Esmeralda Enrique
Spanish Dance Company
Presents
JOURNEY TO
An Exciting Exploration of
Spanish Dance, Music and Culture
STUDY GUIDE
Background Information, Program Notes,
Curriculum Cues and Classroom Activities
Written by: Nancy Cardwell
Designed by: Eric Parker
Company photos by: Michael Zender, Hamid Karimi, John Lauener
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Concept – Journey to Spain................................................. 3
About the Company/Artistic Mandate............................... 3
An Introduction to Flamenco.............................................. 4
Program Notes....................................................................... 5
Pre-Performance Discussion............................................... 6
Post-Performance Discussion.............................................. 7
Curriculum Connections..................................................... 8
Learning Goals
Teaching Aids................................................................... 8
Dance Curriculum from Ministry
Primary............................................................................ 9
Junior...............................................................................10
Intermediate...................................................................11
Activity Pages
Dance, Music, Visual Arts, Language.........................12
Glossary................................................................................18
Resources..............................................................................19
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CONCEPT– Journey to Spain
A Journey to Spain will take you on a wonderful trip through time and place in
Andalucía. You will see and hear the differences between flamenco and classical
Spanish dance, between traditional choreography and the avant garde, between
flamenco music and its classical counterparts. Through the program itself, you will
meet important characters in the development of flamenco, see and feel the difference
between flamenco forms as the dance and the dancers interpret these forms that are
rooted to specific times and places in Spain’s geography and history. You will also get
a strong sense of the flamenco trilogy – the cry of the singers, the dramatic and lyrical
melodies of the guitar and of course, the percussive and emotional response of the
dancers as they interpret the programmed works.
ABOUT THE COMPANY/ARTISTIC MANDATE
The award winning Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company was founded in
1982 under the artistic direction of Esmeralda Enrique and has a history rooted in
flamenco and classical Spanish dance. We are dedicated to the annual production
of new choreographies and original music and to the presentation, preservation
and development of flamenco arts in Canada. Our priority is to develop Canadian
artists and engage our audiences as we continue to learn, challenge and create in the
landscape of Canadian dance. We support fulfilling endeavours to share our love
and knowledge of the art form through educational outreach programs and artistic
collaborations that target our school systems, our dance communities and our public.
We are passionate about dance and believe in the transformative power of the arts to
make our world a rich and more tolerant place.
While maintaining the tenets of traditional flamenco singing, dance and music, the
company presents a style that holds in perfect balance tradition and classicism with a
contemporary aesthetic. EESDC has been presenting an annual Toronto Season since
1990 and has developed an ever expanding repertoire that has earned both critical
and popular acclaim. With unique, talented dancers and musicians the Esmeralda
Enrique Spanish Dance Company is recognized for the exceptional level of their
productions receiving three Dora Mavor Moore Awards in addition to numerous
nominations over the years. Passionate and driven, the Esmeralda Enrique Spanish
Dance Company continues to enthrall audiences with its commitment to imaginative
choreography and artistic excellence.
3
AN INTRODUCTION TO FLAMENCO
Flamenco is an art form whose strength lies in its universality, expressing the shared
experience of the human condition. It is informed by a rich history and a diverse culture that
makes it compelling and timely as the world collides around us.
Flamenco embodies a complex musical and historical tradition that crosses art, language,
religion, class and culture. It originated in Andalucía, southern Spain, where the roots of
Spanish, Sephardic, Arabic and Gitano/Gypsy cultures intersected over hundreds of years.
After Spain’s colonial expeditions, it would also resonate with the sounds of Latin American
and Cuban influences.
Flamenco is a trilogy of song, music and dance. While guitar and dance are so closely
associated with flamenco, the singing is its oldest and most revered aspect, carrying forth
a profound oral tradition that is full of knowledge. Often a desolate cry from an oppressed
people or at times with songs of hope, love, joy and beauty, flamenco has been lovingly passed
on from generation to generation until today – when it is recognized and respected as a
symbolic art form now designated by UNESCO as a world heritage treasure.
4
JOURNEY TO
Program Notes
Cast of Dancers Include: Esmeralda Enrique, Pamela Briz, Nancy Cardwell, Ilse Gudiño, Virginia Castro.
Points of focus and topics related to the discussion notes are highlighted.
The title of each piece is followed by its flamenco palo or form.
