The Whirling World of a Flamenco Dancer

Yes, a flamenco dance is comprised of a variation of basic elements. Those elements include footwork as well as arm and body movements. Fancy, complicated footwork is really only fast combinations of five or six basic steps: for example, "planta," "tacon," "golpe" and "talon." Most importantly, beyond executing the footwork cleanly, is staying in rhythm, or compas.

I'm sure you listen to a lot of flamenco music. What do you listen to when you need a break?

[Laughs.] Well, being married to a flamenco guitarist, the moment you're not in his general vicinity, you try to listen to something else. I typically like to listen to anything from Ella Fitzgerald to Etta James to Frank Sinatra to Sarah McLachlan to Norah Jones to U2. In general, though, I listen to so much flamenco at home with Richard. . . . I'm kind of a jack-of-all-trades, but my husband is a master of one thing, and that is flamenco guitar playing. He's really special.

You bring up being a jack-of-all-trades, and you truly are. You have experience in firefighting, being an emergency medical technician, playing field hockey. What's the story behind all of those activities?

I just wanted to try a lot of different things. When I was about 16, I met someone who was a medical technician, and she told me if you become a volunteer firefighter you can ride the ambulance and be a firefighter at 16. So that's why I became a firefighter: not because I wanted to go into burning buildings, but because it was a requirement for me to be able to ride in the ambulances.

So, now that you've been dancing flamenco for the past 12 years, how much of your closet is devoted to flamenco dresses and shoes?

[Laughs.] Oh, my goodness, a lot. I have at least six to 10 dresses in one piece or another and at least 10 pairs of shoes. And you go through them very quickly.

The dance at times seems very serious and dramatic. What's going through your head while you dance?

I don't know if I'm thinking anything other than, "Oh, my goodness, what's the next step going to be?" [Laughs.] But sometimes, you listen to what the cante [song] is doing; you get into the words or the music that surrounds you. I get a lot of energy from the people in the audience, and it really sends me to a different place, whether it's a happy dance or a sad dance.

I personally have two left feet and no rhythm. What do you suggest for people who don't have any dance experience and don't want to look completely stupid?

It's all about having fun and knowing your strengths. So if you're not very good at the footwork, just concentrate on the arm movements and the attitude. The great thing about flamenco is that you can get started at any age and any shape. It doesn't matter. Flamenco is about living and life translating into a dance form.

Catch regular performances by Sara Jerez-Marlow at these area bars and restaurants:

Mondays at 8 and 9 p.m. at Cafe Citron (1343 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-530-8844).·

Wednesdays between 8 and 10 p.m. at Las Tapas (710 King St., Alexandria, 703-836-4000).·

Fridays between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. at La Tasca (607 King St., Alexandria, 703-299-9810).

For more information about local flamenco dancing, visithttp://www.dcflamenco.com.