Your first step.  Your first kiss.  The first time you thought about the last time you first came in last.  We all have firsts, and tonight, I saw my first real flamenco show.

It was here in Flamenco’s woom, at La Casa de la Memoria, that my love for flamenco grew after a spectacular performance by guitarist Juan Campallo, singer Ana Real, and dancers Juan Diego and Manuela Ríos.  The setting was epic.  You enter off one of Sevilla’s many serpentine, sagacious streets into an 18th century palace built on the ruins of a 15th century house.  The inner courtyard rests under a thicket of vines pouring from the ceiling and casting soft shadows from the strategically positioned lanterns throughout the place.  “Ambiance” would be an understatement, and with high ceilings and lots of archways, the sound/natural reverb was phenomenal.  No videos were allowed, but here are some photos.

The dancers bursted with energy and proved that feet, movement, and the human form can be just as staggering and beautiful as any musical instrument performed by a master.