%. It is a really bizarre sensation, and if I would not dance anymore, I know I would be dead inside. It is a drug, and what I experience when I dance is mine. It is something ephemere but so powerful. When I dance, I feel like my life makes sense. And I don't think while dancing I am possessed but on the contrary, I am myself, without prohibition, without fear.
Flametal:
Ben Woods, Artistic Director JASON: Tell us about your approach to choregraphy with Melissa in Ben Wood's Flametal. And what exactly is Flametal? FANNY: Flametal is a fusion between flamenco and heavy metal music. Ben Woods created the idea, and I have to say he did an amazing job. He is a very talented and creative person. It is a very exciting challenge because it mixes the sensual traditions of flamenco with the provocative aggressiveness of heavy metal.It is all about the attitude. It gives us another dimension to explore our creativity. Working with Melissa is a good experience for me. We are very different. We studied with different people, we don't have the same style. But it's been great because we give and receive our own approach to dance. Ben picked two dancers with diverse personalities, but he knew it would work. She is very strong and talented with modern flamenco. I am more graceful and theatrical. But it is so complementary. In fact, in the Flametal's piece, she represents more the Evil part with her strong baile and I am the naive and innocent girl. We are definitely the Yin and the Yang but we are open enough to be able to share our creativity and personality. It is a real pleasure to work with her. JASON: As artists, we are in the dialogue of reflecting and creating the world around us. You're seeing many dimensions of the world. Flamenco puro, classical and fusion. France, Spain, the U.S.A. What are you creating? FANNY: I think I am just doing a mix. All types of dance that I've tried fascinate me. Same about the places I' ve lived or travelled to. It is a non-stop fascination and I need that to create. Travelling is an amazing inspiration. I know I am not able to do only one thing in my life. So I keep trying different things. I am very passioned, I love art. I consider myself blessed to have passions. But in my creativity three focus always come to my mind: the gestural, theater, music. I can't create without them and they can't be separated. It is a philosophy, it is my creativity.
+ + + PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE JULY
17TH AVANCE SAN RAFAEL
+
+ +
CLASSES + + + FLAMETAL + FLAMENCO
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM AROUND THE BAY AREA |
MONTHLY
LETRA NEW From
the new API, a publication of Community Arts Network: + David
Jenkins
+ Introducing
the +
COMING
IN AUGUST New
This Month ARTISTS
DIGITAL STUDIO + FLAMENCO
The First phase, TRACING THE FAMILY TREE is sponsored in part by the California College of the Arts Center for Art and Public Life and the San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum Legacy Project. In the first phase a focus group of flamencos will begin to create a family tree of the San Francisco Bay Area Flamencos. During this first phase two things will be created: 1. a sketch of the family tree, and 2. a list of archival information and who has it. Pending funding Phase 2 would aim to create an oral history video documentary on the flamenco history of the greater Bay Area as well as an archive for the community. The Flamenco family tree created from Phase 1 will be displayed on the SF Flamenco website History Page and with partnering institutions. Creating a deep voice, the community together will tell our own history. Guillermo del Oro and Maclovia Ruiz, residents of San Francisco performed in Vicente Escudero's "El Amor Brujo" at the San Francisco Opera House May 15-18, 1934. Thanks to Paco Sevilla as we find this and more information in his book "Queen of the Gypsies". Buy the book directly from the author, and help support the flamenco arts. If you have information about the greater San Francisco Bay Area Flamenco histories please email flamencoshows@yahoo.com. +
+ + + Click
on the show for calendar with full details. Check show information with
venue. +
July
3 La Miri & AZAFRAN Flamenco +
July 4THE FLAMENCO ROOM at the ThirstyBear Brewery is Closed for the Holiday... +July 18 FLAMENCO OPEN STAGE FEATURES YAELISA & CAMINOS FLAMENCOS FEATURING FELIX DE LOLA AND THE STUDENTS OF YAELISA SUNDAY, AT THE ASHKENAZ MUSIC & DANCE CENTER1317 San Pablo/Gilman in North Berkeley 7:30PM $9.00 COVER at the Door Doors open at 7:00pm - Plenty of street parking on Gilman, San Pablo and lots adjacent to the Ashkenaz Center. +
July
23 Cafe de la Paz presents "Pasion Flamenca" Yaelisa & Caminos
Flamencos 8:00 and 10:00pm Live Flamenco Shows with Renowned Artists +
July
24 CAROLINALUGO’SBRISASDEESPANA FLAMENCO DANCE COMPANY presents An
Evening of Flamenco song, dance and music Saturday, July 24th at 8:00PM
Cue Productions, Concord + August 7 AZAFRÁN Flamenco at Avance Tapas Restaurant in San Rafael Virginia Iglesias (dancer) Jorge Liceaga, (guitarist) Azriel 'El Moreno' (singer) Miriam "La Miri" (dancer) + Aug 8 LA MIRI AND AZAFRAN FLAMENCO & TOQUE FLAMENCO IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE THIRSTY BEAR RESTAURANT PRESENT: THE FLAMENCO ROOM Featuring CIHTLI OCAMPO & ETHAN MARGOLIS with Roberto Zamora and Azriel "El Moreno" Two cuadro-style flamenco shows 7:15 & 8:30pm No cover. + August 29 8pm FLAMENCOS FOR PEACE & FREEDOM All Star International Performers Come Together For a dynamite show to stomp BUSH OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE ! Featuring: YAELISA, LA MONICA, LA FIBI, CAROLA and Special Guests Guitar: JASON MCGUIRE “EL RUBIO’ and BEN WOODS Singers: FELIX DE LOLA from Sevilla, Spain, and NINA MENENDEZ $20 - $50 donation All proceeds will go to the KERRY/EDWARDS Campaign and MOVE ON.ORG at: LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley Tickets: 510-849-2568 Advanced Tickets Recommended. This show will sell out! PLEASE COME HELP US MAKE CHANGE… + Feb 12, Feb 13 2005 Cal Performances World Stage 04/05 season Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras Sueños ("Dreams") Sat, Feb 12, Sun, Feb 13, Zellerbach Hall + + + Flamenco every night! Check the Nightlife page for cuadro shows at a variety of restaurants throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Please confirm information with venues. |
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FLAMENCO.com(munity) |
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