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Flameco Dress from Cartagena Spain

Cruise Arizona

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Cruise Arizona

Cruise Arizona

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Once in a lifetime shopping opportunities sometimes happen when we are on a cruise. I thought I'd share one with ya'll from my last cruise.

 

Last year on our TA we had a stop in Cartagena Spain. We had no tour booked so DH and I took a "Self Guided Shopping Tour." the town had a very nice main shopping street, but we kind of veered off that street and then my husband didn't like the looks of what was ahead so we turned the corner to head back to the main street. As we turned the corner there was a shop with lots of beautiful Flamenco Dancing dresses hanging out front.

 

I have been studying Flamenco dance for about 5 years and peform in amateur competitions, charity and comunity events. When we saw the dresses I thought it would be great to have another costume for these types of events. When we walked up to the story the shop keeper came out and asked me if I liked the dresses and wanted to try something on. I asked how much in Spanish and he answered, but since my Spanish is rather rusty, I wasn't quite sure what he had said, but my husband heard and urged me to go in and find something. It was obvious that the shop was either a vintage clothing or resale shop, but I was thinking with the gorgeous dresses that it was more of vintage shop. The first two dresses were two small so a guy came from the back with two huge dresses, not necessarily in size, but huge in terms of volume of fabric. So I picked one out that I liked and that fit, but I still didn't know how much it was. I've looked online at Flamenco Specialty stores and costume companies, and these types of dresses start at around $200 -$400 and can go up into the $1000. Ladies in Seville purchase them for the festivals and wear them for special occasions, not just dance performances.

 

So hear is the exciting part of the story. I asked the guy again how much the dress was, and he said "veinte", and I was like "No Way," thinking I'd heard wrong. and he said it again, and my husband was laughing at me because he totally understood the guy. So then the store owner reached into his pocket, pulled out a 20 euro bill and said it again "veinte". I happily bought the dress. I ended up having to ship it Fedex from Ft. Lauderdale along with some of the glass we won in the raffle and a few other things that were to big for the suit case, but it was the best thing I bought on the whole trip.

 

Next week, I am going to the competition in California where I'll get to wear the dress for my solo number. I'm performing to "Espana Cani" which is sometimes known as the Pasadoble Song. I don't have any pictures of me in the dress yet, but I have this picture of the dress in our room on the Solstice. I should have some pictures to post after next week's competition.

IMG_0946.jpg.02bacf385fd82cd2435ec7f40f7e27fb.jpg

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cruise kitty

cruise kitty

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Pretty dress, bet it looks great when it's whirling around; we were on that same cruise with you, (great singing btw, you should have won) Cartagena was a nice little surprise, a very relaxing little town we did pretty much the same as you did there, (minus the dress of course) loved the little outdoor cafes & the cold beer:p

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smoothdancer

smoothdancer

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Really hoping you get some pictures of you dancing in this so we can see it in action!! Very smart of you to ship it home. I have traveled with competition gowns and such a pain!!

 

LOL, in Sept. we are doing a cruise with a pre-stay in Barcelona for 2 days... I am planning to pack very light so I can bring along an empty suitcase to bring home finds for my Ebay listings!!

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iheartbda

iheartbda

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Really hoping you get some pictures of you dancing in this so we can see it in action!! Very smart of you to ship it home. I have traveled with competition gowns and such a pain!!

 

LOL, in Sept. we are doing a cruise with a pre-stay in Barcelona for 2 days... I am planning to pack very light so I can bring along an empty suitcase to bring home finds for my Ebay listings!!

Smooth,

How's the eBay enterprise going?

If you haven't discovered it, the eBay community can be very helpful. There are different forums for buying, selling, listing, bidding, etc. where you can ask for help or advice. As with CC, there are VERY knowledgeable people there that can help with any question. I don't sell but I do buy and have gotten good advice on a number of occassions.

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Cruise Arizona

Cruise Arizona

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Really hoping you get some pictures of you dancing in this so we can see it in action!! Very smart of you to ship it home. I have traveled with competition gowns and such a pain!!

 

LOL, in Sept. we are doing a cruise with a pre-stay in Barcelona for 2 days... I am planning to pack very light so I can bring along an empty suitcase to bring home finds for my Ebay listings!!

 

I didn't have time to get a flamenco dance ready for regionals, so I did the Mexican dance that I had already planned, but this spring we put together the flamenco dance. Here's a picture of me doing that dance, but next week I'll definitely have some pics in the flamenco dress.

 

 

 

#

IMG_6165_edited-1.jpg.687bcbfe03d906746128b520ef0c3880.jpg

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Cruise Arizona

Cruise Arizona

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Really hoping you get some pictures of you dancing in this so we can see it in action!! Very smart of you to ship it home. I have traveled with competition gowns and such a pain!!

 

LOL, in Sept. we are doing a cruise with a pre-stay in Barcelona for 2 days... I am planning to pack very light so I can bring along an empty suitcase to bring home finds for my Ebay listings!!