Sevillanas
This folk dance was named after Seville, the city that
popularized it. This lively dance is performed by
everyone, young and old alike, and is often danced
in couples. People flock to Seville in April for the
feria, “the fair”, wearing costumes and even arriving
on horseback at times! The fair lasts a week and
the Sevillanas is sung and danced as a highlight
throughout the festival. The dancers often accompany
themselves playing a musical instrument known as
palillos or castañuelas/castanets.
Guajiriana - Guajiras
This lyrical Spanish dance is a form of music taken
from the Cantes de Ida y Vuelta, “songs of coming and
going” that reflect Spain’s colonial past. The guajiras is
a musical style that originally came from Cuba. While
it is considered to be part of the flamenco canon, this
dance work is not pure flamenco but choreographed
with many elements of classical Spanish dance and
may include the use of abanicos (fans).
La Marea - Alegrías
Alegrías means joy and this lighthearted dance piece
features vintage costumes designed from the 1930s
and the use of mantones or shawls. The palo (form)
of alegrías was established in the port city of Cádiz
in Andalucía and is one of the most beloved forms
of flamenco. This piece ends with a typical fin de
fiesta, literally meaning the “end of a party”. It is a
chance for dancers, musicians or anyone inspired, to
come up and dance spontaneously in the style of a
bulerías. Dancers take turns to move forward and
dance by themselves, expressing their feelings and
personal style in a most natural way. While most
flamenco presentations now rely on choreography and
staging, this showcases the roots of flamenco where
improvisation and inspiration motivated the flamenco
experience. Los Palillos – The Castanets
This piece highlights the
virtuosity of the castanets, an
important part of the classical
Spanish dance tradition. These
instruments go back thousands
of years, depicted in ancient
Greek, Egyptian and Roman art.
La Capitana - Farruca
This pure flamenco piece honours the legendary
Carmen Amaya. The farruca is a stark and powerful
style that highlights footwork and form. Traditionally
danced by men, Carmen Amaya was an innovative and
progressive woman who challenged gender roles in
flamenco. This is most evident in the costuming.
5
PRE-PERFORMANCE DISCUSSION
It is very helpful to determine what students know about dance. Leading questions establish
a good base for discovery together. Beyond dance, it is also important to situate the cultural
experience in context.
Dance Ideas
• Who has seen dance? What kinds of dance? Does anyone dance?
• What country or culture does that dance come from?
• Has anyone seen flamenco or classical Spanish dance?
What does it look like? What does it sound like?
• What is “choreography”?
• Why is dance important? What does it feel like to dance?
Spain
• Show students a map. Ask them to identify Spain if they can and the province of Andalucía,
the heartland of flamenco.
• Encourage students to discover and share what they know about Spain and its culture language, music, food, dance and other cultural aspects.
Performance Specific:
What to Look/Listen for:
• What instruments do you hear?
• How do the dancers move?
• What are they wearing?
• What are they feeling? What do you think they
are dancing about? Why do you think that?
• How do they use the stage, the space?
How do they react to each other?
• What makes this feel like “Spanish” dance?
What are the three artistic elements that
make up flamenco? (song, music, dance)
Checklist: To Guide Focus
• Instrumentation
• Rhythms
• Forms or Styles of dances
• Differences in styles – flamenco/classical Spanish/folk
• Emotions and Expressions
• Movement style
• Shapes and sounds
• Staging ideas – space, patterns, entrances, exits
• Choreography 6
POST-PERFORMANCE DISCUSSION
Reactions - Discuss what students’ initial reactions were.
• What surprised them? What did they like? What did they relate to?
• Was there a story or were the dances abstract?
• How did the dancers relate to each other?
• What emotions did you feel watching the show? What emotions did the dancers portray?
Identify and Evaluate
• What did you hear? Instruments?
• What are the three elements of flamenco?
• What part did the music play in establishing the atmosphere for each dance?
• How did the choreography and movements help create the different moods
of each dance piece?
Culture
What is particular about the style/movement/feelings of Spanish dance and flamenco?
What can dance and music tell us about culture?
Compare
What is similar and different about flamenco/Spanish dance compared to other dance
forms?
Review
Spend time reviewing the checklist with the students as well as the questions from the
pre-performance discussion.
Final Questions
Dance is a wonderful and powerful way to express how you feel. Flamenco is a particularly
special dance form in that sense, allowing and encouraging emotional discovery.
Which piece would you like to dance?
Or play?
Why?
What would you dance about?
