A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT

Experiencing Flamenco in Madrid

by Elan Marchinko
Flamenco Certamen USA winner & Evolución participant

Hi, I’m Elan Marchinko. This past week I traveled to Madrid to study at the Amor de Dios flamenco school and to attend the 31st Certamen de Coreografía de Danza Española y Flamenco at the Teatro Fernán Gómez. Below are some of my reflections on this once in a lifetime experience.

It makes sense that Madrid’s Amor de Dios school sits atop the Antón Martin Market for although its tapas might fill your stomach, the smorgasbord of classes offered in the studios above it feeds your soul. Indeed, to enter Amor De Dios is to inhabit a living archive where the energies of flamenco’s past, present, and future intermingle. The floors seem to bear the trace of every dancer who has studied there over its nearly 70 year history, and for a wonderful five days I had the privilege to be one of them. Each class I took with masters Bélén Lopez and David Paniagua was its own universe of footwork, marcajes, and vueltas (turns) as well as new approaches to patadas por bulerias and tuning one’s flamenco ear.

I also enjoyed 16 of Spain’s top emerging artists at the 31st Certamen de Coreografía de Danza Española y Flamenco. The ways in which each choreography stretched the bounds of Flamenco and Spanish dance was fascinating and these brave works investigated themes such as inner reflection, spiritual illumination, and the philosophical idea of eternal return. I was also struck by the technical grounding and sensitivity of the young dancers who brought these choreographies to life.

What is more, I had the pure privilege to present the 2022 Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana prize to Sara Jimenez for her piece “Una pieza sin nombre” (A Piece Without a Name). As I’ve recently learned, the exchange between Flamenco Vivo and the Madrid Certamen grew from a long friendship between Flamenco Vivo founder, Carlota Santana, and Margaret Jova and a desire to forge activities between NYC and Madrid to support artists on both sides of the Atlantic. As well, Flamenco Vivo created the Flamenco Certamen USA, which takes place in NYC every October. The Flamenco Vivo Prize has given artists from Spain the opportunity to give workshops and to mentor young artists, work with the NYC community, and serve as a Juror for the Flamenco Certamen USA. As the winner of the 2021 Certamen USA Estudio Level, I am honored to be a part of this tremendous exchange program. I am equally thrilled that Sara Jimenez joins a pantheon of artists such as Enrique Vicent, Guadalupe Torres, Alberto Sellés, and Jose Molina.  

And so, while my time here in Madrid is over, my work is just beginning. I leave with a full plate and an even fuller heart.