Who knows how much flamenco shoes cost? Certainly, people who have bought them before do. Also, people that need them but can’t afford them have a pretty good idea. Flamenco shoes are a necessary part of the dance, without which dancers are sidelined, many of them local kids who don’t come from families with a lot of extra money. Some arts are like that, which brings us to Giving Tuesday and the shoes (or lack thereof) of Flamenco Works in Barelas.Giving Tuesday is a global day of soliciting donations for nonprofit organizations doing good works in local communities. Started in 2012, Giving Tuesday is a rallying point for organizations that are underfunded to reach out to their neighbors and supporters to ask for a little help. Most of the time that means money. Money is always in short supply and has the unique ability to transform into so many things. Flamenco Works is among more than 100 Albuquerque-based nonprofits that would be delighted for your donation of money, but this year, they want your shoes.Dubbed “The Flamenco Shoe Drive,” Flamenco Works is asking flamenco artists, current or former, to dig into their closets and donate their old shoes, skirts and accessories so that the next generation of young flamenco artists can thrive. It is a way that the artists in a community can support the arts they are a part of without shelling out money. It is beautiful in its simplicity.Flamenco Works’ Giving Tuesday request also begs the question: What other arts organizations could use your help this Tuesday (and throughout the year)? What things can you do to support the arts, artists and organizations in Albuquerque that mean something to you? Givingtuesday.org lists organizations that are actively participating in this year’s Dec. 3 fundraising drive and by all means support them with your money if you can, but many of those organizations also maintain lists of actual items (and volunteer activities) that they need. This Tuesday, ask your favorite what they need. It may be something as simple as your old shoes.
Donate flamenco shoes, skirts and accessories at:Flamenco Works1010 Coal Ave. SWor see flamencoworks.org for more information
