Puerto Flamenco
Many moons ago, when I lived in Sydney and my skin was warmed daily by the welcomed assault of a mid-summer Bondi sun, I shared an apartment with a dynamic couple who, in their spare time, danced flamenco in the small but vibrant local Spanish quarter. She was a dancer, he was a percussionist, and they quickly found a footing within the flamenco community, regularly bringing their collaborators home at all hours of the night (and morning) for impromptu performances in the living room or on the tiny balcony that overlooked the windswept beach. For eighteen months we embraced the dramatic differences in our living patterns, my more structured world colliding happily with their carefree, hedonistic outlook.
But eventually we moved in different directions and lost contact, until recently when, on a whim, I searched online for them and found that they’d since relocated to Seville and had set up a world renowned troupe called Puerto Flamenco. How wonderful!
I checked in with the dancer, Cikka, my old housemate, and asked her how this all fell into place: ‘Puerto Flamenco is a result of an artistic friendship forged in the flamenco suburb of Triana in Seville. In flamenco academies, bars, or just hanging out by the river Guadalquivir, these artistic friendships moved on to tablaos and theatres in Seville. In 2004, we were asked to put together a flamenco performance in Malta. This experience gave us the push to lay down our promotional material and offer it to festivals overseas. As Puerto Flamenco, we have performed at international festivals such as the Khamoro Gypsy Festival in Prague, the Sziget Festival in Budapest, The Menandria Festival in Greece, and the Roma Festival Moscow, Russia. We have no other aims but performing. In our company, the best thing is that Andrej and myself can work and tour together which is just the best fun!’
Tagged: flamenco, Puerto Flamenco
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michelle york said | 20 February, 2009
I really like your writing style..I am so homesick for Sydney!
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Dimes said | 19 February, 2009
I’d really enjoy watching them perform… is there any way possible that you can ask when they will be in Australia next?
all i can source is the dates on the myspace.