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Ricardo Garcia’s A Compas Flamenco is a workshop session explaining the Flamenco style of guitar music and dance. He has with him two dancers, one female and one male, to help with the explanations and to perform various dance styles.

He explains by explaining the title which describes a particular rhythmic and percussive style from Andalucia. He begins with the guitar and he demonstrates the use of the fingers, particularly on the strumming hand. He has total mastery of the guitar.

We then move onto the dancers, their appearance, the special shoes, the percussive sounds they make with their feet, fingers and hands, and the use of the arms. Between each of the explanations the two highly skilled and graceful dancers perform to different types of music.

I found it a fascinating hour, part educational, part entertainment. I came away with a much deeper insight into the technique required over many years of training to perform this form of dance to a high level.

Reviewed by Ben

theSpace@Symposium Hall: 43

20 to 25 August 2012 (not 21 )

17.30 – 18.30

Fringe Programme Page Number: 177