How to dance spanish
History of Spanish Dance - Spanish Culture
DanceHistoryFlamenco
Spanish dance history
The concept of Spanish dance immediately conjures up images of the strumming guitars, stomping feet and bright dresses of flamenco. While many people make this common connection between Spain and flamenco, a plethora of traditional dances from Spain's various regions weave into the lengthy history of Spanish dance. For example, not many people would ever expect to visit Spain and hear the music of bagpipes and tambourines floating through the air, yet it is the traditional music accompanying Spanish dance across northern Spain!
For almost as long as man has existed he has used dance as a form of communication and personal expression. Spain is certainly no exception. Ritualistic dances commemorating battles and other war-related themes were the first to appear, and centuries later during the Middle Ages, structured religious-themed ritual dances were recognizable.
The 15th century saw the distinction created between the various genres. Serious and measured dances quickly grew outdated while the popularity of the happier and free-moving dances surged exponentially. With the Renaissance, popular and folk dance continued to make huge strides in the history of Spanish dance and even gained recognition internationally. These regional dances both flourished on their own and melded with other dances to birth brand new ones. You can imagine how many- at one point, there were over 200 traditional dances in the region of Catalonia alone!
During the Baroque period, gypsies arrived to the Iberian continent and the growing popularity of the gypsy music and dance, flamenco, eagerly formed part of the history of Spanish dance. The rest is history- or rather Spanish dance history- as flamenco has since become both a national and international sensation. With feisty flamenco's ever-rising fame, regional dances suffered a decline- a decline which intensified during the 20th century, when the dictator Francisco Franco actually banned all things regional, including dance, music, and languages.
Luckily today there has once again been a boost in the pride and the practice of traditional dances, and the history of Spanish dance continues!
Traditional Spanish Dances
Jota Aragonesa. This typical dance hails from the north of Spain, namely Aragón, and features a fast tempo as couples dance with their hands raised high above their heads playing castanets.
Sardana. Several couples join hands and dance in a closed circle in this traditional dance from Catalonia.
Muñeira. Danced in twos or alone along to the music of bagpipes, this traditional "Miller's Dance" is typical throughout Galicia and Asturias.
Zambra. The zambra began as a Moorish dance, but with monarchs Fernando and Isabel's reconquista of Spain, the Moors were able to conserve the dance by adapting it to Spanish dance customs.
Bolero. One of the oldest and most traditional dances of the history of Spanish dance, the bolero is a quick Spanish dance boasting sudden pauses and sharp turns.
Fandango. At one point the most famous dance of Spain, the fandango is a lively, happy Spanish danced in two's.
Pasodoble. A quick one-step Spanish dance.
Flamenco. A passionate dance hailing from gypsies, flamenco is internationally famous. Learn more!
Sevillana. Lively and joyous dance typical of Seville and reminiscent of flamenco that features four distinct parts.
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What are the Different Latin Dances for Beginners?
At Arthur Murray Dance Now we teach Latin ballroom dance. But what exactly does that mean? Latin dance is an umbrella term for several different styles of dancing including ballroom dance, social dance, and competition dance.
If you are just getting introduced to Latin dance, it can be overwhelming knowing which dances you should learn first. Let’s walk through some of the most popular Latin dances and which ones are best for the beginner (and intermediate) dancers.
An upbeat dance that is derived from the Rumba and the Mamba. People love the Cha Cha because it’s energetic and saucy. You use triple steps and Cuban Motion to do this popular dance. The Cha-Cha is a great beginner dance, because anyone can learn it!
Level of Difficulty: Easy / Beginner
Taught at Arthur Murray: Yes
Salsa dancing is one of the most popular Latin dances in the world! Salsa is great for beginners, because it’s a simple dance to learn but very impressive to watch. The word “Salsa” means spicy or hot in Spanish, giving this dance its heat!
Level of Difficulty: Easy / Beginner
Taught at Arthur Murray: Yes
Often referred to as the grandfather of Latin dance, the easy-to-learn Rumba is the most sensual of the Latin dances. You’ll work up a sexy sweat with the Latin styling and relaxed hip motions of this popular and fun dance.
Level of Difficulty: Easy / Beginner
Taught at Arthur Murray: Yes
Known for being intimate and romantic, the Bachata is a slower dance with strong hip movements. It includes simple footwork and sensual body movements. Get close with your partner with the Bachata.
