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Flamenco!
By Neil Peterson | December 21, 2009
If swing dancing is the ballroom epitome of the American spirit – all cheer and flailing arms and exuberance, which culture or country does Flamenco embody? To answer that question, it requires an unraveling of centuries of dance tradition. Although linked in the cultural consciousness to Spain, Flamenco’s origins are much broader in scope and richer in history. It is the music and dance of the Gypsies – a dance that like the people, is shrouded in a mystery born of hundreds of years of persecution, nomadic wanderings and a combination of influences. Unlike ballroom dances born from the staid, conservative traditions of European court dance, truly understanding Flamenco is frustratingly mysterious task – and beguiling to any who choose to look deeper into the art form.
Flamenco Algerias
Even the name itself is an enigma – prone to a myriad of interpretations. Dance scholars haven’t yet agreed on the actual origins of the term Flamenco. Some believe it is a bastardization of ‘flamingos’ – possibly in reference to the strong, confident poses struck by the dancers. Others point to a rough translation of the Flemish soldiers of the Spanish-Belgian territories, who were respected for their style, self-confidence, and pride. One writer believes the word harkens to a Hispano-Arabic word, ‘fellahmengu’ – signifying ‘expelled peasant’ or ‘Gypsy’. Whatever the true origin of the word, the history of Flamenco is no less disputed – having as its home less a physical place than a cultural tradition shared by generations of dancers.
Many modern practitioners point to the Andalusian region of Spain as the home of Flamenco – but its musical genesis is far older. Traces of Islamic and Jewish artistic influences are distinctly noticeable in the music – based largely around percussive rhythms and intricate guitar playing. Following Spain’s conquest of the New World, the music and dance steps of Latin America also weaved their way into the Flamenco tradition – combining with moves that many scholars believe demonstrate the dance’s true East Indian origins. After the exodus of thousands of people from India’s Punjabi region between 800 and 900 A.D., these displaced musicians, palmists, artists and acrobats – formerly members of India’s Untouchable caste – would become the Gypsies of lore, moving across Asia to settle on the European continent. It was this unique culture that would further develop and embrace the art of Flamenco, melding the familiar with the fantastic.
References to the dance first appeared in Spanish literature in 1774, the so-called ‘Hermetic Period’ of Flamenco, when it was performed in the seclusion of Gypsy homes in Seville and Cadiz. Less than a century later, Flamenco would rise in popularity in cafés cantantes, where skilled performers would present the distinct style for a paying crowd. During this time, the dance would also inspire composers and artists to incorporate Flamenco musical stylings into their works, which furthered the style’s influence across Europe.
Flamenco continued to persevere, from the small, intimate performances of the Spanish café culture into larger venues around the world – it’s popularity boosted by the success of respected performers of the day. While most early Flamenco dancers received little professional training, learning instead through watching and imitating neighbors or relatives, today’s Flamenco dancers are usually skilled in contemporary and ballet styles to improve their physical abilities. Notable for the dancer’s distinct carriage, ‘Flamenco Puro’ is likely the closest style to the dance’s historic origins – performed by a solo dancer and improvised to the accompanying music. Although today Flamenco is danced by ballroom enthusiasts worldwide, the dance has still retained its place in the hearts – and culture – of its creators, performed by Spanish Gypsies to mark a time of celebration in a tribute to their ancestral heritage.
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