By Zack Comeau

Arts & Features Editor

Lauren O’Donnell performs her rendition of flamenco dancing.

On a day when the temperature was already unusually warm for December, Lauren O’Donnell wiped away the sweat from her forehead inside the Heineman Ecumenical and Cultural Center.

In a building designed for prayer and worship, O’Donnell pounded the stage with her feet and threw her arms over her head to the rhythmic clapping, singing and intricate guitar patterns of her partners.

O’Donnell, guitarist Antonio “Tiriti” Tran and dancer Anastasia Yendiki brought their group FlamencoBoston to FSU, adding some flavor to the foul taste of studying, finals and papers as the end of the semester approaches.

The university’s acting chapel and center for cultural events, music, poetry readings and chorus concerts was completely filled with students eager to get a taste of the art of flamenco dancing.

Before the group spiced up the already warm late fall afternoon, O’Donnell had just one request of the filled-to-capacity crowd.

“If you like what you see, it’s great if you say ‘Olé,’” she said, providing a brief explanation of how audiences typically respond to their routine.

Without further ado, the group began their attempt to liven up the souls of the hard-working students.

Tran opened the first piece with inhuman-like speed in his hands and wrists. Playing without a pick, each note was struck with precision and each chord played with great flow and ease. He added aggression when necessary, but also moved around his instrument with a romantic charm.

It would appear that Tran had been studying the art of flamenco and the difficult guitar style that comes with it, but according to him, flamenco guitar playing has only been in his life for three years.

“I’ve taken a few lessons,” he said, adding that his skills were mostly self-taught. The improvisation that comes with flamenco, he said, is what attracts him the most. “It’s so different from other music. It’s much more fun than memorizing something.”

As O’Donnell sang the Spanish tune, Yendiki seemed to be in a trance, rising from her chair and abusing the stage with her feet, making music of her own which was in perfect sync with O’Donnell’s clapping.

O’Donnell and Yendiki would alternate between dancing, clapping and singing, as well as allowing Tran to showcase his talents as he performed his own composition.

“My goal is to enjoy this performance in this great space, and hopefully attract more people to come to my dance classes and to our shows,” said O’Donnell, adding that she has been studying and dancing the art of flamenco for 10 years. In 2008, she moved to Sevilla, Spain for a year to further study flamenco, and has returned each year.

Staff Assistant/Program Administrator and Artist in Residence Mark Evans, who brought FlamencoBoston to FSU, called flamenco an “intense experience.

“I was thrilled by the artists’ commitment and execution,” he said. “Equally thrilling was the audience reaction. Dancers, how do they create such magic? It always just sweeps me away!”

Mike Boss, a junior, said he’d never seen a flamenco show before. Although he said the singing did not appeal to him, the other elements had his attention. “The guitar and dancing were great,” he said.

Bryan McKenna, also a junior, said he liked the musical element that Tran brought to the performance. “The guitarist was incredible and really knew how to capture the audience,” he said. “It kept my attention the whole time.”