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tza.xo

Tbaby 🦋

Real in sync 💃🏻 #pasada #kizomba #dance #boston #brockton

195 Likes, 9 Comments. TikTok video from Tbaby 🦋 (@tza.xo): "Real in sync 💃🏻 #pasada #kizomba #dance #boston #brockton". original sound.

5649 views|

original sound - Tbaby 🦋

stepsongrid

STEPS ON GRID

#stepsongrid #dancetutorial #passada

4.8K Likes, 19 Comments. TikTok video from STEPS ON GRID (@stepsongrid): "#stepsongrid #dancetutorial #passada". sonido original.

222.2K views|

sonido original - Aurea Febraio

passada_123_

Passada_123_

Teaching my wife to dance Passada #datenightideas #capeverde #passada #sabi #tutorial #kizomba #kizombadance #praia #zouk #topassada #haiti #ghana

TikTok video from Passada_123_ (@passada_123_): "Teaching my wife to dance Passada #datenightideas #capeverde #passada #sabi #tutorial #kizomba #kizombadance #praia #zouk #topassada #haiti #ghana". Date night : Teaching my wife to dance Passada ❤️ | She’s from Ghana 🇬🇭 I’m from Haiti 🇭🇹 | How did She do?. original sound.

6380 views|

original sound - Passada_123_

passada_123_

Passada_123_

Always nice to throw in some #tarraxinha #tarraxo into your pasada to change things up.#Tutorial # capeverde # passada # sabi # kizomba #kizombadance

TikTok video from Passada_123_ (@passada_123_): "Always nice to throw in some #tarraxinha #tarraxo into your pasada to change things up.#Tutorial #capeverde #passada #sabi #kizomba #kizombadance". original sound.

12.9K views|

original sound - Passada_123_

sod_jason

David Jason

#kizombadance #passada

1. 5K Likes, 31 Comments. TikTok video from David Jason (@sod_jason): "#kizombadance #passada". original sound.

8480 views|

original sound - David Jason

sod_jason

David Jason

Passada 🔥🎵🇨🇻 #kizombamusic #kizombadancing David Jason #music #kizomba #artist #badja #praiacv #caboverdetiktok

129 Likes, 7 Comments. TikTok video from David Jason (@sod_jason): "Passada 🔥🎵🇨🇻 #kizombamusic #kizombadancing David Jason #music #kizomba #artist #badja #praiacv #caboverdetiktok". Passada🔥. Marisidera.

4507 views|

Marisidera - David Jason

sod_jason

David Jason

Reply to @enigma130 #ready #dancepartner #passada

324 Likes, 22 Comments. TikTok video from David Jason (@sod_jason): "Reply to @enigma130 #ready #dancepartner #passada". Marisidera.

10.6K views|

Marisidera - David Jason

passada_123_

Passada_123_

Wait for it… when you perfect a new move at the baby shower 🥰 #pasada #tutorialdance #capeverde

TikTok video from Passada_123_ (@passada_123_): "Wait for it… when you perfect a new move at the baby shower 🥰 #pasada #tutorialdance #capeverde". original sound.

3165 views|

original sound - Passada_123_

sod_jason

David Jason

Senhora 💃🏽🎵 - David Jason #passada #dancing #senhora #kizombamusic

5.1K Likes, 20 Comments. TikTok video from David Jason (@sod_jason): "Senhora 💃🏽🎵 - David Jason #passada #dancing #senhora #kizombamusic". original sound.

24.3K views|

original sound - David Jason

Kizomba Dancing & History - Zouk, Kompa, Passada

Updated 11-7-22 (From Interviews & various sources)
 

Kizomba is Afro Caribbean Zouk

Kizomba is a close and sensual partner dance style which is growing massively through the world and its extremely popular in Europe which is driving this style everywhere. It's mainly considered to have come from Portugal because this was the place that fused all the different cultural styles, it was the melting pot and the place in Europe it all came together. The base of Kizomba music is actually "Afro Caribbean Zouk'  Many West African Countries have their own version of Zouk. Kizomba is an encompassing name for many styles which was orginally called 'Passada', its actually Afro - Caribbean Zouk, a fusion between Caribbean Zouk, Caribbean Kompa and Angolan traditional music, the same thing happens with the dance styles see '4 Pillars of Kizomba'. Caboverdians define their afro-zouk as cola-zouk, cabo-zouk or cabo-love. Afro-zouk from Guinea-Bissau is called meia-batida. In fact, afro-zouk exists in countries like the Congo, Mali, Ivory Coast, Gabon, São Tomé and Prince, Mozambique, Nigeria, Cameroon, Madagascar etc. Zouk started in the French Caribbean which also has Afro influences. The dance styles also follow the music. For Example Zouk music from the Caribbean also has Zouk Dancing style very much the same as Kizomba, it's from the Caribbean which also influences Kizomba the dance & vice versa. The history of Kizomba is difficult but necessary, it's relatively hard to find through the conflicting information and disinformation because many try to claim it. It's good to focus on the music origins, since it is the base of every dance. It’s interesting to note that the associated dances experienced similar if not the same paths as the music because they usually go together.

In a Nutshell
Dancers from various Islands & countries came to dance passada socially in Portugal, it was this, that kick started a mixing pot of moves, style & basics to create what we know as Kizomba Today. As an example; some dancers previous only used either a base of 3 or a base of 4 (i.e. Basic 2 or Basic 3) . Each had their own unique steps & styles depending on their background but once they started learning from each other new possibilities gave birth to more kinds of basics and moves. This is how dance styles evolve.

