In the midst of my
first week here in Granada, I don't think I could have imagined
exactly what was going to happen with each opportunity I was given to
teach. In the midst of emails, phone calls and interviews, I never
thought that that message I received in my inbox my second week here
saying “come to the studio at 19.00- un beso, Silvia” (in Spanish
of course) would have opened so many doors, to a place in Granada
that so few here, even the Granadinos get to know. My time at
Pranadanza, the only dance studio in this city specializing in dances
of the world was truly incredible, and took me on an adventure
throughout Granada that I am sorry to say I could not have taken on
my own.
The week I went to
meet with Silvia was one filled with excitement. I had already gotten
over the nervousness of meeting with people, and talking with them
about my class hoping to get hired, and since I had been fairly
successful, I left my apartment with a smile ready for what came
next. Carrying my notebook with the handwritten directions in the
cold of a night in February, I turned onto the street called “Acera
del Triunfo.” As I walked down the street, confused, and trying to
find the exact address, I realized that really most of the graffiti
of Granada was not in the famous barrio Realejo (known for its
amazing graffiti art), but in fact was right here on this street.
(This street couldn't be famous,however because it was obvious that
the graffiti that was present here was the project of drunk, stupid,
angry people at 4am.) Finding myself lost, I asked a group of "alternative"
looking people sitting outside of what seemed to be a drug
rehabilitation facility.. “uhh numero 19?”. One of them drunkenly
pointed at the stoop that was right next to me, missing the number,
as I ran up the steps and rang the button for Pranadanza. I was
immediately let into a completely pitch black corridor, and as I
turned the corner, I saw at the end of the hall a short, tiny little
man, completely illuminated, telling me the friendliest “Hola” I
had ever heard in my life. As he gave me two kisses on the cheek, I
introduced myself. He told me he was Mario, that Silvia would be
there soon, and that he was sorry he couldn't talk because two girls
were waiting for him inside the studio to begin the African class. As
he slipped into the door I sat down and began to take in my
surroundings. The studio felt like a Moroccan cave, a converted first
floor flat with exceedingly low ceilings draped with tapestries,
artwork, burning incense and a multiplicity of photographs of the man
I had just met, and the woman I perceived I was about to meet,
dressed in elaborate costumes. The question about these would be
answered later.
The door of the cave
opened to reveal Silvia, a woman almost as tiny as the man I had just
met with long dark hair,and dressed in garb almost as colorful as
Mario. As she greeted me, the two of us sat at her desk to talk about
my class. After showing her the video I had taken of one of my
classes in Santa Cruz, and giving her the best description I could of
the class in my nervous-infused Spanish, she was on board, gave me a
schedule, and asked me to send her some materials to start making
posters to put up around Granada. During the first meeting, however
she gave me a very important warning. As a foreigner and an artist
herself, speaking from experience she told me that the people of this
city were tricky. While their bohemian garb can be deceiving, at most
times they can be very closed minded and are not open to trying new
things. So, to form a group in the dance world, and begin teaching
something new can be very difficult. She wanted to give me a chance,
however because she saw me as a nice and open person. And so it
began!
I started going to
the studio more often. I started taking African dance classes with
Mario, which Silvia soon took over(she was recovering from an injury)
and working on promotion for the class. Silvia studied graphic design,
so she made the posters for me. Almost immediately I started spending
my mornings walking around the city putting up my posters in every
available spot I could find. I told everyone I had met in my first
month in the country about my class. And then I waited.... I waited in
March. I went to the studio at 6 in the afternoon every Tuesday and Thursday waiting
for someone to come, but ended up talking with Mario for an hour
about life and art. Every time I came he told me not to give up, and
not to take it personally. I waited in April,after Semana Santa with
the sun finally shining again with new posters and new information
posted all around the city. I baited and waited but in the end... no
one. It turned out, however that I didn't mind. It's amazing how much one can
learn from waiting. Speaking seriously, I had no idea exactly how
much I learned about life, passion, people, and the city I was living
in, and myself sitting in that cave two hours a week.
The first thing I
learned was about my two partners. Silvia, an Argentinian woman now
in her late 30's had been living in Granada for the past 6 years. She
told me when she was younger she fell in love with a man from San
Francisco but things didn't end up working out, and in the end
decided to move to Spain. She studied graphic design at the
University of Buenos Aires, but decided to abandon it because she
felt the study was exceedingly commercial, something she didn't like.
Immediately after, she began dedicating herself full time to the
studies of belly dance, African dance, as well as a number of dances
from India. And let me tell you this: her pursuit was not in vain. On the wall in
the studio there are a number of placards showing her certifications
in dance. Many of them, Francisco told me are from the most well
known dance studio in Spain in Madrid, which now I can't remember the
name of. And let me tell you this woman can dance!
Her partner in crime
is Mario a dancer by day and actor/drag queen by night. His stage
personality is Lola Power, a woman with crazy makeup, a bright pink
wig,who prances around wearing a flamenco costume. Originally from a small town in
Andalusia, he decided from a young age that acting and performing was
what he was meant to do, (and while it is something not at all
respected in country that only recently has shed the dead skin of
dictatorship, and now is in the midst of an economic crisis), he doesn't care.
