Flamenco Essay

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A folk dance from Spain, Flamenco’s origin began in the province of Andalusia, Spain. Thought to have evolved in the 16th century but with only 200 years of documented proof, flamenco involves singing, dancing, clapping, and the guitar simultaneously. The Flamenco dancers, once referred to as Gyspies and now Romanies, were a persecuted people. This style of dance is a mix of four cultures: Gypsies, Moors, Jewish, and indigenous Andalusians. Much of what flamenco is within society is a history passed down from generation to generation. Flamenco was dance form once known as an outlet for the poor and oppressed which at time, was not performed publicly. Flamenco is not just a form of dance alone. To the people of Andalusia, Flamenco is song; also known as cante, dance (baile) and guitar (guitarra). Andalusia, Spain, whose capital is Seville is often referred to as the “mother” of folklore. With ” 3000 hours of sun per year, many kilometers of golden sand beaches and those beautiful natural ports (aboutspain)”, Andalusia is filled with an eclectic mix of culture, color, art, and music. Because Andalusia was populated by a variety of culture / people, week long festivals are celebrated on a yearly basis. Weather and landscape do not contribute to the art of Flamenco, but its people. From a historical aspect, flamenco was and still is a land where dance is part of life. Flamenco made its public debut in the mid-19th century with its first dance establishment called Cafes’ Cantante. Though very little interest was taken, by the late 1860’s, the art of flamenco and cafes’ began to spread across the country and as far as Madrid. Unfortunately, by the late 1920’s, Flamenco again began to decline in terms dance interest. With the civil war and Second World War ravaging the country, Andalusia was nearing even greater poverty and starvation. It wasn’t until the late 1950’s

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