 

Kizomba Music genre

Kizomba is characterised by a slower, romantic, more sensuous rhythm than Semba. Kizomba music emerged as a more modern music genre with a sensual touch mixed with African rhythm and Kompa & Zouk from the Caribbean.

Original influential music styles from Cape Verde are funaná, morna, coladeira and batuque. Thanks to the French Antilles Zouk aka Caribbean Zouk music and the strong influence of Semba, Cape Verdean singers have developed significantly Kizomba and Zouk (mixing it with Coladeira) known as cabo love or cola-dance. Moreover, every lusophone country has developed its own Kizomba music flavour which is a type of Afro-Zouk It is impossible to speak about Kizomba and not speak about Caboverdians and how much they influenced many countries afro-zouk/cola-zouk/meia-batida/kizomba. Especially because in the beginning of the 90s Angola was still going through a civil war that started in 1975 (right after their independence from Portugal) and only finished in 2002.

All these Caboverdian singers and their music were having a big impact on the PALOP* community at large. In Portugal was truly were people kept Kizomba alive, Angola was at war and the rest of the PALOP countries were also struggling in their new independence. The love for kompa, zouk and afrozouk inadvertently had a uniting effect at PALOP night clubs frequented by emigrants arriving in Portugal.

Popular singers from Angola who resided in Portugal during the 90s were mainly Bonga, Eduardo Paim and Paulo Flores with Irmãos Verdades (having their debut in the late 90s). And we saw the appearance of artists like Fernando Santos, Carlos Burity (Semba), Rey Weba, Maya Cool, Tabanka Djaz and Justino Delgado from Guine Bissau, or Juka from Mozambique or Camilo Domingos from São Tomé and Prince.Caboverdian singers and producers had influence in Congo (Lutchiana), Ivory Coast (Monique Seka), Gabon (Oliver N’Goma), Angola, Guine-Bissau and São Tomé and Prince. .... Remember the dance styles follow the music!

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Kizomba Dance genre

The Kizomba dance is a couple dance from which many styles such as, Tarraxinha and Urban Kiz derived from. Before the word Kizomba was adopted by Angolans in the 80s most PALOPS used to refer to it as “Passada” (including many Angolans). Passada uses the universal basics of partner dances. Side to side, Travelling & 360 degree rotation. These are basics that came from the European dance called the Waltz which is dating back to the 16th century, its the original partner dance style of them all. Almost all partner dances have universal basics; from Bolero, to Son, to Bachata, Kompa  to Semba, to Forro, to Tango etc…  Each of these dances are how each culture perceived and mutated those basics into something that reflects their identity through music & dance.

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Passada to Kizomba

Orginally Kizomba was infact  known as Passada. The name change from Passada to Kizomba happened  in Portugal where this dance style was popularised. There were many Angolans in the Passada dance community too which sparked the change, it was also fuelled by a number of original Kizomba teachers as below.  (kizomba/quizomba/izomba), translated from kimbundo it means “party”, describing both the event and the place where people would gather to dance and celebrate. So the name Kizomba was much more fitting & catchier, soon everyone was calling it Kizomba - which in turn also helped its popularity.

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The 7 Original Kizomba Teachers

These teachers are the main dancers that popularised Kizomba in Portugal. They are teachers of teachers and pushed this style through to the world. They are considered very important in the development from Passada to Kizomba and influenced the dance style as we know today.
Names Include;
- Kwenda Lima

- Helio Santos

- Ze Barbosa

- Tomas Keita

- Petchu

- Anthonio Bandeira

- Avelino chantre

Look them up on youtube and you will see they all dance very differently, different styles & different flavours from various cultures. It's amazing to see the rich diversity and yes - they are 'all' valid and Original Authentic Kizomba dancers.

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Kizomba Claims

Unfortunately there are many promoters, teachers, deejays & dancers who claim they are the ones dancing the 'original or traditional Kizomba', and other peopler are not, or some would just say "Kizomba comes from Angola". Often this is repackaged Semba danced to Kizomba. However the truth is Kizomba is Passada and it's actually a mix of many dance styles and is much much more diverse that one style - (see 4 pillars of Kizomba). Kizomba is described as "Afro-Caribbean-Zouk" as outlined in detail on this page, its not just "Afro"! The big problem is the same disinformation is passed on from one teacher to the next - often due to subjective underlying control, personal taste, marketing reasons or money & fame. Those very ideas or ideals often claiming to preserve these dances by trying to take ownership, is infact limiting it's true potential. You can also see parallels with other dance styles where similar claims have been done in the past.
This information is not designed to disrespect any one person or culture, however to respect 'all' the cultures which influenced Kizomba. It's always better to open up to  growth not restrict it, because if its not growing its dying. Yes we also need to value the History and 'all' the original styles need to be taught, respected and passed on, because they give the true essence of the dance.
The 2nd video below does a great job of explaining these concepts. Infact we highly recommend watching all the videos below to get more understanding of Kizomba roots, especially Helio Santos, one of the 7 original teachers/dancers of Kizomba in Portugal who talks about the misinformation. This main group of dancers that influenced & developed the dance style and its popularity in Portugal.

Is Kizomba a Latin Dance?
Most people say it isn't because they don't understand the full history. Because of the connection to Caribbean and they are romance languages i.e. Latin. Then you could argue yes it is a Latin Dance. Infact all Latin dances also have Afro hertitage so all Latin dances are Afro Latin Dances. Now you might also say all Afro Latin Dances are also Euro Afro Latin Dances because without the Waltz we wouldn't have partner dancing. But as for a 'Latin dance night' which could include; Salsa, Merengue, Bachata & Kizomba we think this is appropriate because its inclusive. 

