Flamenco Dance and History of Passion Research Paper

Introduction: Rooting Way Down in the Centuries

Whenever people think of Spain and the Spanish culture, the first thing that comes to their mind is flamenco – the dance of passion and the only way to express the nature of a Spaniard, the fiery mixture of the incompatible that can hardly be explained, yet provides the strongest impression. Despite its long history and the obvious artistic flair about it, the dance is strikingly different from the traditional Terpsichorean standards, which makes Flamenco one of the most mysterious dances and offers sufficient food for considerations.

Indeed, according to the opinions of experts, flamenco should be rather opposed to the traditional understanding of a dance than considered as another variation of male dancing. As Hayes explains,

An Apollo, one must remember, is the god of music. But flamenco dance carries with it always the taint of hunger, intoxication, poverty, and, often, sexuality. For those scholars invested in the recuperation of the dance for the intellect, the flamenco body must be transformed from a grotesque body to a classical one (55).

Therefore, it should be considered that flamenco is not a dance in its typical understanding. Comprising passion and emotions, it is rather a ritual. Moreover, the distinct flair of the Spanish culture which does not mix with the other dancing cultures means that flamenco is more than merely a type of dance.

The Dance Starts: Seizing the Fire

Considering the history of flamenco, one must confess that the dance has been developing in not quite an academic way since it mostly belonged not to the nobility, but the poorer population; hence, it did not have a sufficient theoretical background to be based on.

However, speaking of the practical component of flamenco, one must claim that the Spaniards and the Spanish Gypsies drove the given element to perfection. However, it is also worth noting that the official development of the dance theory started comparatively recently, which is not enough for the dance theory to evolve. As Lewis comments, one of the most important theorists of flamenco was Carmen Amaya, who managed to convey the idea of Spanish Gypsy culture to the rest of the world in 1937-1940 (95), which is quite late if comparing flamenco to classical dances.

Joaquín Cortés: The Prince of Hispanic Gypsies

To understand the specifics of the dance and the ideas that it conveys, one should consider the ideas of an authoritative person; and, when it comes to flamenco, there is no other authority than Joaquín Cortés, the man who not only mastered the art of flamenco but improved it, making the dance even more expressive and exquisite. According to what the dancer says, flamenco cannot be considered merely a dance – this is a culture, a potion, and a source of Joaquín Cortés’s continuous inspiration.

However, the artist claims that flamenco does have certain academic grounds and that in this sphere, a revolution can be, and as a matter of fact, has been made. As the dancer himself explains, “Flamenco critics, more academic, didn’t like it. They have the tradition, it’s like ballet, it’s an academic city. The flamenco has one academic city too.” (Patterson). Therefore, it must be admitted that, even though flamenco does have certain academic fundament to base on, in the course of its development, under the influence of the young dancers, it is finally shaped to represent the opposite of academic dancing.

Mixing Fire and Water: Flamenco Is Alive

Considering how flamenco is represented by the most outstanding dancers, among them Joaquín Cortés, one must mark that with the help of the specific techniques that are strikingly different from the ones established by the rules of flamenco, the dancers reach the maximum expressivity (shahib0ne87). It is essential that even in modern interpretation, the traditional difference between male and female performance is kept.

However, taking a closer look at Cortés’s smooth movements, one must admit that he mixes the traditional woman and man style of dancing. Even though the above mentioned is against the rules of flamenco, one should say that the way flamenco styles merge is fantastic. Hence, it can be concluded that flamenco, one of the dances that can be hardly classified as such, does change over time, erasing the gender differences; and it is worth adding that these changes add a specific tint to the dance, making it special and unique.

Conclusion: How Come the World Does not Stop

Despite the controversies concerning the origins of the dance and its place among the existing dances, there can be still no doubt that flamenco is one of the most beautiful and spectacular dances in the world. Stirring the imagination and making a truly splendid impression, this is not only a set of songs and dances, as Martinez assures, but the means to express oneself – one of the most beautiful means ever.

Works Cited

Hayes, Michelle Heffner. Flamenco: Conflicting Histories of the Dance. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2009. Print.

Lewis, Dana. Dance in Hispanic Cultures. Vol. 3. New York, NY: Routledge, 1994. Print.

Martinez, Emma. Flamenco: All You Wanted to Know. Bunker, MO: Mel Bay Publications, 2003. Print.

Patterson, Christina. Joaquín Cortés: “Dancing is my wife, my woman.” The Independent. 2009. Web.

shahib0ne87. “Flamenco. Amazing Dance by Joaquín Cortés.” YouTube. 2011. Web.