Image of the tribute to the dancer Mario Maya at the Granada Music and Dance FestivalInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
On November 16, 2010, UNESCO inscribed flamenco on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This report includes some of the content that convinced the evaluation committee that flamenco is a living heritage—as intangible as its spirit and as human as its protagonists.
Dance with a scarf by María PagésInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
Flamenco is an artistic expression that encompasses the dialogue between vocal music, the art of dance, and musical accompaniment, known respectively as cante (singing), baile (dancing), and toque (guitar playing). In this report, we'll focus on flamenco dance.
Dancers Matilde Coral and Isabel Bayón at the Seville BiennialInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
While flamenco dance is particularly known as a dance of passion and seduction, it actually expresses a whole range of feelings and moods, from sadness to joy.
"Flamenquita", an educational show for children co-produced by the Andalusian Institute of Flamenco, performed in Larache (Morocco)Instituto Andaluz del Flamenco
Its technique is complex, and the interpretation varies depending on the performer: if it's a man, he'll dance with great power, relying heavily on his footwork; and if it's a woman, she'll perform with more sensual movements.
Every aspect of flamenco expression is profound and original. Most dances around the world aim to free the body from its weight, striving for weightlessness. Other cultures, in contrast, powerfully strike the ground with their feet, disregarding any sense of flight. Flamenco dance is unique because its performers must remain firmly grounded, with their feet connected to the earth, while simultaneously raising their arms with an ethereal weightlessness, reaching to caress the sky. This tireless pursuit of freedom and beauty, suspended between heaven and earth, is perhaps the truest metaphor for flamenco itself.
Manuela Carrasco performing the gypsy dance at the Jerez FestivalInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
Andalusia didn't just send emperors to Rome; it also sent dancers: the puellae gaditanae (the name ancient Romans gave to all dancers from southern Baetica, whether or not they were originally from Cadiz), as cited by the Roman poet Martial.
The flamenco dancer Juan de Juan performing at the Mont de Marsan Festival (France)Instituto Andaluz del Flamenco
Their ancient crotals perhaps evolved into today's castanets, but dance in Andalusia grew intertwined with local festivities and the influences of other lands, from the bolero to the zarabanda.
Photograph of "El maleficio de la mariposa" (2021) by Úrsula LópezInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
The escuela bolera (bolero school) played a decisive role in shaping flamenco forms, reinterpreting—in a somewhat academic manner during the 18th century—old popular dances such as panaderos, zapateados, boleros, seguidillas, fandango, jaleos de Jerez, or malagueñas.
Antonio "El Pipa" at the theatre of VillamartaInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
Cafés and salons contributed to the birth of dances initially based on footwork (zapateado), and later on more festive styles like the tango and bulerías.
The National Ballet of Spain performs "Café de Chinitas" at the Sevilla Biennial (2004)Instituto Andaluz del Flamenco
We also can't forget the varieties that have been incorporated more recently, along with the geographical areas where they originated: soleares, seguiriyas, or alegrías, whose distant origins can be traced to the Aragonese and Castilian jotas.
The dancer Lola Greco performs Falla's "La vida breve" with the Seville Symphony Orchestra and the National Choir of SpainInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
Individual contributions and new choreographies from flamenco companies allow for the inclusion of seemingly external styles, such as the farruca, with its Galician echoes...
Sara Baras at the Las Minas International Festival in La Unión, MurciaInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
... or new choreographies born from the coexistence with classical and contemporary dance.
Tribute to the dancer Mario Maya at the Music and Dance Festival of Granada by Pepe VillosladaInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
From the late 19th century, with artists like La Macarrona and La Argentina, dance helped internationalize flamenco, leading to spectacular phenomena such as La Argentinita, Pilar López, or Antonio Gades, among many others.
Cristina Hoyos and Manolo Sanlúcar at the Biennial of SevilleInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
Today, flamenco academies have spread worldwide, from France to Japan.
Dance with a scarf by Mercedes RuizInstituto Andaluz del Flamenco
Keep Discovering Flamenco
Flamenco, recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is a unique, living, and evolving cultural element that goes beyond just music. It presents a wide variety of styles across its three core elements: singing (cante), dancing (baile), and guitar playing (toque).
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