Level of Difficulty: Easy / Beginner
Taught at Arthur Murray: Yes
Using the same small steps and big theatrics makes the Paso Doble an easy dance to learn. Dancers focus on tall, straight posture and a marching movement in this lively Spanish dance.
Level of Difficulty: Easy / Beginner
Taught at Arthur Murray: No
The Merengue is first learned as a marching dance and can be turned into something rhythmical. It’s fun and feisty and fairly easy to master.
Level of Difficulty: Difficult / Advanced
Taught at Arthur Murray: Yes
Upbeat and a lot of fun to dance and watch, the Mambo includes dance steps and foot movements like kicks and flicks.
Mambo means “shake it” and dancers do as they energetically move their hips and flick and kick in this fun dance.
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate
Taught at Arthur Murray: Yes
Good dancers make the Samba look effortless, but it can be a difficult dance to master. It’s very fast and includes quick steps, vertical bounce action, knee action, body swaying, and “pendulum motion”. It’s a very lively and upbeat dance that is fun to watch.
Level of Difficulty: Difficult / Advanced
Taught at Arthur Murray: Yes
We hope this list helps you decide which Latin dances to start learning first. With our dance lessons you can easily start to pick up a few Latin dances and gain confidence in your dancing skills. The more dances you learn, the easier it will be to master some of the intermediate and advanced dances!
Spanish dances - styles and varieties of dances in Spain
Among the European nations, the Spaniards are the most temperamental and impulsive people.
For many centuries, the Spanish dance of sunny Spain has absorbed vivid emotions and dizzying passions.
Every movement of the body of the Spanish dance, every turn and every step is imbued with a frantic rhythm and magical passion. Dance pirouettes allow the language of movements, grace and facial expressions to convey the bitter suffering of irrevocable love, broken dreams, betrayal and tears of repentance. Most popular Spanish dances:
- kachacha and hoca;
- bolero and muneira;
- sarabande and fandango;
- seguidilla and flamenco.
Each dance tells its own story, which makes the audience relive first love, betrayal, joy and tears again and again.
Spanish flamenco danceFlamenco - a dance with character
The bright and charismatic flamenco dance differs from other Spanish dances in its special character. Andalusia, one of the Spanish provinces, is considered the birthplace of flamenco. Since the 15th century, the gypsies who settled on the shores of the Mediterranean have been dancing an emotional and passionate dance about a beautiful love drama to the playing of the guitar.
Flamenco movements convey a rich palette of human feelings:
- from remorse to pride;
- from love to hate;
- from fire to cold;
- from hopelessness to the triumph of feelings.
And yet, classical flamenco is pain, passion and joy, which were portrayed by medieval dancers and dancers to the magical voice of a gypsy guitar.
FlamencoHow to dance flamenco
Flamenco is not just a dance, but a symbiosis of four main components that merge into a single whole:
- colorful costumes that convey the character of the main characters of a love drama;
- cante - lyrical and passionate, like a fire song;
- current - melodic and dizzying guitar accompaniment;
- baile - dance movements with which artists convey the bitterness of suffering, the pain of loss and the triumph of love itself.
If you delve deeper into the ocean of flamenco, you can say with confidence that the dance is a facet of the song that plays a major role in the performance.
It is the words of the song that carry the main meaning, but sometimes viewers who do not know the Andalusian dialect can understand the soloist without words, sympathize and experience with him a touching and passionate story of great love.
The guitar plays an important role in a small performance called flamenco. Ideally, a flamenco guitar is not a classical instrument. It has smaller dimensions, but produces much clearer, jerky and rhythmic sounds.
And finally, extravagant dancers with colorful costumes, dramatic facial expressions and pretentious movements that cannot be confused with any other:
- small shot with heels;
- emotional plasticity of the hands;
- temperamental lunges with legs;
- characteristic turns;
- finger snaps;
- clapping hands.
Sometimes, on stage, flamenco dance looks like complete improvisation with light movements. In fact, to perform this passionate and unusually rhythmic dance of the Spanish gypsies, you need special preparation and hours of exhausting rehearsals.
Spanish dances - a passion and an age-old tradition
Talk about the dances of Spain among people who do not know this amazing country on the Iberian Peninsula well enough usually comes down to only one of them. Undoubtedly, flamenco has become one of the symbols of Spain, a bright and memorable "calling card", the quintessence of Spanish passion and temperament. However, the world of Spanish dances is much more diverse. You can really get to know this world and understand the importance that dances occupy in the culture of the country by making a trip to Spain. This obvious idea is expressed by many well-known Spanish researchers of national dance. Indeed, after all, it would never occur to anyone to study the patterns of Russian round dances somewhere in Pamplona.
