Flamenco night in Dénia
Admit it: Before you were as familiar with Spain as you are now, you thought it would be full of polka-dot skirts, castañets, gypsy guitars and hand-clapping. You know you did. There's nothing to be ashamed of, we won't tell anyone, and we promise not to laugh (much).
All this stereotypical fluff does, in fact, exist, although it's limited to summer fiestas in the far south and to the Feria de Abril in Sevilla; fallera dresses with coffeecoaster hairdos and dolçainaplayers are more the thing in this neck of the woods.
But just occasionally, you can immerse yourself in cheesy Spanish clichés without the seven-hour drive to Andalucía – and tomorrow (Saturday, February 8) is one of these times.
Head to Dénia's theatre auditorium for 20.00 for a flamenco extravaganza with Javi Gómez on guitar, María Portillo as cantaora (that's 'singer' in flamenco speak), and Nacho 'El Cojo' on percussion.
All your typical olé-ing and clapping and dancing and swirling skirts and sevillanas steps are waiting for you right there on the stage – and now you've admitted you thought this was what Spain's streets looked like on an average weekday in winter, you can also 'fess up to the fact you love a bit of fast-paced flamenco.
Yes, you do. We've seen your feet tapping when you hear the Gypsy Kings over the muzak speakers, and we've caught you chair-dancing to David Bisbal's Bulería, too. So go on, off you go – tickets are on sale tonight (Friday, February 7) from 19.00 to 21.00 and tomorrow from 18.00 on the door, a snip at just €8.
Didn't see this article in time? Never mind. Head to the same Social Centre theatre for 19.00 on Sunday (February 9) to catch Désirée Akhavan's brilliant The Miseducation of Cameron Post. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, this cult chick-flick focuses on Cameron's incarceration in a 'treatment centre' called 'God's Promise' after she's caught on the back seat of a car with the prom queen, and how she makes friends with other residents pretending to go along with 'conversion therapy' just so they can get out of there.
It's shown in the original English, but with Spanish subtitles, to help you practise the language if you need to, and tickets (sold on the door) cost just €3.