 

Pretty dress, bet it looks great when it's whirling around; we were on that same cruise with you, (great singing btw, you should have won) Cartagena was a nice little surprise, a very relaxing little town we did pretty much the same as you did there, (minus the dress of course) loved the little outdoor cafes & the cold beer:p

 

Smoothdancer,

 

I hope you are just as lucky in Barcelona as we were in Cartagena. Last year we were in Barcelona for three days before our Summit cruise and the only Flamenco stuff we saw was touristy stuff. Most likely because Bacelona is Catalan and Flamenco is Andalusian. I was even worried about wearing the new dress for Flamenco rather than the specific Sivillianas Style of Flamenco, but my dance teacher said it was also appropriate for the Espana Cani song which is more Andalucian Flamenco.

 

Are you going to be in any other parts of Spain? I feel so lucky to have found this resale shop. There was also a hosiery shop in town that sold all the flamenco accessories like combs, roses earrings, and fans, and castanets, but they were closed for siesta when I went back by after buying my dress.

 

Are you looking for more ballroom styles than Flamenco? If so you might have some luck in Barcelona, and maybe even the Canary Islands. We really enjoyed our three days in Barcelona before the Summit, but probably even more loved our three days in Rome prior to the Solstice. Can't wait to hear about your trip.

 

Kitty, I hope you enjoyed that Solstice cruise as much as we did. Thank you for the kind words about the singing. It would be nice to win the Celebrity Singer contest one of these days, but I really enjoy just the chance to sing on the big stage with the great sound technicians and audience and everything. Usually I am lugging around speakers and acting as my own roadie when I participate in charity or community shows. I tried to go with a really challenging song that showed my range, but I wonder if I would do better with a song that everyone knows?

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cruise kitty

cruise kitty

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Smoothdancer,

 

 

 

 

Kitty, I hope you enjoyed that Solstice cruise as much as we did. Thank you for the kind words about the singing. It would be nice to win the Celebrity Singer contest one of these days, but I really enjoy just the chance to sing on the big stage with the great sound technicians and audience and everything. Usually I am lugging around speakers and acting as my own roadie when I participate in charity or community shows. I tried to go with a really challenging song that showed my range, but I wonder if I would do better with a song that everyone knows?

 

We enjoyed it so much that we're doing the E. Med on Equinox next year, :D Regarding your song choice, DH & I both enjoyed it because it was something we'd never heard before, & it was such a fun song with a cute story. Hope you have a great time on your next cruise & good luck with your dance competition.

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iheartbda

iheartbda

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I didn't have time to get a flamenco dance ready for regionals, so I did the Mexican dance that I had already planned, but this spring we put together the flamenco dance. Here's a picture of me doing that dance, but next week I'll definitely have some pics in the flamenco dress.

 

 

 

#

Do you have a photo storing site like Flicker, Picasa, Snapfish, Photobucket? The are all free, easy to use and you can size them to post here and everyone would see a larger version to fully appreciate the detail and beauty of your gowns.:)

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cruise kitty

cruise kitty

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How fun! I have two left feet,(actually two left feet would be a step up for me:D) but when dd was in high school, she cheered, they also did the competitions, it was always fun to do the nationals at disney, her team placed 2nd a few times but the year after she graduated, they placed first... she was pretty irritated it didn't happen while she was there.

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smoothdancer

smoothdancer

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OMG. That dress really is quite incredible. Not to mention that you look wonderful.Thanks so much for posting that. No, LOL right now I am selling some of my ballroom gowns not buying! Actually my shopping will be for my EBay sales. I an hoping to find some nice deals to take home.

 

About Ebay Iheart, it is going really well.... So lets see, just entering my 4th week and I have sold 19 dresses. My inventory has gotton a bit low so today I am off again shopping to build it back up a bit. At first I was nervous to invest $$'s not sure I was making the right buying decisions but so far so good!! Sure, a few mistakes along the way but I am fine with that, as I learn. I do spend time reading the discussion boards, lot of very knowledgable people there. Thanks for asking.

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Cruise Arizona

Cruise Arizona

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Forgive my stupidity, but what exactly is flamenco dancing?

 

Flamenco dancing is a Spanish style of dancing that is part of the greater Flamenco art form. The art includes singing, rhythmic clapping and dancing, and guitar playing. I am a beginner but have mastered a few of the basic steps and rhythms, of which there are many. I even performed my first dance with castanets this year. Often the music is played live on guitar accompanies by clapping or tapping a beat box (has a fancy name, just can't think of it) Sometimes there are even two counter rhythms going at once. The art form originated in Andalusia Spain and combines the influences of Spanish, Gypsy (Roma), Moorish, and Jewish Cultures.

 

Thats the long answer, the short answer is that it is a Spanish Lady in a big dress stomping her feet to Spanish guitar music.

 

(FYI, Folklorico, which is Mexican dancing, combine these influences with Native Mexican influences, and even sometimes Afro Caribbean in the case of Vera Cruz regional music which uses the Marimba. The dance in the Yellow Dress is from the state of Jalisco, which contains Guadalajara and is the origin of Marichi music. Each state in Mexico has its own instrumentation, dance and costumes)

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rian90

rian90

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What a beautiful dress!! I don't even dance flamenco but I would have bought it. I love unique clothing items, especially with cultural significance. Every time you wear that dress or even look at it in your closet you will remember your trip. I am going to get something to wear on my next trip...a scarf, a hat, a pair of socks! :)

 

I love your story.

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