FLAMENCO TUESDAYS! On the second Tuesday of each month, Soleil Rouge has a Spanish flamenco dancer…read moreand singer perform in the basement level.
I am not at all familiar with flamenco, and absolutely terrified of dancing. So I come with some co-workers under the strict prereq that they are in no circumstances to try to get me out of my seat. So when I see that the basement floor is half the size of the upper floor and the room is scattered with small backless stools and low tables, my first thought is "this better be a short performance, those seats look horribly uncomfortable."
We get a couple of bottles of wine, some tapas, and I settle myself down in an uncomfortable circle only a foot or so above the floor.
And then someone starts singing. It's unfamiliar to me, and his intensity is a bit overwhelming for my demure Asian disposition :-P.
And then the dancer starts to clap in such rhythm that I didn't know human hands could keep. My eyes are completely locked on his lean, sinewed arms. The music gets more and more intense, his clapping gets more and more rhythmical, and then he stands up with the posture of either a toreador or a french butler. His wooden heel slams on the floor, and he sets off into these liquid motions that he must have been born with. What a sight to see, the interplay of such passionate music, calculated but effortless motions, piercing eyes locking on the gaze of individual patrons, all without a hint of a smile. It was my first flamenco experience, but those much more knowledgeable informed me that he is, in fact, one of the best dancers they've seen.
As the night wore on, the intensity gave way to friendly celebration, with people getting up to dance, and me forgetting the discomfort of the chairs.
If you love flamenco or are unfamiliar with it (there seems to be no middle ground), second Tuesdays at Soleil Rouge is a must-see. The performance begins at 8, and try to get settled in your seats on time. If you are noisy, be warned, you will be shushed.