Dance diary
With the Sadler’s Wells Flamenco Festival taking place this month, Carole Edrich decided to try her hand at dancing with the bata de cola
It’s easy to see why the bata de cola (flamenco skirt with the long trail) has recently become popular. Its sensual, elegant femininity has been demonstrated amply by luminaries such as cover star Eva Yerbabuena, Belén Maya and the innovative Rafaela Carrasco, and that’s exactly why Nuria Garcia offered an intensive course on how to dance with the skirt at Escuela de Baile in London.
Course teacher Vicky Ramos explained, “It’s nice that everyone has a common goal and starts and finishes together, but because of time constraints, London courses are slightly more intensive than they’d be in Jerez. I teach exactly the same things that I do there but change the structure to fit the time available.”
Students were first introduced to the theory and techniques of how to control the bata, followed by the basic leg movements. Then timing and coordination were developed through simple exercises including moving right or left, turning, combining step
s, arm and body movements along with that of the skirt. Technique for lifting and controlling the train comes through working the legs and thighs from the hips (as in ballet). Kicking the train gave no control at all, lifting it at the wrong point was unbalancing, and if it wasn’t placed down properly it lumped into a sausage shape or even turned upside-down!
Vicky emphasised that all movements should be “in compas” (on rhythm). This is only possible if the bata de cola feels like an extension of your body. Moving arms and body fluently, remembering the steps, finding the point of balance for the skirt before lifting and placing it while keeping a good centre of gravity (the only thing that stops you jiggling inelegantly on one leg for balance) was both fun and a challenge. Dancer Rowena Ritchie summarised everyone’s view. “It really brings home the importance of good technique. It’s only when your technique is good and the skirt feels part of you that everything goes smoothly and feels good.”
Wearing the bata de cola is a big challenge, but when it goes right you feel feminine, glamorous and sensual, so by the time short choreographies were taught, everyone in the class was smiling.
If you’d like to learn more, Escuela de Baile in London (www.la-escuela-de-baile.co.uk) and the Centro de Baile, Jerez (www.centrodebailejerez.com) both run intensive and extensive courses; the Spanish Dance Society syllabus includes use of the skirt (www.spanishdancesociety.org); or watch Isabel Bayón in action at the Sadler’s Wells Flamenco Festival on February 28 (www.sadlerswells.com or 020 7863 8198 for information).
Photographs by Carole Edrich
