I went on stage without knowing what was going to happen and I used that theatrically how I had learned in my three years of acting career with the teacher of teachers William Layton and Stanislavski's method to make it organic. When Montoyita, the Director of the Casino, saw me go out carrying the cauldron with both hands above my head, his face in the foreground, very handsome indeed, and the faces of all the musicians, each one more handsome, for where I was passing, they were as if they were seeing a fairy in the middle of the night. I lit the fire with a match that I took from the light of my black lace stockings, to the beat of the best flamenco violinist in the world, Bernardo Parilla, and that fire got into my veins like poison. When it was my husband's turn to go out, of course he came out with the red shirt, and my anger turned it into pure passion. It was my moment and I made him suffer without following the choreography we had rehearsed in some moments so that he would feel confused and just chase me around the stage totally in love with me and making it very clear that Gilda is the boss! It was an incredible success, the audience standing still clapping for many minutes ... that's the only thing that mattered to me, first day over! 

 

One of the dancers was totally in love with a Spanish actress who at that time was living in the mansion of the Director of the Spanish Tourism Office and his husband, the writer. From time to time I would approach them and tell them that I did not want to cut them off, but that the plane to Madrid left in the morning and that he had to take it yes or yes. I had gotten into the role a lot and I was jealous that my husband was leaving with someone else. I began to get involved with her telling her that it seemed very good that they were together, but that he was under my responsibility and had to go to the hotel in the Van with everyone. She provoked me and told me that he was too old to take care of himself and that what time was the flight. I acted like I didn't listen to her, and told my husband; —You are coming with everyone !. 

On the terrace in the mountain house, which was what the writer called it, I could realize that a singer had frozen in a corner with a girl, the same one with whom he left the theater dressing room and who did not separate even to go to the bathroom. In the kitchen, the violinist fed cake to the 22-year-old daughter of one of the Warner Bross Directors. The guitarists were like stunned playing rumbas for the models who danced some with bra in hand, the bullfighter's brother, the manager, from group to group and non-stop talking to Malaga's English accent trying making contacts, but nobody paid any attention to him. 

And so each gangster fell in love with his follower in every corner of the mansion. In LA, women are lacking in love, they work hard and have no time for adventures, much less as passionate as those who were living for 5 days. So they were all foolish and hunger joined with the desire to eat. 

 

My alert jumped again and Sofía and I immediately transformed into Monty and Bandolery, we began to plan as usual, our plan B, C, D and until we reached the F…which was precisely what everyone wanted. 

This time with my talents as an actress, I got on the wooden table in the center of the Salon as if I were going to do a footwork and taking advantage of my speech of thanks to the Tourism office, I used the plan B and announced in a very loud voice, the most that the Champagne left me, that they had prepared a farewell for us at the Biltmore Hotel where we were staying and that they were all invited, and in that way to have them all controlled. But it had the opposite effect and some gangsters took advantage of the movement to escape with their fans and not return to the hotel. Once again we found ourselves in the situation of not sleeping, but that plane had to leave with Flamenco Dreams in full or it would have been the ruin. 

 

Ava and my self opened the hotel bar clandestinely and stayed drinking and chatting softly with everyone who followed us, to anesthetize ourselves and not feel the pain of waiting and continue to toast as Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner for the success that we had. And if course already thinking about The Second Annual Los Angeles Flamenco Festival. 

Every time a musician arrived it was an event in the bar, the guests had seen them on stage and now they saw them arrive at 5 in the morning with a face of astonishment at the show they never expected to find. It was clear that each one knew his responsibility and they were already established artists enough to scold them like children, but good flamenco also has that risk. That is why I never found a good manager. Nobody wanted to deal with flamencos and I had always brought pure gypsies in my company, because with them I was assured the rhythm, the soniquet and the power to improvise. Shortly after, on one of my trips back to Madrid this time with Paul, having dinner at a flamenco tablao, we were chatting with the only manager who dared to bring flamencos famous. QWho by the way, in Merida, after performing at the Roman Theater, appeared in my room at 3 in the morning along with the super recognized dancer and choreographer he represented, offering to sign a contract for a tour with my own company , but I had to appear in Interviú magazine with my flamenco skirt raised so that I could be seen without underwear. They told me that if I didn't sign it, they would offer it to bailaora Sara Baras. It seemed like a joke but it was real, of course I did not sign and I ran out of tour. Now I would be super famous! But it was more important not to disrespect my grandfather General of the Army, my father, my whole family and myself. 

The manager seemed super interested in representing Flamenco Dreams, he knew that the cast was a bomb and that it would fill the stages. I, who was already a Business Woman, had talked to him about business and he was delighted. The pity was when we left the tablao saying goodbye at the door and we woke up suddenly seeing the uncomfortable and well-deserved situation that the manager was going through while surely arguing like all the days, with the waiter reproaching him that he had to pay for his numerous drinks and the ones he had invited. Paul immediately looked at me and said; - You are Esther Ponce and you cannot afford to take an unpresentable like this guy, you move in a diplomatic environment, they respect you and it would be a big mistake. 

 

We were still in the hotel bar, there were a few hours left for the Los Angeles - Madrid flight and all the musicians had already arrived except my husband. Ava and I went to sleep, at least 15 of them would fly to Madrid. Paul waited, hoping to get the 16 on the list to the airport. But the dancer never made it to the hotel and showed up at the airport under the watchful eye of 15 gangsters with hangovers, sunglasses and creeps. I couldn't sleep until the flight left with everyone on the plane.