Traditional Spanish dances
Traditional Spanish dances - bailes españoles tradicionales - bailes españoles traditionales are as diverse and charming as the country itself.
Apparently, today we need to talk about the fact that there are Spanish dances + flamenco dance, its popularity is so great.
Tip: if you happen to travel in Spain, find time to visit dance festivals in the regions and, of course, flamenco tablao - tablao - tablao . In this context, we are talking about small theaters in which flamenco performances take place. Another meaning is the stage for flamenco performances). For you, this will be a great opportunity to get acquainted with the "soul" of the old Spanish dance.
Jota - Jota is considered a typical Spanish dance. It appeared in Aragon (Jota Aragonesa), but its origins are much deeper, they go back to the pagan past of the peoples inhabiting Spain. The dance is accompanied by the sound of castanets, the dancers are dressed in costumes similar to those of flamenco dancers. Aragonese jota is a fast pair dance in 3/4 beats (the Spaniards say: compas de ¾, with the accent on the last syllable), they dance it with their hands raised to their heads.
The inhabitants of Aragon are proud of their Jota and claim that they are pretty chica - chica - a girl , who performs a dance, with her every movement sends an arrow to the heart of every spectator. The Spaniards believe that the beginning of the poetic part of Jota (the dance is accompanied by the reading of impromptu couplets) was laid by an Arab poet who was expelled from Valencia in the 12th century.
Sardana - Sardana is a traditional dance in Catalonia and Andorra. Several couples join hands and dance in a circle.
Muñeira - Muñeira - this traditional Galician and Asturian "miller's dance". Two couples dance to the sound of bagpipes. Compas de 6/8.
Sevillana - sevillana - a fun and energetic dance typical of Seville. Reminds me of flamenco. Consists of four clearly distinguishable parts.
Zambra - zambra - dance with Arabic roots.
After the completion of the Reconquista by the Catholic kings - Reyes Catolicos - reyes catholicos , the Moors who remained on the peninsula preserved this dance, adapting it to the traditions of Spanish folk dances.
Paso doble - paso doble - the famous Paso Doble, fast "dance of convergence"). The dance is based on music, under which the bullfighter enters the arena - paseo - paseo . The same music sounds during the so-called "passage" - faena - faena , before the bullfighter and the bull converge for the last time. A man and a woman or two men dance. One is a matador, the other (another) is muleta - a muleta, a piece of bright red cloth in the hands of a matador .
This is a small part of the old Spanish dances. There are 9 more0085 Fandangos - fandangos, Seguidillas - seguidillas, dances of the Basque Country, Aurresku de honor - aurrescu de honor - and each of them is a reflection of folk traditions.
The history of Spanish dances
As researchers of Spanish dances write with regret, most foreigners associate this concept - an old Spanish dance - only with flamenco, guitar string picking, castanets (what a delusion!) and dazzling costumes. The greater will be the surprise of a person who first came to Spain to hear the sounds of bagpipes and tambourine, these traditional musical instruments in the northern regions of Spain.
Some researchers find the roots of Spanish dance in the dances of the Iberians, who inhabited the peninsula BC, and the inhabitants of ancient Greek and Phoenician colonies on the territory of modern Spain. Moreover, the Spanish tauromachia has the same origin with the bull cults on the islands of Ancient Hellas. Ritual dances celebrated victories in battles, including in arenas.
Researchers believe that the rapid development of folklore dance resumed with the onset of the 15th century, and resumed with giant strides.
So, only in Catalonia there are today more than 200 different traditional dances.
The appearance of gypsy dances and music enriched the school of Spanish dance. In the 20th century, an unexpected decline came, which was associated with the ban imposed by the dictator Franco on the manifestation of any regional differences. The dictator did not make an exception for dancing. It was only after Franco's death that a new revival began for Spanish dance. As experts in this field note, the history of Spanish dance continues!
What is Important to see in Spain
When you are in Spain, be sure to visit dance festivals and go to a real tablao to watch and listen to flamenco performers. Even if food is perceived differently in its “homeland”, then what can we say about art?! The memories that you will keep for the rest of your life from the performance of flamenco dancers and singers in the tablao, the Spanish passion with which they perform, and which will overwhelm you, cannot be compared with the impressions of such a performance on a big stage where there is no contact with the audience.