The 4 pillars of of Traditional Kizomba are the Music and dance styles that influenced what is known as Kizomba Today, which include; Kompa, Zouk, Semba & Coladiera. Kizomba embodies all these traditional & sub styles of music and dance. You can dance the style you like or a mix 

of them to any of these types of music, this is the true freedom Kizomba because its many styles.

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#1 Kompa, Compa (konpa) 

The genre was popularized following the 1955 creation of the band Conjunto International by Nemours Jean-Batiste. It is the main music of many countries such as Dominica and the French Antilles, etc. Whether it is called zouk where French Antilles artists of Martinique and Guadalupe have taken it or compas in places where Haitian artists have toured, this méringue style is very influential in the Caribbean, Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, Angola and many others West African countries, France, part of Canada, South and North America.

By the 1960s, Kompa Direk became the most popular form of Haitian music, with numerous bands arriving on the scene: Tabou Combo, Bosa Combo, Shlue-Shlue,  and Les Fantaisistes. This was during the latter part of the 60's, post 1967. The latter bands were referred to as "Mini Djaz." A more guitar emphasis was placed in the music, as in Rock & Roll. The bands were smaller versions of Nemours's orchestra. The 1960s also brought about the exposure of Kompa to a wider audience and solidifying its status as one of the popular French Caribbean music style straight into the 70's.

By the 80's, we see the rise of antillean Zouk and Kassav. By mid 80s, Zouk was the most listened to music in Haiti. This spurred a new style of Kompa, called nouvel jenerasyon. Nouvel jenerasyon incorporated technology in Kompa, synthesizers, drum machines, computer software. It streamlined the Kompa band. Synthesizers replaced horns. Drum machines used in placed of conga, tom toms, and even the drummer. Some musician went further and got rid of all natural instruments, totally synthesized, called digital bands.  Less musicians were needed to produce and perform Kompa. The Kompa band was geared to more concert venues as opposed to being a dance hall party band.

Literally meaning “beat” or “rythym” in Spanish, kompa is a Haitian music genre with the stylings of Cuban contradanza, Son Cubano, jazz elements, African rhythms, and Dominican merengue. Unlike zouk, it is sung in mostly Haitian Creole.

 

#2 Zouk

Zouk is a style of music and dance derived from Afro-Caribbean French creole culture of the lesser Antilles, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica, and St. Lucia. Zouk had its initial beginnings in the French department of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Initially, the French departments listened to Jazz and Latin music(Brazil, Argentina, Cuba). Numerous bands sprang up playing these forms. 
Zouk is dance music. Zouk dance style is similar to Kompa and often known now as Zouk Love or French Zouk. Zouk also influenced Kizomba and developed its own dancing style as we know.

Zouk has a fast rhythm, followed by a strong beat, and instrumentally is created by traditional instruments in live orchestra. It is sung mainly in French creole. Zouk, today often described as “retro-zouk,” had its beginning in 1979. History tells us that in 1979 in Paris Jacob F. Desvarieux, Pierre-Edouard Décimus and his brother Georges Décimus met together and decided to make a new album. All three of them came from Guadeloupe, so they gathered musicians from the French Antilles* and formed a band known as Kassav. The first lineup of Kassav was all from Guadeloupe, but soon after it gained members from Martinique as well. These musicians were from the French Antilles and had well known careers all through the Caribbean. Their albums Love and Ka Dance were created in 1980 with influences of different styles of music from throughout the Caribbean; kompa (Haiti), cadence and merengue (Dominican Republic), calipso (Trinidad & Tobago) and others all combined with strong carnival sounds. This is how zouk was made. The name Zouk comes from Creole in Martinique and the meaning of “zouk” is translated as “festival,” which indeed describes the music itself very well.

Encouraged by their big success, Kassav did not confine their touring to just the Caribbean and France, but continued to spread their music to Europe and Africa as well; and as history knows, to the whole world. Zouk became the base of new types of music, not only kizomba, but also cola-zouk (Cape Verde).

 

Is Zouk Caribbean or Brazilian? 

Zouk the dance, music & the name comes from the Caribbean. The confusion happens because, Brazilians Lambada dancers who got hold of French Zouk music from Rum traders from the Caribbean, created their own dance style from this music, known today as Brazilian Zouk or Lambazouk. Lambada Music & the dance also had influence from the Caribbean.

 

#3 Semba

A traditional music & dance style  from Angola, it’s the singular form of Masemba. Semba means “a touch of bellies” in the Quimbundo language of the Bantus of Angola, a move that characterizes the dance.

Semba is very much alive and popular in Angola today as it was long before its independence from the Portuguese Colonial System on November 11, 1975. Various new semba artists emerge each year in Angola, as they render homage to veteran semba masters, many of whom are still performing. Other styles influenced by semba in Angola are rebita, as well as kazukuta and kabetula which are primarily carnival music. Semba is the predecessor to a variety of music styles originating from Angola like kuduro, or kuduru, which could be considered the Angolan version of techno/house. 

 

#4 Coladeira

Is a music genre from Cabo Verde. The word koladera initially referred to the act of going out and singing the colá. According to the oral tradition, a new musical genre appeared in the 1930s.

