By guest blogger Jessica Baris "La Rumana"
![Jessica Baris]( "Jessica Baris La rumana") |
| Jessica Baris "La Rumana" |
When I was 18 years old, still a senior in high school, I discovered flamenco. One evening my dad took me to dinner in Mission Bay, and as we walked down Morena Boulevard back to the car, we heard the faint song of a Spanish guitar and peculiar stomping sounds in the distance. We turned the corner and came upon Juanita Franco’s Dance Studio. I peered through the window and saw a group of women, dressed in black skirts with ruffles, dancing in sync and following the instructor, who was clapping out a beat.
I was captivated. The women’s black heels stomped out patterns of sound unlike anything I had ever heard or seen, and the lovely swish of their skirts was feminine and flirty. The instructor’s sharp clap communicated intensity and precision. I had made up my mind: This was something I needed to do.
The following Saturday I hopped in my Mazda and hit the 8 West straight to the Morena Boulevard exit for that dance studio. My outfit was the best copy of what I had seen the ladies wearing. On my feet I wore a pair of black pumps I had dug out of my closet. I put on a long skirt, pulled my hair into a bun, and drew wingtips on my eyelids. I felt like a flamenco dancer.
In the studio, I took my place in line with the other beginner dancers. I looked down at my shoes—I felt slightly intimidated by the newness of this art form I was getting myself into, but I also felt excited to begin.
“Flat, flat, flat, flat.” The instructor started demonstrating how to stomp the entire bottom of the foot on the floor. After several flats, or golpes, the instructor moved us on to the next piece of footwork. “Flat, heel, heel. Flat, heel, heel,” she said, lifting up her skirt to expose her feet and ankles. There I was, doing a golpe, tacón, tacón. My feet were slow, but strong and determined to get the pattern right. As my feet gained a new kind of muscle memory, I felt exhilarated by this new way of moving.
Since that first dance class, I’ve studied with instructors in studios all over San Diego, piecing together my knowledge of llamadas, remates, recojidas, and compás. It was a world of wonder. The day I stumbled upon flamenco I couldn’t have known that it would become something that, even when I tried to quit, would keep calling me back. Over the years flamenco has sometimes taken a backseat to college classes, a full-time job, or simply other interests. No matter what the distraction, flamenco has always called out to me, like the faint sound of golpes and Spanish guitar that first beckoned me years ago.
QUESTION:
Do you remember when you discovered flamenco? Share your story and post your comment!
Jessica “La Rumana” Baris is a Latin dancer working to find the flamenco beat. She specializes in the shimmy and the lavadora. Jessica is a native San Diegan and by day works as a writer and editor for business communications. Visit her online at www.jessicabaris.com.
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