When I was in Seville a couple of weeks ago I went to see a flamenco performance. It felt a bit weird doing something like that on my own, but I thought, to hell with it. I chose a small venue which was recommended at the tourist office as being traditional and not too group orientated. But I was prepared to be disappointed.
I took a while to find the venue and in fact nearly bottled out, as a woman was outside encouraging me to go in as it had just started, and I hate being hassled. But I paid me money and went through a curtain into a small darkened covered courtyard area. The room was crammed but it was an audience of only about 30 people. Two people were on the small stage - a guitarist on a chair and a small plump female singer in flamenco costume. She was belting out a traditional song, and it sounded great. I was instantly enthralled.
The guitarist performed a solo, which was really beautiful and haunting. It was truly as if he was performing to the top of his ability - even though they must do this every evening.
A couple of songs later and there was a rustle of fabric, a movement in the air, and perfume swept past me, brushing me and the most splendid wonderful apparation of a female flamenco dancer arrived on the stage. She was stunning, sexy, larger than life, dramatic - she danced the 'Spanish blues' as the plump lady sang and the guitarist played. There was a communion between her and the musicians. The dresses, and she changed during the act, were fabulous, traditional but larger than life, with the most wonderful trains which she flicked and folded over her arm.
A slim male dancer had appeared on stage as an appreciative audience to the woman. Her costume changed colour as the lights changed. It was incredible.
Then she stepped back to be the audience and the male stepped forward. I have never seen anything so sexy and so self-loving as the way he danced - he caressed himself as he moved - it felt almost lewd to be watching. But wonderfully amazingly titillating. The whol audience was whooping at the end of the dances.
Then the woman flamenco dancer joined the man in a finale - there was a wonderful chemistry between them as they danced the dance of love, attraction, repulsion and death. And the smaller older woman seemed to be egging them on, casting sexual slurs, challenging the man. It was stunning.
It was one of the best things I have ever participated in. There was a true chemistry in that room.

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