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Hi all! I am 32 and two years ago I fell in love with flamenco. So far I have only been going to lots of concerts and taking classes once a week, which is not enough to notice that you advance. I may take a career break and dedicate myself to flamenco studies for a few months. But what do I want to get out of it? For a professional path I guess I am way too old to start now. Moreover, making a living out of it is difficult, even for the best of the best (I live in Spain, and the industry is very heavily hit by COVID). And just learning flamenco for the sake of it is not very justified either as it is not a dance you dance in a club with your friends like salsa - you wither perform on a stage or you are a spectator. If anyone here started late, please share your path and experience for some inspiration!
RE: Dancers: When is it too late to ... (in reply to nickelscence)
Welcome to the foro!
I don't have much to share that would be all that relevant to your questions (sorry!). I'd just say that there are foreign bailaores who have managed to do OK for themselves, some in Spain and others back in their home country. I mention foreign bailaores for the simple reason that they all, pretty much by definition for the most part, "started late", i.e. they didn't grow up in flamenco families or anything like that. So I wouldn't think it's impossible. Granted though, right now is not a good time for anyone in the performing arts really, but some day at least the pandemic should end (fingers crossed...).
The other thing is that I don't think it's necessarily as binary as you said ("either perform on a stage or your are a spectator"). If you get involved with a flamenco community, there should be plenty of opportunities to make friends, go to juergas, etc. where you can dance in a more communal setting. So it's not like you would get nothing at all out of it.
That said, tbh personally I'm doing it just because I like it and I've never really bothered wondering whether the time I spend on it is justified or not. Maybe at some point I really should start asking myself those questions coz I'm clearly not going to become Paco de Lucia
RE: Dancers: When is it too late to ... (in reply to nickelscence)
Hi, Also with regard to the binary issue of performer/spectator when we talk about "playing for baile" there is playing for performance and playing for dance classes and they are not necessarily the same. Just sitting in a dance class playing compas can be an enjoyable and learning experience without necessarily being at the level to accompany the dance teacher (and singer) in performance. EDIT: just realised the question was about actually dancing, not accompanying dance - doh!
A 70 year old wanted to start learning the cello. Her friend said, "but it takes years to learn the cello" The lady replied, "well, I have the whole of the rest of my life"
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From: Washington, DC
RE: Dancers: When is it too late to ... (in reply to mark indigo)
quote:
A 70 year old wanted to start learning the cello. Her friend said, "but it takes years to learn the cello" The lady replied, "well, I have the whole of the rest of my life"
That's the correct attitude. Age should never be an impediment to learning something new: a musical instrument, a foreign language, or anything else. The idea is not to necessarily become highly proficient; the idea should be to enjoy it as one's proficiency increases.
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
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Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Dancers: When is it too late to ... (in reply to nickelscence)
quote:
And just learning flamenco for the sake of it is not very justified either as it is not a dance you dance in a club with your friends like salsa - you wither perform on a stage or you are a spectator. If anyone here started late, please share your path and experience for some inspiration!
To be clear you are talking about DANCING, not guitar playing for dance. My close friend is in his 70’s. He is way into all kinds of ball room dance stuff which he does at medium level, including tango. He is single and loves to take advantage of the opportunity to dance with women when it arises. As far as flamenco, he loves it and has been doing Sevillanas, which is actually a partner dance opportunity and even though many will argue about how it is not flamenco proper, it certainly has flamenco elements involved. Probably for a lot of students it is a gateway to the flamenco world, as you need to learn how compas, zapateado, arms, turns, etc works with the music.
Anyway for years he has been doing the sevillanas very half assed for lack of a better word. The last time we had a flamenco festival he was upset that several ladies that danced sevillanas well declined to dance with him. He took it quite personally but I explained to him the importance of precise compas with the steps and that if he put in the time to learn it exactly right, the women would jump at the opportunity to dance with him. He was not very happy at this news at first....but after couple weeks of stewing it over, he asked me for help. Now he new the steps but as a musician I had to teach him how they fit. After a few months this old man was like a new guy...we went to spain last year and he was dancing it up with strangers down in Andalucia and did a great job socializing on his own. He got bold enough to take an actual flamenco class and was a little apprehensive because now he knows what is involved to get the compas correct. So, my main point is it is absolutely doable but it takes some dedication and time.
RE: Dancers: When is it too late to ... (in reply to nickelscence)
I don't know, I have been taking classes for years and still know very little, which is ok, as I don't aspire to be a performer, and guitar has taken center stage. For most people, flamenco either gets in your blood, or it doesn't, which means you do it because you really enjoy doing it. To have a goal of becoming a professional perhaps misses the point. Do it because you love doing it. If something happens and you get gigs and perform, great, but someone here giving inspiration is not the way to do it. Just do it! And over time you will know.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Dancers: When is it too late to ... (in reply to Brendan)
Here is the proof he got it together. People at this party know him for years and were in shock watching him dance with Sara. It was pretty triumphant!
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