The Sevillian School of Dance
Discover the features, characteristics, and creators of this flamenco dance in this report, protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest by the Junta de Andalucía
The Sevillian School of Dance is the product of a codification process that began around 1820 and has since continued to be enriched. Currently, it is protected by the declaration of Asset of Cultural Interest by the Junta de Andalucía.
Since flamenco dance began its first faltering steps around 1840, the Sevillian School has been praised. Possibly the earliest documentary source is from Serafín Estébanez Calderón, who in 1842 called it the "university" of Andalusian dance.
Although many of its features can also be identified in male dance, the Sevillian School constitutes a fundamental pillar in female dance, linked to Sevillian women and, by extension, to Andalusian women.
It is a style of dance, meaning a set of features and characteristics that define a way of dancing with its own personality. These manners give the dance a family resemblance, but they neither exclude nor stifle the individuality of each artist.
In women, the Sevillian School is a style where aesthetics and plasticity reign supreme. It's a refined, stylized, and essentially feminine dance, notable for the grace with which they move their bodies, arm movements, and hand play.
It is the female dance par excellence. Its qualities in executing steps and movements are naturalness, elegance, and plasticity. Its postures are an aesthetic canon. In their dance, there is also nobility, wisdom, knowledge, and poise.
Among its prominent features are: erect head, aligned shoulders, and straight back; placement of feet in third position, harmonious arm movements, graceful hands, movement of shoulders and hips, expressive face, musical footwork, and the use of a bata de cola (flamenco dress with a train), mantón (shawl), palillos (castanets), and sombrero (hat).
Among all the "boleras" (dancers of the bolero style) who undoubtedly contributed to consolidating and transmitting the Sevillian style, Amparo Álvarez "La Campanera" stands out. Born in Seville around the 1830s, she danced, sang, and, when the occasion required it, accompanied herself on the guitar.
Promotional poster for "La Marquesona"Original Source: Centro Andaluz de Documentación del Flamenco (CADF)
Other boleras who helped lay the foundations of Sevillian dance were Manuela Perea “La Nena” and Petra Cámara. Rosario Monge “La Mejorana” (Cadiz, 1862) is recognized as the first link in that chain of contributions that led to the Sevillian school.
According to tradition, she was the first to wear a bata de cola, which she adorned with a well-matched Manila shawl; she was also the first to raise her arms beyond what was then customary, stylizing the figure and giving her dance elegance.
Her style and manners were embraced by her contemporaries, and especially by her daughter, the brilliant Pastora Imperio, who laid the foundations of the Sevillian School. In her, the manners and ways that are now characteristic features of this style crystallized.
And, of course, Matilde Coral, who holds the merit of having transmitted, codified, and disseminated it. This dance style owes its survival to her teaching.
Merche Esmeralda has managed to combine her devotion to the traditional forms of female dance with the creation of new choreographies for songs that had not been danced before.
To a greater or lesser extent, the essential features of Sevillian dance are appreciated in almost all dancers born in this land, including Curro Vélez and Rafael el Negro.
However, they are emblemized in Manuel Corrales González, El Mimbre. His unique dance was a synthesis of distinction and baroque style. His arms and hands drew arabesques of unique and hardly surpassable beauty.
We've provided a documentary (in Spanish) featuring flamenco dancer Matilde Coral, who discusses her career and unique take on the art form. The video was produced by Manuel Curao of Canal Sur and originally premiered at the 1st International Flamenco Congress in November 2011.
Lithographic reproductions from Antonio Chamán's 'Costumbres Andaluzas' series (1852-1854), along with colored photos and postcards, are from the Andalusian Center for Flamenco Documentation, part of the Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Junta de Andalucía.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Rocío Coral and Manuel Curao for their invaluable contribution of graphic (photos of Pepa Coral, Rafael El Negro, and El Mimbre) and video documentation for this report.
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