El Bailaor Accidental
(The Accidental Dancer)
Todo empezó porque Ignacio había prometido a su novia que la acompañaría a la feria de Jerez.
It all started because Ignacio had promised his girlfriend that he would go with her to the Jerez fair.
No le gustaba bailar, nunca había bailado en su vida y, de hecho, se consideraba la persona menos rítmica de toda Andalucía.
He did not like dancing, he had never danced in his life and, in fact, he considered himself the least rhythmic person in all of Andalusia.
Sin embargo, quería impresionarla, así que le dijo que había tomado clases de flamenco de pequeño.
However, he wanted to impress her, so he told her he had taken flamenco classes as a child.
La noche de la feria, Rocío lo llevó directamente al escenario principal. <<Cariño, mi primo Paco necesita un bailaor para la actuación de esta noche>>, le explicó con una sonrisa enorme. <<Le he dicho que tú sabrías bailar perfectamente>>.
On the night of the fair, Rocio took him straight to the main stage. <<Darling, my cousin Paco needs a flamenco dancer for tonight's show>>, she explained with a huge smile. <<I told him that you would know how to dance perfectly>>.
Ignacio se quedó pálido.
Ignacio went pale.
Había imaginado que bailaría un poco entre la multitud, no delante de trescientas personas.
He had imagined he would dance a little among the crowd, not in front of three hundred people.
Paco le dio un traje prestado que le quedaba dos tallas grande.
Paco gave him a borrowed suit that was two sizes too big for him.
Los pantalones se le caían y el chaleco le colgaba por todos lados. <<No te preocupes>>, le dijo Paco. <<Simplemente zapatea con fuerza y pon cara seria.
The trousers kept falling down and the waistcoat hung loosely everywhere. <<Don't worry>>, Paco told him. <<Just stamp your feet hard and put on a serious face.
El público no notará la diferencia>>.
The audience won't notice the difference>>.
Ignacio quería salir corriendo, pero Rocío lo miraba con tanta ilusión que no fue capaz de confesarle la verdad.
Ignacio wanted to run away, but Rocio was looking at him with so much excitement that he was not able to confess the truth to her.
La música empezó y Ignacio salió al escenario.
The music started and Ignacio went out on stage.
Dio un primer zapatazo tan fuerte que se le salió el zapato y voló hacia la primera fila.
He stamped his foot so hard the first time that his shoe flew off and sailed into the front row.
El público se rio a carcajadas.
The audience burst out laughing.
Entonces, sin saber qué hacer, empezó a improvisar movimientos ridículos: agitaba los brazos como un molino de viento, giraba en círculos y tropezaba con su propio traje.
Then, not knowing what to do, he started improvising ridiculous movements: he waved his arms like a windmill, spun in circles and tripped over his own suit.
Cuanto más se equivocaba, más se reía la gente.
The more he got it wrong, the more the crowd laughed.
Al final de la actuación, el público le dedicó una ovación de pie.
At the end of the show, the audience gave him a standing ovation.
Todos creían que había sido un espectáculo de comedia a propósito.
Everyone believed it had been a comedy act on purpose.
Paco lo abrazó y le dijo: <<Ha sido lo mejor que hemos tenido en veinte años de feria>>.
Paco hugged him and said: <<That was the best thing we've had in twenty years of the fair>>.
Rocío, muerta de risa, le susurró al oído: <<Sabía que no habías bailado en tu vida, tonto.
Rocio, dying of laughter, whispered in his ear: <<I knew you had never danced in your life, silly.
Pero necesitaba que alguien hiciera reír a mi primo.
But I needed someone to make my cousin laugh.
Lleva meses triste>>.
He's been sad for months>>.
Ignacio no supo si reírse o enfadarse.
Ignacio did not know whether to laugh or be angry.
Al final, se rio.
In the end, he laughed.
Key Vocabulary
acompañar to accompany, to go with
el bailaor a flamenco dancer (male, Andalusian form)
zapatear to stamp one's feet (in flamenco)
tropezar to trip, to stumble
a carcajadas in fits of laughter, uproariously
improvisar to improvise
a propósito on purpose, deliberately
la ovación the ovation, the applause
la feria the fair, the festival
el escenario the stage