Counter Culture (or is it counterPOINT culture?)

I was still living downtown in 1997 but getting ready for The Big Move, otherwise known as moving in with Saint Jerome (that was before he attained sainthood). It was July 4th and I ran by my place to grab some stuff. We decided to eat breakfast at Polonia, my favorite Polish diner in the neighborhood at the time (now we only eat at Little Poland when we're down there). Well, there were NO available tables so Saint Jerome insisted that we sit at the counter. I didn't want to sit at the counter. After a fuss, we sat at the counter. I was whiney because we weren't even under the air vent, but in front of the grill and I was hot and sticky. Anyway, a few minutes later a young guy sits down on the far side of Saint Jerome. He looks familiar. In fact, I knew who he was. I whisper to Saint Jerome "That's Martin Santangelo from Noche Flamenca." Saint Jerome whispers back, "Why don't you say something to him?" We go back and forth and Martin Santangelo knows something is going on with the strange couple sitting next to him. He looks at us so I say, "You're Martin Santangelo!" He confirms the fact and I tell him how much I love Noche Flamenca (he's the director and star) and that I've saw them in previous years but I couldn't afford to go because I had just seen Sara de Luis's troupe from Seattle in Homenaje at Columbia University. Martin Santangelo asked for our names and said he'd leave tickets for us!

When we got to the Pearl Theatre at 80 St Mark's Place, our names, indeed, were there on the comp list! It was a fantastic performance. Soledad Barrio (Martin Santangelo's wife) is an amazing dancer. Better yet, Sara de Luis was in the audience so I got to tell her how much I enjoyed her company the night before (indeed, they did a multi-couple Sevillanas with the women wearing bata de colas which was fabulous!).

Martin Santangelo was injured at the time and didn't perform but it was still wonderful. Saint Jerome always tells me, "Aren't you glad we sat at the counter?" I'm a counter culture convert!

a little bit of Noche Flamenco with Soledad Barrio and Martin Santangelo