Flamenco

By: Victoria Puhl, Mariflor Medina, Dennis Flores

Who can dance Flamenco?
Men, women and children can perform in flamenco dances. There are a couple of dances in flamenco that are gender
specific.
farruco is a style danced by men only. In recent years, women have started to dance it, though they would wear
mens traditional clothing.
Flamenco dances can be performed in a group, but also the dancer is accompanied by a guitarist with a palo seco dry
stick that is tapped on the floor to keep the rhythm of the music.
Flamenco came forth from immigrants of lower class from different countries that have immigrated and lived in
southern Spain for many centuries.It associated with the Romani people and middle eastern (Arab, Indian and Jews);
therefore it is not centered around a religion, but more for art and entertainment. Certain Flamenco style (called
palos) have sensual characteristics, like sevillanas which is associated with love.
The traditional dresses for women hug their body, therefore when it is combined with the dance, it is for the purpose to
woo the man.
Example: Farruca one of the styles of Flamenco
Farruca/o is an example of a dance where the
men typically dance to. Farruca is slang used in
Andalucia (southern Spain) to refer to someone
thats from Galicia, which is in northern Spain.
Though the dance has very little relation with
the music from Galicia, they do share similar
melodic themes. This is typically danced by men
and it has been the tradition since it began in
the 19th century.
Description of dance and movement involved
Flamenco consisted of canto (singing) accompanied by guitarra flamenca (flamenco guitar), palmas (rhythmic hand
clapping), zapateado (rhythmic feet stomping) and baile (dance)

50 different styles of flamenco, which vary depending on the region, the context or the artists.

Rooted in the music of the migrant gypsies as a source of protest in their life time of persecution.

Flamenco culture originated in Andalusia, in Southern Spain, but has become one of the icons of Spanish music and even
Spanish culture in general due to the growing popularity of the Spanish gypsy.
Dance Space
Dance space is large, the dancers move all
their limbs like braceo which is when the
performance is executed using the arms.

The use of space depends on the gender and the

style of flamenco dance, as it has many
different branches

When partners dance, the dance space is big

because the dancers use their limbs outwards,
rather than close together.
Music and Sound
The flamenco guitar is similar to the classical
spanish guitar, but its made with different wood,
and it is smaller therefore, it creates a different
higher pitched sound.
A percussion instrument called cajon or drawer,
is a wooden box where the player sits on top and slaps
the front and the top edge to create sounds. A hole
is cut on the back to produce lower notes.
Palillos or better known as Castanets is an
instrument made of two wooden concave shells,
and the player strikes them together repetitively to
the rhythm.
Spanish Oppression in recent years
-The English Unity Act was first introduced in 2005
to the House of Representatives as a bill.

-It was set in place to make English the official

language of the U.S.A. this caused a problem for spanish
immigrants.

-Many were harassed for using their native language in the workplace, school, or on the
streets.
Oppression & the influence it had on flamenco dance
-With many spanish immigrants coming to the USA in hope
of finding manifest destiny they had to acclaim to the American
culture.

-With language being a barrier in their way of life they

incorporated new American influenced styles into their culture.

-In flamenco dance the traditional instrument was the guitar but now many different genres of
music are included like jazz, blues, pop, rock, and latin.
Acculturation to the u.s. Culture
The American culture is referred to as the melting pot Flamenco dance is a culture that adds diversity to
the USA.
When Flamenco was introduced to the USA many foreigners wanted to be a part of the Guitar, Cante, and
dance.
Real Flamenco artists could hear the foreign accent when Non- Spanish people tried to play the guitar,
sing and dance. This sound is creating a new art form to the Flamenco culture.
The University of New Mexico has the country's only degree program in flamenco dance
Flamenco workshops are appearing in places like:

-Cleveland, Ohio
What values, cultural norms or ideals are expressed?
They were a group totally rejected by the
society of that time,
Sole comes from the word soledad,
meaning loneliness or solitude.
The gitanos were able to carry forward a
sound that expressed the spirit of desperation,
struggle, isolation, pride reflecting this history
of persecution and social exclusion that
persisted for nearly 500 years.
Clothing, make-up, body decorations, & props
The most typical Spanish flamenco dress features a polka dotted
pattern (traje de lunares), but they can also be plain dresses with
no pattern. The flamenco dancer normally appears with her hair in
a bun, a mantle (similar to a shawl) on her shoulders and high
heels. Over time the flamenco costume has become richer in color
and has adopted adornments and compliments such as lacing,
embroidered ribbons, flowers, costume-jewelry and hand fans.
Clothing, make-up, body decorations, & props contd
Of what significance is this to the group? Are there specific or unusual
instruments used? Do people sing or chant as part of the accompaniment?

For us it is very interesting to talk about this culture tied with Flamenco, which a lot of Art, and at the
same time it is like feeling the spirit of the gypsies in our hearts

We dont sing and we dont have instruments, but we will show some videos for demonstration.
Videos demonstrating Flamenco dances
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLFH01qJT3k
Conclusion
- Flamenco culture was able to adapt the the American way of life and include
new styles.
- Through Flamenco dance the culture is kept alive and taught to future
generations.
- The American culture has values in dance like the spanish do in Flamenco,
dance is a way to socialize, and express yourself.
Works Cited
- Jost, Marie. Flamenco with a Foreign Accent. | Flamenco with an American Accent | Essay by Marie Jost, 1997,
www.flamencoproject.com/flamenco_foreign_accent.html.
- Rottman, Gabe. English as a First Language. American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union, 26 Apr. 2015,
www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/english-first-language.
- H.R. 997 109th Congress: English Language Unity Act of 2005. www.GovTrack.us. 2005. December 5, 2017
<https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/109/hr997>
- Studioflamenco.com. (2017). About Farruca. [online] Available at: http://www.studioflamenco.com/About_Farruca.html
[Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].
- Flamenco Musical Instruments. (2014, November 20). Retrieved December 10, 2017, from
http://whattodoinmadrid.com/blog/flamenco-musical-instruments/
- Bennahum, N. D. (2016, December 07). Flamenco. Retrieved December 10, 2017, from
https://www.britannica.com/art/flamenco