JUAN SIDDI FLAMENCO THEATER COMPANY
His feet move so fast they become a blur and his intensity is palpable. Juan Siddi is a master of Flamenco. Born in Germany of a Spanish mother and Italian father, he was exposed to dance at an early age and made his professional debut at 18. In 2002, the young dancer became a soloist with Maria Benitez’s Teatro Flamenco. The company had been performing in Santa Fe during July and August for over twenty-five years. In 2007, the legendary Benitez retired and turned the stage at The Lodge at Santa Fe over to the young dancer and his newly formed Juan Siddi Flamenco Theater Company. The company consisting of Siddi, featured guest artist, Carola Zertuche (artistic director of the Theatre Flamenco San Francisco), five woman dancers and four musicians performs six nights a week. The program says the essence of Flamenco is the cante or song, here performed by a principal singer, a drummer (who occasionally joins in the singing), a supporting guitarist and the well-known Spanish Flamenco guitarist, Chuscales, born Jose Valle Fajardo. His compelling style is the perfect match for the passion that Siddi brings to the stage. Together, they are riveting.
The women are fascinating to watch. Their embroidered shawls and long slender, ruffled skirts are an integral part of the dance. Hands move gracefully, often with speed, feet tap heavily and quickly on the wooden stage as they dance in precision. But, there is no doubt that Siddi is the star. His solos bring gasps, cheers and wild applause from the audience. The experience is emotional for the spectators and it appears they are still under the dancers’ spell as they file from the theater. An evening spent with the Juan Siddi Flamenco Theater Company is a night you will long remember
LA CASA SENA
We decided to lunch here on Monday as their patio is one of the best out-door dining spots in Santa Fe. Steve had a special, a salad with seared Ahi tuna and I had the menu special which included a choice of black bean soup or salad and an entrée. I went with the soup- it's silky and delicious and I sometimes order a bowl for lunch. To celebrate the occasion, we were going to indulge in one my favorite desserts in town, the Dobos Torte, but it was recently removed from the menu, a great loss. Lunch by the fountain was really tranquil and special.
COYOTE CAFÉ CANTINA
Tuesday evening we decided on a casual dinner at the Rooftop Cantina at the renowned Coyote Café. The Cantina with its interesting food and drink menus is always a fun place and the prices are reasonable. Luckily we moved from our original table due to the arrival of a large party- we were concerned they'd be loud. Thunder and lightened preceded torrential rains. The first table was completely open to the elements, we would have been drenched. Our corner table was mostly sheltered. I stayed dry- Steve’s back got soaked and by the end of the meal. our feet were on wet cement We made it through dinner and decided to have dessert at the restaurant bar downstairs- it was time to dry off. It was a wonderful pre-birthday evening.
For Wednesday, the actual birthday, we planned a full day, come share it with us. It was a really special day- and you can recreate it when you visit Santa Fe.
GEORGIA O’KEEFFE HOME AND STUDIO TOUR
I’ve wanted tour Georgia O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiu for years. The tours always filled up way in advance and my life was hard to schedule months or even weeks out, so I never got there. At a recent breakfast at the O’Keeffe Museum, I saw a newly released video, "Georgia O’Keeffe, Houses of Her Own" about O’Keeffe’s Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch homes. The film really piqued my interest, I was determined to tour the home and studio. What a great thing to do on my birthday. (Due to its deteriorated condition, the Ghost Ranch house is not open to the public. My dream is to someday get special dispensation to tour it.)
We were able to book space on the 11 AM home tour the week before. In the past, due to the tours popularity (there are a lot of O'Keeffe fans out there) we would have been placed on a waiting list. This year, probably a combination of the economy and the newly expanded tour schedule, we were able to get in at the last minute.
We arrived at the O’Keeffe Home tour office at the Abiquiu Inn with time to spare. Steve and I had talked to Joyce, the woman who runs the office, for years, making tour reservations, bu we had never met her. Our early arrival gave us time to get to know the busy Joyce a little. She knew the woman Abiquiu residents affectionately referred to as Miss O'Keeffe, personally. Her family were neighbors and the artist would visit their home. She has some great stories. When the rest of our group arrived we were directed to a small bus (maximum tour size 12,) and driven to the property.
The house is on a mesa overlooking the Chama River Valley, the mountains and O’Keeffe’s beloved and often painted White Place. The expansive views are inspiring, they made me want to pick up a paintbrush. When Georgia O’Keeffe first saw the traditional adobe (circa 1790), it was a ruin owned by the Catholic Church. They did not want to sell it. She really wanted this house, she claims she fell in love with the black door, and she was persistent. She negotiated with the Church for years and they finally relented and sold it to her with the stipulation that she keep the original structure intact. If they had not sold it, the house, then in terrible repair, would eventually have collapsed.
O’Keeffe wanted a second home in the area as she could not successfully grow vegetables at Ghost Ranch about 15 miles up the road. She loved her gardens and canned and froze what she could not immediately consume. The freezing and canning were done in her kitchen and pantry. Her 50's appliances (which she retained until she left the home in 1984) were top of the line when she moved in.
The home’s sparse furnishings are a study in 50’s modernity. and represent the big names in Mid-century furniture. Pieces by Herman Miller, Charles Eames, and Eero Saarinen are scattered throughout the house and a Noguchi shade reigns over the simple dining-room table and is the only lampshade in the house, O’Keeffe favored bare bulbs.
O’Keeffe, was a rock collector and there are rocks all over the house, they are an integral part of the décor. I, too collect rocks and scatter them around the house, so I appreciate these touches. Also on view are some of the skulls she is famous for painting.
The guided-tour is an hour and we wish it had been longer. We would have enjoyed more time to wander the beautiful grounds where salt cedars from the Mid-east, poisonous Jimson Weed (Datura), a flower she sometimes painted and sculpted junipers make for an unusual landscape. At the end of the hour we got back on the bus and were driven back to our starting point hungry and ready for lunch.
ICE’S FARM AND TEAROOM
The perfect lunch spot after our trip back to the 50’s is the retro Ice’s Tea Room in Alcalde, about ½ hour southeast of the O’Keeffe Home and Studio. I had heard about this place for years, but had never gotten there. We were having a day of firsts. The farm grows organic produce, herbs and edible flowers and what’s in season shows up at lunch. They share the farm’s surplus bounty at the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market. I used the term retro as Ice's reminded us of family and farm tables from when we were growing up. The price-fixed, 5-course tea/lunch is a great value. There are only three tables and reservations are required. We had a great time eating and watching the many hummingbirds dining at the multiple-feeders outside the dining-porch. Ice's is right nextdoor to Los Luceros, former home of heiress Mary Cabot Wheelwright and new home to Sundance, NM.
GERONIMO
Celebrating my birthday dinner on the portal at Geronimo has become a Santa Fe tradition. We had not dined with the new Asian/French/New American fusion menu and we loved it, but then chef/owner Eric DiStefano is a genius. And the front of the house runs incredibly well too thanks to long-time managing partner, Chris Harvey. What a perfect end to a memorable day.
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