Coladeira continued to integrate influences from abroad, from Brazilian music and also from Anglo-Saxon music. In the 1970s, with the appearance of movements against colonialism and relations with socialist countries, other influences came along, including Latin-American music (Bolero, Son Cubano, Salsa, Cumbia) and African music (especially from Angola and Guine-Bissau).

In terms of musical structure, coladeira began to slowly lose the traits that used to identify it with morna. It was in this period that the dichotomy morna \ coladeira was established.

There is a strong kompa influence in Cape Verdean music. During the 1960s-1980s, Haitian artists and bands such as Claudette & Ti Pierre, Tabou Combo, and especially Gesner Henry alias Coupe Cloue, and the Dominican group Exile One, were very popular in Africa. Exile One was the first to export cadence or compas music to the Cape Verde islands. Cape Verdeans artists have been exposed to compas and zouk in the USA and France. In addition, the French Antilles band Kassav and other French Antillean musicians, whose main music was Zouk toured the islands on various occasions. 

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Waltz the Predecessor to all

The Predecessor to all partner dances including KIzomba is the Waltz the original style is generally termed the Viennese Waltz. It's  the oldest of all the modern partner dance styles in the closed hold, which came from Vienna, Austria. The Viennese Waltz originates from the Volta in the 1500's which came from France. The Volta was also the only court dance of the period performed by a couple in a closed embrace. It ushered in a whole new way of looking at dance... read the full article here >

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Is Kizomba like Tango?

When introducing a new dance form, it can be helpful to compare it to something to give people a frame of reference. The is often used in advertising because people have no idea what this dance is like. People often say, “Kizomba is like African Tango. You can see from the information on this page that all partner dance styles hold universal basics. Plus there is so much in common in History of Tango & Kizomba which goes even further back.

Beyond that, a newer generation of dancers, primarily based in Paris but with students all over the world, have taken inspiration from modern Tango to add new vocabulary to their Kizomba. It is possible to see a whole range of steps that are very similar to those in Argentine Tango. Furthermore, many of these dancers have altered their technique to better suit this vocabulary, often dancing with a straighter spine or even sliding through their steps which you will often see in Kizomba Fusion.

 

Is Kizomba sexy?

Maybe you walked into the Kizomba room at a large dance festival, it was really dark, and you saw people making out on the dance floor. Maybe you’ve been on YouTube and seen people what looks like grinding against each other.   Kizomba can be sexy, however, that is not inherent to the dance, orginally it like other similar dance styles such as Semba, Kompa, Zouk Love , Meregnue or Bolero. These are fun non-sexulised traditional 'family dances', you dance with your uncle, mother, gransparents, children and friends etc. On this side of the world, it's closer than we are used to, which can give it a bad name. Lets aim to educate ourselves so we don't give this a bad name and come to realise this isn't a Sexualised dance but a Sensualised one that you can dance with anyone and all ages.

 

Kizomba is Easy?

Well, in the sense that you can learn three or four steps and be set for a whole night of dancing, yes. With the right teacher, in an hour or two you can get enough understanding of movement and basic steps to dance through an entire social with a touch of musicality. Kizomba is totally accessible for beginners – so if you haven’t tried it yet, get started!

The problem is when people dismiss Kizomba as easily mastered. Many people take a month’s worth of classes and then figure themselves for advanced dancers – after all, once you know the Saidas and a couple tricks or dips, you’re set, right?

These people are missing out on the best part of Kizomba: how you move while staying so closely connected to your partner. Or maybe they get stuck memorizing combinations, instead of learning to use their vocabulary to put together their own poetic movement. Kizomba has so much subtlety and so many intricate possibilities.

Ground your movement and find the right alignment with your partner, and then you begin to feel their every tiny isolation. Figure out pivot technique and every move you know can suddenly be opened to variations in position. Work on slow-motion, stop motion, and syncopation, and again the standards become almost unrecognisably new and your feet can dance out the exact rhythms of a particular instrument. Dissociate your upper and lower body, your feet from your partners’, their hips from yours – this list could go on and on and on

As with any dance, the more you learn, the better you are able to appreciate the subtle differences that indicate mastery. In Kizomba, each technique mastered is like an additional colour palette for you to paint with, another supply kit for you to build from, another door to a realm of expressing the music with our bodies.

 

 

Kizomba Music

Kizomba is an umbrella term used to describe Afro-Zouk Music. All the genres listed here had a big influence on what we call kizomba today. This is just a partial list as there are other African rhythms that have had their influence on this remarkable genre.

 

Kompa –HAITI

Skah Skah – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY5ukYOkZg8

Coupe Cloue – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LpU28yAekY

Sweet Mickey – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eONSeWzvHGw

 

ZOUK – GUADALUPE AND MARTINIQUE

Kassav – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYivaguAu4s

Experience 7 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBhdyq77tRc

Zouk Machine – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gOU8iRnZ6M

 

ZOUK LOVE – GUADALUPE AND MARTINIQUE

Jean Michel Rotin – https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=6o-h_JObqRQ

Nichols – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eksTaqiX7M

Ludo – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fFrESLk9pw

 

SEMBA – ANGOLA

Bonga – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhwVekYE4-I

Bangao – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx7DE4nXc9U

Carlos Buriti – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guTKkqwDB9s

 

COLADERA – CABO-VERDE

Bana – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIYCdg0Nds0

Cesaria Evora – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGj77k9OBf4

Tito Paris – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCeLjMjZSHo

 

COLA-ZOUK – CABO-VERDE

Livity – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc3upa32bSQ

Grace Evora – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tYDI98DDUk

Nando Da Cruz – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l15E2yOm7dM

 