Acting and performing is his job, but what differs between the public
workers in Spain and him is that he absolutely loves it. Sometimes if
you go out to one of the alternative clubs here you can see him
dressed in one of his colorful tunics lighting up the dance floor of
if you walk around the streets of Granada you can see him, with his
painted face, walking on stilts charming the people or doing some
sort of promotion for a show.
Together, these two
form Pranadanza, a duo that puts on Oriental cabaret's filled with
Circus, fire, dancing, and comedy around the city, as well as some in
Sevilla and Madrid. While Mario serves as the master of ceremonies,
doing comedy, and some African dance, Silvia performs at least 5
dances. With their talents combined with the lights, fire,and
costumes their shows are truly one of a kind, and are something so
magnificent that to me it is a mystery why they don't have their own
sold out theater in New York City. In the studio you can see them
planning their next show or making their own costumes.(I once saw
Silvia cutting up old cd's to make her constructed belly dance bra
shine.) They formed the dance studio because of the passion they both
have for art, and to teach these talents to the people of Granada.
They keep persevering with the same dedicated passion, constantly
opening themselves up while the people of Granada remain consistently
closed. Something I learned from my waiting, and what Silvia had
warned me of in the beginning was that there is something about
trying new things that completely appalls the people here. They have
their piercings, tattoos, dreadlocks, and play their instruments, but
their minds are just as closed as their grandparents who suffered
through the civil war. If its raining they don't want to dance. If
its sunny they don't want to dance. If it's a weekend, holiday, or
festival they don't want to dance. If it's the perfect temperature
and they have nothing else to do that day they would rather go drink
a beer at a bar. That is all fine and dandy, but can be frustrating
when you are trying (like my two friends) to offer something unique,
new and beautiful, and the whole world turns their back to you. From
my point of view it was surprising, coming from a place like Santa
Cruz, which in reality is a small town, but every day of the week
offers an African dance class with live percussion that is packed.
Like I said, I was able to teach my class at gyms, where people were
more open to the idea since it came free with their membership. My
experiences at Pranadanza were valuable because of the people I was
with, what I learned, and the fact that I got to participate in the
end of one of their truly special cabaret's in the famous Alhambra
Palace hotel, making the waiting a treasured part of the process.
AND THEN CAME THE
CABARET
At the end of April
we decided to cut the slot we had aligned for Worldanz, and replace
it with more time to rehearse for the upcoming cabaret in June. A
week before the show opened I dressed up with Mario and walked around
Granada doing a promotional performance. Back at the studio,along with Mario, Silvia,
and I came three other girls who would dance in the two African
numbers. The five of us spent long hours in the
studio with Silvia directing her creation. The theme of this cabaret
was the creation of man, containing dances of fire, water, stars, as
well as a circle of woman, representing the struggles women have
faced throughout time since Eve supposedly ate the apple. A week
before the show opened, along with the 5 of us and the 2 girls
dancing belly dance, we were joined by the rest of the hippy art
brigade. The first one was Francisco, the guy who played an
instrument (that I can't remember the name of) that appeared to be a
mix between a piano and an accordion, who lent the instrument to be
played in the circle of women. The second was Alex, a guy who has
never taken lessons, but dances like he would be in the New York
ballet company, and who can pop and lock like no one I have ever seen
in person. The third was Estrella, a woman from Malaga dressed like
she had just spent some time in rural Guatemala, who would join us to
sing some indigenous songs from Latin America(not sure which
language), play a drum, read poetry, as well do some Native American
dancing(again not sure which tribe or where exactly the dance was
from). Along with them came a man dressed in a long white tunic with
a scarf around his head, who introduced himself as Javi, a friend of
Silvia and Mario's, (who although wasn't in the cabaret, I'm assuming
just showed up to hang out with everyone and help out.) Then the
night of the show, the fire guy, yes the fire guy, Sylvan dressed
entirely in black leather made his appearance, which only reinstated
the fact that we could have had our own HBO program. The studio, filled
with all of these wonderful people and the smells of incense and
marijuana was an exciting place to be this week as everyone prepared
for the big show. While the process was long and hard, in the end it
tuned into something beautiful and magical, and something I will
never forget with people I felt like I had known for a long time.
Halfway across the world I was scared about not finding my people,
but I did. People, who few and far between here persist doing the
things that they love, and made my experience here so unique. Thank
you Pranadanza.
Here are some videos and photos to bring to life the story..
Here is a video that Pranadanza has on their website.
http://www.pranadanza.com/videos.php
Here is the place we performed..
http://www.h-alhambrapalace.es/history-en.html
some pictures of the cabaret..
http://www.granadacultural.info/fotografias/galerias.php?directorio=0--098Fpranadanza&max=5&tmax=120
and the video of the fire dance
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150886847557895¬if_t=like
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