Flamenco dancing, is an art form that evolved in the Andalusia region of Spain, consisting mostly of the southern part of the country. The dance was mainly a form of expression for the local Gypsies, who are believed to have created the form in harmony with the cultural and nomadic lifestyle of Spain. The dance is typically characterized by a pompous music, singing and dancing accompanied by short claps to differentiate different musical notes, stamping and heel movement in an artistic manner. It is important to understand this context to impart the crucial emotional appeal to the dance. The same dance underwent a revival in the 1950s, when it became more refined, being performed in concert halls, dance auditoriums and acquired a professional character, across the world.
Starting with Flamenco Dancing Lessons
The most important point to begin learning a dance, specially one like flamenco is that, one should not give up. It is not natural for everybody to perform the most graceful movements from the word go. Different people take different time duration, to master the steps. Therefore, relax and remember, trying persistently is the hallmark of a good flamenco dancer. Flamenco dance steps are very rapid, successive movements of the feet, which make that distinctive tapping sound. In order to get those the feet movement should be fast and at the same time each step sound must be clearly distinguished from the other. The best way to achieve perfection in this form, is to break down the steps and master each segment well, before integrating the whole art form.
The most important of flamenco dancing lessons is patience. In flamenco dancing, there is very less scope for a mistake as compared to other forms. The reason is, in flamenco dance, people would notice a wrong step as well as hear a wrong tap. Note, if your steps are out of sync with other dancers. Thus, it may be referred to as a 'double fault'. A correct tap would bring out a distinctive sound, and it will happen only when the heel and toe landing 'flat' together to get that characteristic sound. The tap should be such that the toe should land first, immediately followed by the heel.
Another important flamenco dance lesson is, to balance the body on the hips top and get the right rhythm out of the tapping sequence. The knee movement should be supple and quick, just as in case of the tap dance. A typical flamenco sequence is a series of five taps. For the sake of convenience, these can be called as 'THHTF'. First give a toe tap, followed by the heel. The heel is quickly lifted to give another tap, which is again followed by a tap by the toe which had stayed out on the floor after the first tap. These movements of the feet on regular practice become more graceful and a quite enjoying experience when accompanied by artistic hand and upper body movement.
Flamenco Dance Costumes
A flamenco dancer, both male and female, have a variety of options to choose from in terms of the costume. However, the mood of the sequence whether sad or a zestful one should be exemplified by the dress. A wide brimmed skirt, traditional fans, shawls (typically manila shawls), flower design patterns and castanets are the typical dance wear for a flamenco performance. The dress should be completely matching with that of the partner or fellow dancers. Shoes must match the requirement and must have nails in the heel and the toes. Men can wear sturdy boots. Women need to be more particular about the flamenco shoes. But in the initial stages, regular, strong and sturdy shoes for both the sexes are recommended over the flamenco ones.
Synchronization, in terms of dance movements, dressing styles and partner compatibility are the main constituents of a rousing flamenco performance.
No comments:
Post a Comment