CABO-ZOUK – CABO-VERDE

Kino Cabral – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGYHy3v1mFI

Susanna Lubrano – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHMQThCeZWo

Beto Dias – https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=MDaEg7TIp1E

 

CABO-LOVE – CABO-VERDE

Phillipe Monteiro – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDrEnSBs5Zs

Gama – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1hTJwKUBg0

 

GETTO – ZOUK – CABO-VERDE

Nelson Freitas – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9XUIVFajF8

Johny Ramos – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDP5ij6N1t0

Djodje – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvu4Ff9kZgA

 

TARRAXINHA – ANGOLA

Dj Massacre – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxSG3aFjih0

Dj Paparazzi – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoqvpPWZ364

 

AFRO-ZOUK – FUSION OF ZOUK Not from ANGOLA

Tabanka Djaz – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wHXvtWPdxU

Oliver N’Goma – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2msRi40IEG0

 

KIZOMBA – ANGOLA

Eduardo Paim – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QaLXuRTslw

Paulo Flores – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwWLco6Ri4M

Ruka Van Dunem – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXxvA5awseY

Matias Damasio – https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=Q86lCtj1BYs

Kyaku Kyadaff – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2rRxg6a1OY

Yola Semedo – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG-2liMTMwk

how to learn how to dance spanish dances

The week of Spain has come at the Masters Fair, and only this prompted me to create the first publication on this portal, and I have been here for a little over a year now. And we will talk about the sad, passionate, cheerful and light flamenco dance.

For several years this dance was my unattainable dream, and even now I can confidently consider myself a flamenco dancer, even a beginner 🙂

The publication was made to get acquainted with an integral part of Spanish culture.

First, let's understand what is flamenco?

Flamenco is a Spanish gypsy dance. Flamenco is a dance of passion and fire. This is how he appears before the townsfolk, like you and me, but not everyone is aware of his versatility and diversity.

This dance can show passion, sadness, sadness, love. . .

Flamenco is not only a dance, it combines voice, music and dance, creating a powerful image on the stage, striking on the spot with its energy, forcing the viewer to keep an eye on what is happening.

I will talk about the different directions in this dance, the basic concepts that dancers use to designate the main movements, and I will also talk about flamenco costumes.

When people talk about flamenco, they often mention duende .

This is the ephemeral concept of the soul of dance, without which this art becomes impossible. It translates as "magic", "fire" or "feeling". When we, in Russia, say “There is no fire in it”, then in Spain they say “No tiene duende”.

In other words, the dance does not exist without a soul, the dancer (Spanish: bailaor, bailaor) must be inspired, sincerely feel and express any feelings that he wants to convey through his dance.

He must be able to reach the secret corners of the viewer's heart, otherwise it will no longer be flamenco. García Lorca says that Spanish art is "originally ruled by the tart duende, wild and lonely."

There are countless styles of Spanish dance. In particular, below is a picture of a tree of flamenco styles, but I will specifically focus only on the most popular and those that I know.

ALEGRIAS

Allegrias songs and dances are among the most joyful in flamenco, they carry joy, light and warmth.

Alegrias has a cheerful, but at the same time a bit tough, triumphant character. The dance is very dynamic, active, uninhibited and graceful.

It can be performed by both men and women. Although it is mostly performed by women. CompAs (rhythmic pattern) consists of 12 counts and usually begins with 12. I will not delve into the theory of flamenco compasses.

Bulerias (BULERIAS) or Buleria (BULERIA)

This is a fast lightning dance, consisting of a "mess" of different compasses, replacing each other. The specific rhythm of buleria is emphasized by many zapateos (fractions), hand claps, knee claps, chest claps, jumps and other precise movements at a very fast pace.

Solea (SOLEA)

In this dance, the dancers just show what many take for the main flamenco. Just in this style of dance, dancers show passion and drama, talk about pain and sorrow. The solea compass consists of 12 tabs.

Sevillanas

Sevillana is one of the most celebrated flamenco styles. There are severe restrictions in this style: it is always danced in pairs, the music always has 4 verses. Each couplet, respectively, is called a sevillana: the first sevilla, the second sevilla, the third sevilla, and the fourth sevilla.

Compass of Sevillana 6 beats, the main movements are the Seville step and pasada. Unfortunately, I didn’t find a photo of the movements, but I think that those who practice flamenco will understand what I mean.

Here two dancers are dancing sevillana (photo from the Internet):

Farruka (FARRUCA)

Traditionally men perform farruka. This is a male dance, majestic, solemn, proud. In it, the dancer shows himself in all its glory, his professionalism and high skill.

The dance is danced hard, interspersed with zapateos (foot shots) and sharp turns. Nowadays, women can also perform it. This is freestyle, you can dance it until the guitarist or dancer gets tired.

Antonio Gades and his farruka:

SOLEA POR BULERIA

(SOLEA POR BULERIA)

This is one of the main flamenco styles. The compass (rhythm) is the same as in allegrias, but slower. replete with slow movements of the arms and body interspersed with fast lightning-fast zapateos, escobilies and turns.

The end of the dance is marked by the buleria style, the music speeds up, the dancer increases the speed of the zapateo, the turns and the dynamics of the dance.

The photo may already show the end of the dance:

Tangos (TANGOS)

This is a cheerful, mobile, usually fast dance, performed at holidays, fiestas, having a simple, clear rhythm. The main compass: - 2 3 4 - 2 3 4 - 2 3 4 - 2 3 4, almost the same quadruple rhythm familiar to all of us, but in music and dance there is no first count.

