The Flamenco Centre, Canberra

Links & Resources


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LINKS:

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  1. Professional Associates of The Flamenco Centre
  2. Shopping for Flamenco Shoes and Paraphernalia
  3. Miscellaneous Business Links


1. Professional Associates of The Flamenco Centre (alphabetical order):

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2. Shopping for Flamenco Shoes, Cajónes and Other Essentials:
Here are the main websites that are recommended.

Advice:
For durability students should choose plain black shoes in leather rather than suede.
Practice skirts and tops likewise should be plain black for class.

Disclaimer: We accept no responsibility for any dissatisfaction you may experience in doing business with these companies.


Buying Shoes (alphabetical listing):



Buying Cajónes:



Buying Other Flamenco Items (alphabetical list):

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3. Miscellaneous Business Links:




ESSENTIAL READING:






Topic - Flamenco

  1. "A way of Life", Donn Pohren, New Edition 1980
    2. This classic account of the flamenco way of life before it was corrupted by creeping commercialism is based on Donn Pohren's eight years running a flamenco centre at Morón in Andalusia, "the wildest years of my life which I barely survived". His experience of flamenco and its mainly Gypsy singers, dancers and guitarists provides a vivid picture of flamenco at a time when it was still entirely genuine and a part of everyday life. It is extensively illustrated with contemporary pictures of the Gypsy artists and includes a new epilogue in which the author sees the first faint signs of a reaction against the commercialism which destroyed the flamenco way of life as lived by the Gitano artists and the hope of a revival genuine flamenco.


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    Topic - Flamenco

  2. "Lives and Legends of Flamenco - A Biographical History", Donn Pohren, 1964
    3. One of the three essential books by the greatest authority and writer on Flamenco in the English language, revised up to 1988, this is organised into three sections: Song, Dance and Guitar. Within each section, the biographies are presented chronologically.

    "Lives and Legends" first appeared in 1964, and, as the author says, a lot has happened since then. The problem of how to update it has been solved -- in my opinion entirely successfully -- by leaving the body of the text unchanged (except for corrections) and presenting the update material at the end. The update is also subdivided by region, and this would make it very hard to find anything, were it not for the comprehensive index.

    The depth of knowledge displayed in this volume is staggering. As in his other works, the author is not slow to state his own opinions, but does so in a persuasive rather than a bombastic manner; and although this is designed as a reference book, I read it from cover to cover in two days. The collection of rare photographs alone is almost worth the price, for where else can you see what Sabicas looked like as a teenager? Or Ricardo as a young man? Or Manolo de Huelva with Pericón de Cádiz?

    If you don't get "Lives and Legends", either you haven't got two pennies to rub together, or you just ain't interested in Flamenco. (Review by Paul Magnussen)


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    Topic - Flamenco

  3. "The Art of Flamenco", Donn Pohren, 1967
    4. This review applies to the 2005 edition of the book, but it may also appear in listings for other editions. In the latter case, only the remarks about "Background" and "Contents" apply. In particular, the remarks about typos and photographic quality do not apply to earlier editions.

    BACKGROUND

    Few books in the Arts can have had an impact on their subject matter to compare with that of this seminal opus. Since its first appearance in 1962, when it was unrivalled for authority, readability and depth of coverage, it must have been the passport to Flamenco for literally thousands of readers.

    For those unfamiliar with the story, Donn Pohren is* an American who came to Spain in the 1950's and fell in love both with Flamenco and with the young dancer Luisa Maravilla, whose arresting picture has adorned the cover of most editions of this book, including the present one. The Art of Flamenco, which explains not only the art but the underlying culture, became an immediate success, garnering praise from such luminaries as Carmen Amaya and winning the Spanish National Flamenco Award from the Catedra de Flamencología. It was followed in due course by Lives and Legends of Flamenco -- an encyclopædia, not so much of the art as of its artists (and still by far my favourite reference); and by A Way of Life. The latter is an autobiographical account of the author's involvement in Flamenco and of the artists he knew -- especially the old-time guitarist Diego del Gastor. Diego was catapulted from purely local reputation to international celebrity by Pohren's citing him, in his accounts, as an exemplar of purity in a sea of commercialism, and by the author's subsequent hiring of him as a teacher for the flamenco courses at the Finca Espartero in Morón de la Frontera.

    CONTENTS

    The present book is divided into four parts:

    I. The Philosophy of Flamenco

    contrasts, with many anecdotes, the traditional flamenco way of life with that of the encroaching modern civilisation.

    II. The Art of Flamenco

    describes its origin and background, and passes to descriptions of its components -- song, guitar, dance, jaleo and so forth -- and concludes with sections on Flamenco and the Non-Spaniard.

    III. Encyclopedia of Flamenco

    discusses the verses and genealogy of the cante (song), before presenting a description of each individual style, with typical verses. (It is perhaps worth noting that no attempt is made anywhere to present musical notation).

    IV Appendices

    giving a breakdown of the song, dance and guitar; listings of recordings of interest and flamenco venues; a discussion of guitar construction; and advice on learning Flamenco, both in and outside of Spain. (Review by Paul Magnussen)


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Topic - Health

  1. "The Body In Action", by Sarah Key (Allen & Unwin 2006)
    2. Spot the tell-tale warning signs of imminent joint problems, take immediate action to reverse the trend, exercises to alleviate pain and restore full mobility.


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Erika Mordek performing.

Student performance: Erika Mordek dances por Tangos.