Famed flamenco dancer Juliana Pulford (front) leads a rehearsal for Llanto, with backup dancers Kristen Deloughrey (centre), Stacey Loyer (back) and Jessica Clark (left). The show was performed last week at the Museum of Civilization.
For any dancer, the opportunity to go on stage with widely respected flamenco star Juliana Pulford is a dream come true.
This dream became reality last week for dancers from Centretown’s Natasha Royka Movement Studio, as they shared the spotlight with the distinguished dancer during a performance at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
The show was called Llanto, based on a famous Spanish poem of the same name.
The story followed the grieving process of a woman whose husband was killed during a bullfight in Spain.
Pulford, who has danced both in Canada and Spain, praised the choreography as a creative “reflection of the themes” in the poignant story, including love, loss and death.
The students rehearsed intensively with Pulford for three weeks in preparation for their appearance in Llanto.
Kristen Deloughrey, 27, was one of the three women to be chosen for the performance.
She says the preparation for Llanto included more than 70 hours of practice and a dozen rehearsals, but it was well worth the effort.
“It’s been just amazing,” she says. “I definitely got an appreciation for the hours and hours of hard work it takes to put on a quality show.”
Stacey Loyer, 30, performed with Deloughrey in the show, and says the most challenging part of the rehearsal process was the choreography.
“I’ve never performed any flamenco work at all,” says Loyer, who has trained largely in contemporary dance. “The movements are very different from what we are used to.”
Loyer says she and the other dancers had to learn an entirely new kind of posture to accommodate the quick, rhythmic style of flamenco.
“We had to hold our bodies differently so our centre of balance was higher. It’s a very powerful and strong movement, but we had a lot of fun blending it with our contemporary walk.”
The contemporary walk is an experimental kind of dance the women have been learning at the Natasha Royka Movement Studio on Florence Street.
“It’s a very fluid, clean and precise transitional movement across stage, and Juliana thought it would be great to incorporate in the show,” says Natasha Royka, founder and owner of the studio.
Royka’s studio offers a variety of contemporary, ballet and Pilates classes.
The women train twice a week at the studio in contemporary classes, and though they have been challenged by the transition between contemporary and flamenco, Royka says she is proud of the progress they’ve made.
“Watching their improvement has been just phenomenal,” she says.
“Their confidence is amazing, as they are able to go into a professional production with dancers of a different discipline.”
Pulford directed the show, and was equally impressed with the women’s work.
“Their energy added an invaluable visual dynamic,” she says. “They’re so beautiful to watch it’s hypnotic, and without them the show would be completely different.”
Pulford says she didn’t feel like she was working with students, and had very little coaching to do.
“I knew exactly what I wanted them to do, and they did it very well,” she says. “Everybody has been really generous, professional, and wonderful to work with. Everyone knows what they’re doing and when to do it.”
The chance to dance in a professional production alongside stars like Pulford is part of what has made the experience unforgettable, says Deloughrey.
“Being exposed to this calibre of dance in such an intimate setting is very humbling,” she says. “Working with masters in the field really made me realize where I am now as a dancer, and gave me a sense of where I could be.”
Loyer says working with Pulford has given her the opportunity to grow as a dancer, and a sense of passion as well.
“It’s been wonderful dancing with people who are so passionate about what they are doing,” she says. “I almost started crying during one of the dances, I was so taken by it.”
Jessica Clark, 27, also danced with Deloughrey and Loyer in Llanto, a performance that earned the three women a standing ovation, and a sold-out show.
Along with other dancers from the studio, Clark, Loyer and Deloughrey are currently rehearsing with Royka for their upcoming winter performance open house. It will take place on Dec. 5 at the studio, and feature both solo and class routines by students.