Tangos is performed with exquisite, graceful movements, roguish gestures, and even with deft, agile twists. There are often movements of the hips, shoulders, the body and arms are very plastic.

I would like to add something about the names in the dance, about the terminology that the dancers use:

Compass (Compas, emphasis on "a")

- beat, rhythm, size. The rhythmic cycle and basis for all flamenco dances.

Three basic time signatures are used: two-beat, three-beat, and a variation of the twelve-beat measure that is unique to flamenco.

Salida -

dancer's or dancer's entrance

Yamada (Llamada) - transition from one element of the dance structure to another, with the help of such movements, the dancer tells the guitarist that he wants to change the rhythm or melody.

Escobilla - part of the dance where zapateo prevails.

Zapateados or zapateados (Zapateados) is one of the most important features of the flamenco technique.

Zapateo rhythms are beaten with shoes to the rhythm of the music or complement the music. There are several hits:

Golpe (Spanish Golpe) - foot strike.

Tacon (Spanish: Tacon) — a heel kick, most often hit next to the supporting leg. There is a variation of a-tacon (Spanish: a tacon), when they strike with the heel in front of themselves.

Planta (Spanish: Planta) - a blow with the fingertips, trying not to touch the floor with the metal part of the shoes. May be with or without sound.

Punta (Spanish: Punta) - hit with the edge of the toe on the floor behind the body. Point, sharp, swift blow.

It takes time to master these beats, and it takes even more time to produce crazy beats!

This is a complex technique and it is impossible to master it at once, I know from my own experience. I combined the photos I found on zapateo and signed to make it more clear.

Floreo (Floreo) - a technique of hands, movements of the hands and fingers of a dancer, reminiscent of a closing-opening fan. Rotation of the hand around its axis by 360 degrees with the opening of the palm and fingers.

There is another option, when the index and third fingers are held together, and the remaining fingers are bent (male version, but also used by women).

Photo from the Internet, pay attention to the hands: Men hold their hands a little differently, more rigidly and fingers are most often brought together, in the photo is the notorious Joaquin Cortes:

Palmas (Palmas) - hand technique, rhythmic hand claps, who accompany flamenco dancers/coves, singers and guitarists.

They are made either with a dry and muffled sound, the palms are folded in the shape of a shell, cupped, or with a blow, a strong and dry sound is obtained.

See how Carmen Amaya's hands are positioned:

Flamenco dance costumes

It is believed that the traditional colors of a flamenco dress or costume are a combination of black and red, but not everything is so simple. The range of colors used in costumes is very wide, but black, red, and white occupy a leading position.

Let's talk about women's and men's costumes

Traditionally, women dance in dresses or skirts. It can be skirts in one, two, one and a half suns or flared skirts, depending on what they are for.

If it is necessary to actively work with a skirt, to swing the floors sharply, to use some ballet steps, then they use wide skirts that are convenient to work with.

If the dance is dominated by zapateo and the main emphasis is also on the plasticity of the hands, then it is most convenient to dance in a narrowed skirt. In the photo there is just a flared skirt, the classic form of a flamenco skirt:

And here on a woman it is narrow. This form is also called model:

However, there is also a separate skirt or dress for flamenco - Bata de Cola (Spanish: Bata de Cola).

One of a kind skirt with a long hem. It is very difficult to work with, very heavy and at first even cumbersome.

It will take a long time to master it.

Mostly these skirts are made in Spain because of the fabrics used, which are not sold all over the world.

Sometimes, however, can be found in Russian ateliers, but due to the complexity of tailoring, not all are taken. Very far 🙂 Styles such as solea, bulerias, alegrias dance in this skirt.

In order for the bata de cola to fly, it is sewn with mathematical calculations. Even the height of the dancer, the height of the heels is taken into account.

The length of the train is usually 2.5 meters on average, the frills on the skirt can be from 3 to 8. Frills are sewn both on the outside of the skirt and on the inside (!).

The cable weight is 5 to 11 kg. Can you imagine how difficult it is to work with such a skirt? :) Men's flamenco costume consists of dark trousers, a wide belt and a white shirt with wide sleeves.

Sometimes the edges of the shirt are tied in front at the waist. A short bolero vest called a chaleco is sometimes worn over a shirt.

Nowadays, sometimes you can meet male dancers in classical costumes, made of lighter fabrics that are comfortable for dancing. And sometimes, like Joaquin Cortes, they dance with a naked torso 🙂

At the end of a short review, I would like to give a poem that reflects my attitude to this magnificent dance. I didn’t find the author, but if you find it and leave it in the comments, I will be very grateful:

She danced flamenco and circled a wounded bird,
And beckoned with her bottomless gaze ...

She danced flamenco.
She danced like a flame that rushes through the ashes
Unable to find food for herself and then goes out, dying ...

She danced flamenco and sang with her hands about pain,
About the bitter lot ...

She danced flamenco.

And the heart burned and beat under black heels,

And time suddenly stopped…

The famous Spanish flamenco dance is unsurpassed grace, frenzied energy, passionate emotions and beauty.

Dancers perform to energetic guitar melodies, castanets and rhythmic clapping. There are many varieties of flamenco: milonga, romance, saeta, bulerias, etc.

These dances are common in Andalusia and southern Spain. It seems that only the natives of Spain can master them. But everyone can learn this art. The main thing is desire, as passionate as flamenco itself. The first thing that is necessary for flamenco is to feel your body, learn to completely subordinate it to yourself, balance it.

