Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
I really want to go to Spain for a while and study and after reading about the Cristina Heeren Flamenco Foundation in Seville I am considering going there. It seems like it is more of a school where you enroll for the whole year (october - june) and classes are 3 x 1.5 hours per day and you are really immersed in it, which is what I want. Does anyone know about this place? Or do you know of any other places like this that are good? Obviously, I want to learn as much as I can.
RE: Cristina Heeren Flamenco Foundation? (in reply to TGerman)
He he he...oops You see the problem is that the search feature was right in front of my face, that's why I didn't see it
Now that I read those posts I'm wondering if I should try out El Carbonero for a while instead?
Thanks Sean, I've been on the website many times but what I was looking for was first hand knowledge of the place. It seems like Miguel wasn't entirely happy with the school.
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
RE: Cristina Heeren Flamenco Foundation? (in reply to TGerman)
Todd, sorry I was in Vancouver this week.
I don't know what I wrote about the school... I think it's better than going it alone. There are plenty of other students to hang out with (and learn from). I was only there for a month, so I can't really say. Personally I think I would rather go there than take lessons from el Carbonero if you get the chance to work with dancers in the extended course.
RE: Cristina Heeren Flamenco Foundation? (in reply to Miguel de Maria)
Miguel,
Thanks for the reply, this time I was away.
You had said in your post that you had reservations and, basically, that you were not sure it was worth it as it was moving quite fast. Looking back now after you were able to get a hold on everything you learned do you think it was worth it? Do you feel you learned a lot and are now a better player because of it?
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
RE: Cristina Heeren Flamenco Foundation? (in reply to TGerman)
Todd, Well, as I look back on it, the course was mainly composed of learning falsetas. Who knows how many falsetas I learned that month, a couple dozen? I learned a tangos "solo" and Panaderos Flamencos, which I still play at gigs (unfortunately still not that well!). A siguriyas solo that I didn't care for (too much Nino Ricardo), and thus don't remember.
Of course we went over any technique that was necessary to go over. Tino showed us how to work on alzapua and golpes. Miguel Angel Cortes showed us a bunch of technical exercises he knew or had composed. I think we played with a singer a couple of times, but we weren't advanced enough, supposedly, to go very far.
We learned a bunch of Nino de Pura scales, too.
As far as extracurriculars go, I also went to festival in Mogeur, one outside of Sevilla, and saw a show in Nerja. Besides that, I went to watch the instructors at the institute at their show in Cafe del Sol almost every night. So, in the five weeks I was there, I estimate I saw twenty shows!
There is also a place called La Carboneria that I went to have drinks quite a few times, that also has flamenco.
And also took an "introduction to flamenco" course (in spanish) where I got at least one teacher's perspective on how it all fits together.
I guess from the vantage of time and distance, it seemed like I did learn quite a bit I was there. Certainly Sevilla is a wonderful town and I had fun hanging out with the other guitarists. Also, one dancer but we were actually kept segregated and never saw the dancers!
Printable Version
You see the problem is that the search feature was right in front of my face, that's why I didn't see it 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread