Flamenco

One of the traditional dance forms of Spain is flamenco, which combines the culture of the gypsies and the Moorish culture of North Africa. It developed in the province of Andalucía, but has elements from many different cultures. This dance is highly rhythmic, but also relies on the use of beautiful hand movements. Its name means “similar to fire” and reflects the strong emotion used in this form of dance.

Flamenco is usually accompanied by a gypsy style of singing— rhythmic clapping and foot stomping, accompanied by a guitar. There are different types of songs, some which are only sung, some which combine singing and dancing, but no instruments, and others which include the guitar. When dancing the flamenco, the hands move in a way that is often compared to a fan or flowers unfolding. The posture is tall and proud, with intense facial expressions to convey the strong emotion of the song and music.

In this video, Señora Alicia teaches both concepts of fast and slow in musical rhythm, while also focusing on the use and positions of the hands. All of these are basic concepts in flamenco, which relies on rhythm and speed to maintain the intensity of the music, while the movement of the hands provides a beautiful visual movement that helps express the passion of the dance.

Print Background Essay