Flamenco Society of Edmonton News

Join us! The Flamenco Society of Edmonton is hosting its first social event and AGM.

Date: Sunday, October 18, 2015 
Location: Marr Mac Dance Studio lobby
Downstairs, 8627-109 Street Edmonton

5:30 PM - Flamenco SWAP-SELL 
Do you have flamenco shoes, clothes, accessories, CD's and want to swap, sell, or buy them? Looking for new items for your collection? Want to update your flamenco wardrobe? Want to catch up with the local flamenco community? This is the event for you.

6:30 PM - Society First Annual General Meeting
Society membership ($5) is open to anybody involved and/or interested in the Art of Flamenco: performers, students, presenters, teachers, aficionados. Previous knowledge or experience with flamenco is not required.

Our mission is to promote and facilitate local Flamenco activities, to build and increase awareness of Flamenco art in Edmonton and Alberta and to be an umbrella organization for local Flamenco artists, schools, presenters, aficionados and community at large.

At the first Society General Meeting a Board will be voted in from members. Want to be involved in organizing social events, performances, workshops and more? We hope you’ll consider a position on the Board.

You can acquire a Flamenco Society Membership in advance from Irena Dumicz or Jane Ogilvie, or at the event during our Flamenco SWAP-SELL, just before the AGM.

Questions? Email us: flamencosocietyofedmonton@gmail.com

Flamenco Performance and Social - April 19, 2015

Please note this event has been cancelled

Ruffles

No one can be a true Flamenco enthusiast without appreciating the beauty of Flamenco dresses, skirts and - RUFFLES! Having said that, I recently came across a lovely collection showcased in 2014 Mercedes-Benz fashion show. It's a fairly long video and while I'm unaware of the names of all the designers, I quickly fell in love with some of the more modern designs combined with traditional Andalusian aspects!

In this video, my favorite collections begins on or around 11:20 and continues through to about 22:20.

In the interest of not making this post solely about my personal appreciation of the designs, I wanted to ask if anyone, at any point, has attempted to create their own practice skirt - and if your answer is 'yes' - what ruffles do you prefer?

My knowledge of ruffles extends as far as circular ruffles, gathered ruffles and lastly continuous circular ruffles. It's hard to say which type I prefer the most because it all depends on how the ruffles are structured on the outfit.

There are also many ways to hem ruffles, such as using over-lock edge stitch, bias tape, cording (piping), trim or even fishing line!

Please share your preference or even lack thereof!

E-molina.com

Molina Moda Flamenca is a Seville based company and a great source for flamenco shoes, dancewear and accessories. If you happen to travel to Seville, they have a centrally located store at Calle Sierpes, nº 11. Can't make it to Seville? Their on-line store has an incredible selection including this new selection of affordable shoes for students.

You can also enter your email in the section "Receive our Bargain and Discount Information" on the home page to receive email updates on their newest items and sales.

I have personally ordered from them online before and found the process easy and the quality excellent.

Various items for sale - Dress, etc.

Sleevless black flamenco dress. Classic lines. No ruffles. Size: small/med. $125. ***Dress no longer available***
Two wooden squares (DriCore) for dance practice. $5 each. ***GONE Aug 17.***
Two wind-up metronomes - free. ***Metronomes gone Aug 29***

Elysia

Spanish Dress for Sale

Very sweet Spanish dress for sale, bought in Jerez de la Frontera. Solid construction, excellent condition. Poplin-style fabric with built-in underskirt. Embellished with trim. Size: small but may be taken out. Asking $150. ***Dress no longer available***

Flamenco Dress for Sale

Flamenco dress from Sevilla, Spain. Tags still on, never worn. Black with white polka dots and red base with embroidery. European size: 42 (American size 8). Lightweight material: 65% polyester, 35% cotton. REDUCED from $125.00 to $100.00, final sale.Shipping is extra, if required. Contact lyndac001@yahoo.ca if interested (those are zeros in the first part of my e-mail address!).

Resources for Making Flamenco Dresses

As anyone who has tried to make a Flamenco dress on their own knows, it can be virtually impossible to find either patterns or detailed information on Flamenco costume construction.

Anke Herrmann, who relocated to Granada to become a dressmaker for Flamenco artists, provides a unique and reasonably-priced custom sewing pattern service. Just choose a pattern, download a form to submit measurements, send payment by PayPal, and a custom pattern will be sent to you by email as a PDF.

Her blog, Flamencreaciones, also includes useful articles written by Anke on the construction of Flamenco costumes. Articles are continually added, so check back for more.
- What Makes a Flamenco Dress? Parts 1 and 2
- How to Make Volantes (Ruffles and Frills)
- A Look Under the Skirt of a Bata de Cola

Looking for inspiration in general for new trends in Flamenco fashion? Visit Salón Internacional de la Moda Flamenca (SIMOF), which has photographs of fashion collections presented every year at a large-scale Flamenco fashion event.

For Sale - Embroidered Beige Silk Shawl

Beautiful hand-embroidered Flamenco-style silk shawl. Subtle light beige on beige silk embroidery. Good for a costume or for a summer shawl. The body of the shawl is 44 x 44 inches plus 18 inches of fringe. Brand new, never worn. $60.00. Email flamencoedmonton-at-telus.net.

Seamstress - Maria Hernandez

Maria Hernandez provides dressmaking and alteration services for both general clothing and Flamenco costumes. Her costumes have been featured in local Flamenco shows. For information and rates, contact: 450-0308.