By Isabella Falero
Thunderous, rhythmic clapping. Percussive, chilling footwork. Expressive, storytelling hand, arm, and body movements. Loud pervasive cries of passionate sorrow and joy. All to the calm strumming of a toque (guitar). This is Spanish flamenco.
A trip to Spain isn’t a trip to Spain without at least one encounter with flamenco. Flamenco is widely accepted as the traditional dance of Spain, southern Spain to be exact.
What Exactly is Flamenco?
There is no other more unique form of dance than this one, characterized by five main parts: guitar playing, song, dance, hand-clapping, and finger-snapping. A group of men and women adorned in beautiful red, black, and white dresses and suits with flowers and handkerchiefs dance and sing and stop around until you are left with chills – and maybe a tear or two wanting to make its presence known.
The above gallery of videos best demonstrates key elements of a traditional flamenco performance. A guitarist is strumming songs on an acoustic guitar. Someone is singing breathy songs of despair and triumph. The main dancer is stomping, clapping, and snapping. The typical garment is shown – lots of beautiful frills!
During a flamenco performance, the audience is encouraged to shout, clap, snap, and hoot at the dancers and singers, participating in something known as “jaleo” or a form of hell-raising. Stomp your feet and clap your hands to encourage the performers and let them know you are loving every second.
“I feed off of the energy of the crowd when I perform,” confessed Juana Garay, the lead bailadora (female flamenco dancer) at Tablao de Carmen. “By the end of the performance, I’m a mess, and it’s because I just get lost in the crowd and the passion of the song.”
Anyone in the crowd can feel the dancers’ passion at a flamenco performance. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, head over to Tablao de Carmen for an unforgettable night of traditional Spanish tapas, sangria, and a life-changing authentic flamenco performance.
Although it may seem like flamenco has been a part of Spain since its inception, its history is a tad more complex than just that.
Flamenco and the Gypsies:
No one knows where the actual term “flamenco” originated, but most experts agree that the expressive art form began in southern Spain – Andalusia and Murcia – but was heavily influenced by Latin American, Caribbean (namely Cuban), and Jewish cultures.
The dance originated in the 15th century first with the arrival of the gypsies (Gitanos) to the Iberian Peninsula. Being a nomadic community of people, gypsies were constantly seeing and learning from all of the cultures they came into contact with. The folk dances they encountered slowly evolved into flamenco and then made their way to Spain.
“Flamenco was a way for the Gitanos to share their stories of love and loss artistically,” said Clara Gonzalez, the hostess at Tablao de Carmen. “This then became their identity, their own art of expression and it is what we try to emulate here.”
Flamenco in its Romantic Era:
The Romantic Era in Europe began around the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This is around when flamenco began to gain continental recognition and was beginning to be found in literature and arts. Before this growth in status, flamenco was extorted and oppressed by the Spanish monarchy as being a violent and anti-government form of art.
Flamenco worked perfectly with Romanticism because it was an emotional art at its core. Flamenco was a safe haven for romanticists.
What came next was typical for any popular art movement: its commercialization. Cafés cantantes (cafés and bars where flamenco song and dance was included with the meal), ads/posters/flyers, etc. were popping up all over Spain. Even the popular Spanish ballet studios were practicing flamenco and transforming their dancers into gypsies.
Flamenco joined its hot girl era so to speak as it became part of the Spanish popular culture, enjoyed by the aristocrats and elites.
Flamenco and the Rise of Franco:
When did flamenco become adopted as the national dance of Spain? It is rooted in its advocation by the harsh Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco (in authoritative control from 1936 to 1975).
Franco saw how much power flamenco held over the Spanish people and thus began using it to influence them. Flamenco began becoming a key medium for spreading government propaganda, through the songs sung, the films shown, and the literature read.
When Franco died in 1975, flamenco had become truly synonymous with Spanish identity.
“Flamenco is so engrained in our culture as Spaniards,” shared Garay. “Instead of being put into jazz or ballet classes growing up, my parents put me into flamenco classes and gifted me my first traje de gitana (“Gypsy outfit”/“flamenco outfit”) when I was only six years old.”
Now 33 years of age, Garay is a professional flamenco dancer, which is a job held in high regard in Spain.
Although most Spaniards oppose Franco and still avoid speaking about his rule, they can acknowledge what he did for the art form of flamenco.
Today, traces of flamenco can be found all over Spain.
Around any street corner, there is sure to be a café cantante. Speak with any local, and they will tell you how they dressed up as a traditional gypsy once or twice in their lifetime. Walk into any gift shop and there are sure to be flamenco outfits for sale or even paintings of dancers; flamenco iconography is so strong in the country.
If you ever have a chance, go watch an authentic flamenco performance. The dance itself is so powerful to experience. The music will be sure to make you feel something, anything. The facial expressions of the dancers will make you want to weep. It is such a raw, emotional, and passionate art form powerful enough to send waves of electricity through your body.
It is the closest thing to feeling the true spirit and identity of Spain.
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