“Flamenco is an art-form of deep inspiration, a necessity of the soul, a cry [quejío]." 
– Traditional Andalusian Proverb

Inspiring stories

An unexpected volunteer 
I was still on a post-performance high following our first Flamenco for Food event at the Beechwood Market when a young man approached me asking if he could volunteer. I was not sure what to make of this request. All our volunteers were friends who were inspired to participate. I agreed to accept his contact information and to consider his offer. Fast forward several months: We have come to depend on this young man. He comes to classes at the community centre where I work as a volunteer, teaching Flamenco and sets up the heavy boards we use to protect the floors from the nails in our flamenco shoes. He does “palmas” for us during class. He puts up posters for our events. He attends events and does whatever needs to be done – setting up chairs, cleaning up, and even performing. We eventually learned that at the time of his offer, he had only been in Canada for two months with his wife and three-year-old son. We soon understood that he was forced to leave behind people he cared for and that they were not safe. He is now a valued part of our flamenco circle. Dancers drive him and his son home when the weather is not good for walking. I noticed his son (who calls me "auntie" and our guitarist "uncle") in tears at the end of an event and asked what the problem was. Our young man said with a smile, “he does not want the show to end.”   

Her doctor said, “Just dance’’
One of my students was forced to stop dancing due to health concerns. I did not want to pry and simply encouraged her to attend class as an observer or to join in with palmas and/or jaleo. Several months went by, and I did not see her until she showed up at one of our events. She disclosed that her health situation was serious and that there was nothing her doctors could do for her. She stated that there was a bit of good news in her results. She was told that there was no longer any point to the dancing restrictions. I continue to see her in the community and at our events. When she is invited to dance during the “fin de fiesta”, she looks joyful and vibrant. It has been well over a year since she shared her news.  Something tells me she will be dancing for years to come.    

A lesson about who uses the food bank
The day after our first Flamenco for Food event, I was chatting with a friend who asked me about my weekend. I began sharing about the project and how surprised I was by how many people came out and how much food we collected. This friend then said, “Yes, I remember my dumpster diving days”. I was confused and perplexed by this comment and asked for clarification. Confusion turned into shock as I listened to heartbreaking details about what it was like to wait for the flashing “fresh donuts” sign in a shop window. This signalled the time to rush to the dumpster in the back and grab enough stale donuts to cover four days' worth of meals. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that I cannot assume that others dear to me have not had similar experiences. My friend hugged me and said, “You cannot save everyone, but for some, this food will be what they need to get back on track in life”. I was amazed by my friend’s grace and fortitude as I listened to the words that followed: “Food for the food bank is always at the top of my grocery list.”