Leaps, jumps and turns require a good sense of weight and balance. Professional dancers claim that flamenco dances make the body speak, which means that all its parts must be mobile and harmonious. Before and in between sessions, it is useful to do balance exercises. Another important condition in flamenco is correct posture.

Dancing with a stooped back and shrugged shoulders looks ugly and false. The lack of good posture prevents the body from “speaking out”, and the dancer from demonstrating his skills and revealing his soul to the viewer. Posture control gives you more freedom to move your arms, head, torso and legs.

This will help reduce the risk of injury and increase self-confidence. There is a common misconception that flamenco dancers need to dance with a permanent arched back.

This is actually very dangerous. There are various postures that affect the body in all directions.

For the starting position, focus on the upper body, push the chest slightly forward and use the back muscles to raise the arms, not the muscles of the shoulders and neck.

It is important to try to keep your shoulders straight and look straight ahead without lowering your head. First you need to learn and remember the basic steps well. This is where most flamenco classes begin.

To accurately repeat the movements, you need to carefully observe professional dancers several times and listen to the teacher, and at home, be sure to repeat the lessons learned.

If it is difficult to catch all the basic steps, you need to concentrate on different aspects of the movement: pay attention to the sound, rhythm, foot position, and then to the coordination of the whole step. In order to clearly enter at the right moment and catch the rhythm, you need to carefully listen to the melody, tap the rhythm with a pencil or with the help of claps. Flamenco is not usually accompanied by a score like ballroom dancing.

Therefore, it is very important to catch and feel the rhythm. Often the basic step appears in the dance in the form of various variations or a bunch between movements.

Experienced dancers are advised to hone the quality of steps first in front of a mirror, and then without it.

In the flamenco dance, the arms are rounded, the elbows are bent and raised. Although there are many hand movements, beginner dancers should focus on learning the basic positions, how to maintain posture and control their upper body as they move.

Gradually, you can move on to the study of wrist movements. They should always be isolated from the movement of the rest of the hand. You need to try to make the circle of the wrist as large as possible.

• The hand will certainly move a little in response, but it is important to make sure that it does not move too much.
• Elbows should always be raised. Even if you need to rehearse the movement of any particular part of the body - arms or legs, you need to keep in touch with other parts and make the whole body work.

It is important for both the initial and subsequent steps that the posture is perfect. If it is not controlled, then dancing loses its true charm and charm, and further training may seem difficult and inefficient.

Sometimes beginners are embarrassed to perform the movement correctly because of complexes and fear of looking ridiculous. But flamenco encourages dancers to love themselves and accept them for who they are.

This is a dance of pride and dignity, where there is no place for complexes and insecurity. It is important to love your body.

Only then will the dances turn out to be truly passionate and sincere. Visualization and imaginative thinking help to relax well: a person can imagine himself as a famous dancer or favorite actor. Like any learning process, the effectiveness of flamenco lessons is based on constant and repeated repetition of what has been learned.

First you need to learn the positions and movements of the legs in combination with the rhythm of the step, and only then work on the technique of transitions and turns.

If it is difficult to move from one step to the next, then the dancer has poor control over his body, weight and balance, and this interferes with memorizing new steps. Only constant practice will solve the problem. Do not rush: flamenco cannot be learned in a couple of classes or even a week.

You need to tune in to a long work on yourself to perfect each movement. Flamenco teachers advise at every opportunity to visualize, mentally perform the movements passed.

This is especially helpful to do right after class. You need to close your eyes, hear the rhythm in your head, see the movement and feel it.

Visualization sessions reinforce the patterns of choreography in memory, just like real exercises. The body begins to listen better, and learning is more efficient. The expressive emotions and sometimes tormented facial expressions of flamenco dancers are largely associated with the history of the dance.

According to one version, it appeared during the atrocities of the Spanish Inquisition. After 1492, all the inhabitants of the country had to accept Christianity under threat of punishment. Muslims, Jews and Gypsies came together to support each other in the fight against the law.

Many researchers believe that the development of flamenco began in this dangerous and cruel time. The mood of protest was reflected in the dance. With its help, dancers demonstrate a whole bunch of conflicting feelings: pain and pride, love and hate.

Flamenco dance without any emotions is simply unacceptable. Sometimes flamenco dancers are compared to the actors of a complex play who give their best. Therefore, they often get tired not physically, but emotionally, opening their souls to the audience.

This is important to remember for all beginners who dream of mastering the secrets of dance. To get used to the role and immerse yourself in the magic of dance, you need to overcome complexes and insecurity. Flamenco connoisseurs call it one of the most expressive and most liberating art forms that cannot be described in dance sequence and order:

"He who dances with his heart, intuitively, becomes the best flamenco dancer."

Shutterstock photo materials used

Flamenco is a word with a mesmerizing sound. There are associations that take you to the old Andalusia with the color and aroma of vanilla, pepper and love.

Great Lorca sang the gitan and the foaming sea in flamenco rhythm. An ancient guitar singing with soulful anguish under the inexorable "agile daggers".

Flamenco, how to learn and feel the rhythm and flavor of dance? These are not just memorized movements, turns, steps and facial expressions. To enter the state of duende and merge with the black demon of inspiration is the essence of the sacrament.

A sultry and passionate gitana with a bleeding scarlet rose beats the rhythm with her heels as she tells her story.

Flamenco is a whole action, the participants of which are a dancer, a singer, a palmero and a guitarist.

