Natasha Hernandez
When many think about Spanish dances, images of the
strumming guitars, stomping feet and bright dresses of
flamenco come to mind. Yet, people barely expect to visit
Spain and hear the sounds of bagpipes and tambourines
streaming along the streets. Dancing is used as a form of
communication and personal expression. Ritualistic dances
honoring battles and other war-related themes were the first to
appear in Spain and centuries later during the Middle Ages,
structured religious-themed ritual dances were seen. Through
these dances, many others were formed and combined now
resulting into hundreds of types of dances.
The Chotis
The Chotis is part of Madrid’s classic music and
dance. Coming from a Scottish origin and
similar to the country and folk dance, it became
extremely popular in the nineteenth century
mainly danced by working class people in the
neighborhoods of Lavapies and El Ratsro and
in traditional festivals.
The Chotis
The Chotis involves the
couple facing each other,
with the woman taking
large steps and the man
spinning on his axis. The
woman traditionally
wears an embroidered
scarf/shawl and the man
a beret.
The Flamenco
The Flamenco originated in Andalusia from the
eighth to nineteenth centuries when Spain was
under Arab domination. Their style of music and
instruments were customized and adapted by
Christians and Jews and later by gypsies,
becoming a combination of styles, unlike the
musical form in which it was first created. The
word Flamenco applies to the song, dance and
guitar and did not come into use until the 18th
century.
The Flamenco
Flamenco at the beginning consisted of one voice
combined with hand clapping. Later the guitar was
integrated. During the 20th century, the zapateo “feet
tapping” was introduced: dancers tapped the steps of the
dance accompanied by the music. This simple
combination of elements, known as cuadro flamenco, was
established as more additions were made to it: hand
clappers to accompany the music and provide rhythm,
male and female singers to accompany the main singer,
the caja “box”, a rectangular wooden percussion
instrument, and the castañuelas “castanets”, small wooden
instruments played by hand.
The Flamenco
The women usually wear
long colorful flowing
dresses. The men usually
wear black pants, white or
spotted shirts and, on
occasion, a small back
bolero jacket on top of a
belt. The men as well as
the women wear heeled
shoes to give emphasis to
the dance steps.
Music and dance in Madrid includes a wide
variety of forms ranging from the folk
music/dance to hip-hop.
Music and dance in Madrid shapes a considerable
characteristic of culture and entertainment,
blending the traditional with the contemporary to
create a enticing and alluring cultural experience.
References:
Article Websites:
Aguilera, A. (2011). Enforex Spanish in the Spanish World: History of
Spanish Dance. Retrieved from: http://www.enforex.com/culture/spanishdance-history.html
Aguilera, A. (2011). Enforex Spanish in the Spanish World: Flamenco
Dance. Retrieved from: http://www.enforex.com/culture/flamenco.html
(2011). Go Madrid: Madrid Flamenco. Retrieved from:
http://www.gomadrid.com/activity/madrid-flamenco.html
(2011). Madrid Info Site: Flamenco in Madrid Music Dance and Shows.
Retrieved from: http://www.madridinfosite.com/en/entertainment/madridflamenco.aspx
(2009). Black Tomato: The Cutting Edge Travel Experts. Retrieved from:
http://www.blacktomato.co.uk/37288/dance
(2009). Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia: Schottische. Retrieved from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schottische
References:
Article Websites Cont.
(2008). Maps of the World: Madrid Dance. Retrieved from:
http://www.mapsofworld.com/cities/spain/madrid/dance.html
(2008). Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia: Flamenco. Retrieved from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco
(2007). Madrid Travel Guide: Fiesta De San Isidro. Retrieved from:
http://www.whatmadrid.com/san-isidro.html
(2000). All about Spain: Flamenco History. Retrieved from:
http://www.red2000.com/spain/flamenco/history.html
References:
Images from Google Search Engine:
Chotis Dancers 1st set (February 28, 2011). Retrieved from:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3582338731_5d5fd049db.jpg
Chotis Dancers 2nd set (February 28, 2011). Retrieved from:
http://www.blogonlyapartments.com/wp_images/san-isidro-madrid.jpg
Flamenco Dancers 1st set (February 26, 2011). Retrieved from:
http://www.thelovecollage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/flamencodancers.jpg
Flamenco Dancers 2nd set (February 26, 2011). Retrieved from:
http://www.holabarcelonatours.com/images/flamenco1.jpg
Music Notes (February 26, 2011). Retrieved from:
http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp196/gaunaman/music-notes.jpg
Single Flamenco Dancer (February 26, 2011). Retrieved from:
http://www.paintingsilove.com/uploads/6/6958/flamenco-dancer-2.jpg
Spanish Musical Instruments (February 28, 2011). Retrieved from:
http://www.la.unm.edu/~davies/MAA/images/maa_lutes.jpg and
http://www.pliggfra.com/adpics/diatonia_8Dna2908.jpg