¡Olé!

Last night was very interesting and definitely a new experience for me. Isabel took us to Las Carboneras which is a Tablao Flamenco. It is a restaurant in which those who dine there wait to see a Flamenco show. Before the show, we were served Tapas which is a traditional dinner here in Madrid. Typically they are accompanied with a drink with the purpose of helping the person avoid getting too drunk. I must remind you that "power-drinking", as Americans do, is frowned upon here... just saying. Anyway, Tapas are similar to what we categorize as appetizers but of course better ;). They brought out several plates for us with a wide variety of choices. Everything was delicious which explains why I won't have any pictures of it, the plates were on the table one second and gone the next. 

As we ate, I could hear the flamenco dancers practicing but not together. You see, these were improv flamenco dancers. I was confused when I heard this but I decided to just watch the show and hope to understand. The dance involved three women of which two sang and had beautiful voices. I didn't quite catch what they were saying but it sounded nice and kind of romantic (won't be going there for valentines day lol ). Then there were two guitarists, two singers and a male dancer. 

You might be wondering were the improv is in all of this. Once each of the dancers took the stage and began to dance, the guitar players would guide the music according to the dancer's feet movement. They do not have a set song they will dance to, hence the improv. It was very intense but very beautiful. I watched as the guitar players never took their eyes off of the dancer's feet. Each went up one at a time and would put their heart in every step they took. They made the beat and dance their own. The audience watched intensely and never took their eyes off the dancers. It was great to see how each had their own style and were so passionate about the dance. I definitely want to go there again. Talk about dinner and a show!