Dancing with mantón is a challenging thing to learn. The first time I danced a solo with mantón, I was in a Christmas show, for which we were rehearsing in upstate New York. There was a theatrical part, where we were decorating a Christmas tree. I pulled out some garland, and started dancing across the stage with it, twirling it around me. The director loved it, and weaved in a story about my character receiving a mantón for Christmas; which I would then dance with.
This was for a national tour, with international artists. I had one day to put the solo together. I had never taken a mantón class in my life. I spent all day and evening in the studio. I had a short alegrías to prepare, but it felt like Mt. Everest before