Everyone solos in order of priority. The dancer visually recreates the drawing through movements.

The singer outlines the canvas with her voice. The guitar cries in skillful hands, and the palmero sets the rhythm. To do this, you can use any percussion instruments, snap off blows with castanets or claps to match the heart.

Spanish women start learning to dance flamenco at any age. Years are not a hindrance. Life experience will only add color to the story told in the dance.

Opening the soul, showing true beauty and confidence is the meaning of the action. A woman captivates those around her with intoxicating and at the same time proud movements. Self-confidence is felt in the look, in every wave of the hand, in the smooth swaying, in the bends and turns.

Flamenco has a special energy, to feel and feel which is the task of the dancer. Spanish schools teach dance for ten lessons. The teacher will teach the base on the basis of which you can draw your story.

Anyone can learn how to dance flamenco. Open your heart to the rhythms of sultry Moorish women, mysterious gitans, secrets with a slight admixture of Jewish blood and the experience of centuries.

It is impossible to pass by a school that invites you to learn flamenco. The aroma of sultry Spain will win hearts and make you beat in unison with the sound of the sea with azure lips at the edge of the lagoon, with salty tears and the bitterness of the waves, sung by Lorca.

The ability to withstand a flurry of life's hardships, not to bend and not give up under the gloomy gaze of a disappointed Fortune, to turn the face of a capricious goddess, turning the eternal wheel - flamenco will give. Look at these moves!

How much self-confidence, how much pride and passionate desire to live!

It is impossible to convey the whole flavor of the dance in words. Freeze at the beginning of the sound, feel every cell of your body, tune in to the same wave with a sad and passionate guitar and take a step to the flamenco rhythm. Just one step - and the hearts will tremble under the sound of your heels!

Sources:

https://www.livemaster.ru/topic/1514393-chast-ispanskoj-culture-raznoobrazie-tantsa-flamenko

https://medaboutme.ru/articles/sekrety_tantsa_flamenko_dlya_novichkov/

https://dancedb.ru/flamenco/article/flamenko-kak-nauchitsja/

5 bright facts about kizomba

The popularity of kizomba is growing every day. Many are perplexed: what is there in this dance that is not in others? Why is the whole world going crazy for her? And now kizomba has already acquired a huge number of myths ...

Together with the teacher of the Spicy Salsa school Alena Fortunova, we dispelled the most popular of them, and figured out how this dance appeared, how it is performed, and what a beginner should pay attention to.

1. Kizomba - a European adaptation
of an African dance

Kizomba originates from Angola, but is also known in Cape Verde, where it is called pasada . The word itself is translated from the Kimbundu language as "party".

Kizomba was originally danced from a distance. It developed from the earlier semba genre, that is, this style is present in all of Africa in one way or another. When Angola gained independence, many of its inhabitants went to Portugal, while migrants from other former colonies went to France. So kizomba appeared in Europe.

At the same time, the music also changed: semba began to mix with the rhythms of zouk, and ghetto-zouk appeared. The musical style also felt the influence of the new electronic music of the 70s. The melody became slower, and the kizomba itself became more sensual.

“

“At first, the Europeans did not accept this dance, because they were not used to blacks teaching whites, and besides, they were embarrassed by the closeness of partners. But gradually they became interested in style. International festivals were organized in Portugal, Spain and France, and kizomba began to spread throughout Europe.0194, - says Alena.

2. Kizomba is called the “African tango”

“

“Initially, like the tango, it was danced by men, leading each other and competing in skill,” says . – In addition, kizomba is similar to tango in its sensuality.”

As in Argentinean dance, the upper body is to some extent isolated from the movements of the legs.

Also, neither here nor in tango is there one or two basic steps that are repeated. And there are different combinations of them that can be done on any number of accounts.

But where a rigid frame and straight lines are expected in tango, kizomba emphasizes soft knees and circular movements.

3. Kizomba combines many styles

“

“It is constantly evolving: teachers from different countries come up with new elements, add their vision, and the nature of the dance changes. So, for example, a “European, sensual style” appeared , - Alena comments.

Also today you can see a strong Latin American and Afro-Cuban influence: kizomba absorbed movements from salsa, bachata, merengue, zouk, samba and lambada. And a new generation of teachers, inspired by the beauty of tango, added his ideas to kizomba.

In France a few years ago teachers appeared who brought even more elements from hip-hop and other modern dances into it, and it became more dynamic, spectacular and diverse. So a new direction appeared - urban-kiz or kizomba 2.0.

4. Kizomba - a sensual dance

Kizomba can be very sexy: indeed, partners dance quite close to each other. However, it is performed in a closed position in which the torso is slightly forward and contact is made only in the chest and abdomen.

Kizomba is characterized by undulating movements that actively involve the hips, and it looks very beautiful. Similarly, in bachata or salsa: the choice of distance and style in the dance is always up to you.

5. Kizomba is not as easy as it might seem
at first glance

It would be more correct to say that it is very good for beginners. With just a couple of steps, you'll be dancing all night long, and an experienced teacher will easily give you the right idea of ​​the basics.

However, do not think that this is a very simple dance. After studying for only a month, some begin to consider themselves pros, but they miss the most important thing: it is much more important to create the poetics of dance, and not repeat memorized ligaments.

There are many subtle moments in kizomba, you need to learn how to move on soft legs and feel your partner, and then each step will open up new opportunities for you. Work on the stops, the syncopation, and the standard movements will feel new, and the feet will begin to follow the rhythm of a particular instrument.

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