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CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
This guide provides a summary of curriculum expectations for the primary, junior and
intermediate grades. Each stream is introduced with the appropriate Overview for Dance,
includes the Overall Expectations as well as the Specific Expectations, many of which relate
most particularly to “Journey to Spain”. All information is taken directly from “The Ontario
Curriculum: Grades 1-8/The Arts” as prepared by the Ministry of Education, 2009.
LEARNING GOALS
Teaching Aids – Program/Discussion Notes
Our goal is to help students develop responses to and a critical
evaluation of dance. Our program notes situate each work in the
context of this performance but more importantly, in their cultural
context that has historic implications for the art form. Our preperformance notes will help prepare the students to get the most out
of the performance by setting up some expectations and the postperformance questions will focus on the critical perspective as they
process the experience.
Teaching Aids – Activity Pages
This guide has several activity pages to further student engagement
with our presentation. These activities focus on language, visual
arts as well as music and dance. The language activities help
strengthen writing and comprehension skills based on important
connections such as text to text, text to me, text to world ideas. Some
simple dance and music exercises are listed like those seen in the
short demonstration portion of the presentation. To embody and
experience the transformative power of music and dance is a unique
opportunity. Not only does it develop creativity but it explores
artistic expression and provides a window into another culture.
An Inter-Curricular Approach
Beyond the arts curriculum outlined below, the rich history of
flamenco can speak sensitively to a multitude of disciplines – history,
geography, social anthropology, political science, social justice issues,
cultural studies and religious studies among others. This cross
curricular approach can be extremely rewarding, providing deep
learning opportunities for students.
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DANCE CURRICULUM
PRIMARY DIVISION: GRADES 1-3
Dance - In the primary grades, students should be moving creatively every day. Students begin to use personal
experience, imagination, and familiar movements to develop a movement vocabulary, to respond to prompts
and express ideas, and to communicate their thoughts and feelings in various situations. Through a balance of
free exploration and guided exploration, students develop awareness of their bodies and of the many different
ways they can move. Through modelling and guided movement explorations, they expand their movement
vocabulary to include some of the elements of dance. In particular, students begin to travel through pathways,
use gesture to communicate feelings, and explore a range of levels, shapes, and locomotor and non-locomotor
movements. Students also develop their ability to move and control their bodies in space and time and begin
to create short dance pieces using the elements of dance.
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of Grade 3, students will:
A1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to the composition of dance
phrases, using the elements of dance to communicate feelings and ideas;
A2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis process (see pages 23–28) to communicate
their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces and experiences;
A3. Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of dance forms and
styles from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts.
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
A.1 Creating and Presenting
A1.1 imitate movements found in their natural environment in a variety of ways and incorporate them
into a dance phrase
A1.2 use dance as a language to represent ideas from diverse literature sources, with a focus
on time
and energy
A1.3 create dance phrases using a variety of pattern forms
A1.4 demonstrate how dance elements can be used to create and expand the movement vocabulary within
different sections of a larger pattern
A.2 Reflecting, Responding and Analyzing
A2.1 demonstrate an understanding of how the elements of dance can be used in their own and others’ dance
phrases to illustrate or explore learning in other subject areas
A2.2 identify, using dance vocabulary, the elements of dance used in their own and others’ dance phrases and
explain their purpose
A2.3 identify and give examples of their strengths and areas for growth as dance creators and audience
members
A.3 Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts
A3.1 describe, with teacher guidance, a variety of dances from communities in Canada and around the world
that they have seen in the media, at live performances and social gatherings, or in the classroom
A3.2 identify and describe the role of dance in the community
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JUNIOR DIVISION: GRADES 4-6
Dance - In Grades 4 to 6, students further develop their movement vocabulary in response to
a variety of
stimuli, select appropriate forms, and manipulate dance elements such as relationship, time, and energy. They
also experiment with various techniques to create different effects for different audiences and begin to use
choreographic forms to guide and shape their choreography. Teacher- and student-led movement exercises
such as body storming, mirroring, flocking, and verb chains may be used to build and shape movement
vocabulary. In Grade 4, students begin to explore narrative form. In Grade 5, they focus on the use of the
call-and-response form, while students in Grade 6 begin to use guided improvisation as a starting point for
choreography. Junior students should be able to identify and analyze the effect of combining various elements
of dance in their own and others’ dance pieces.
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of Grade 6, students will:
D1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to produce art works in a variety
of traditional two- and three-dimensional forms, as well as multimedia art works, that communicate
feelings, ideas, and understandings, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts as well as
current media technologies;
D2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis process (see pages 23–28) to
communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of art works and art
experiences;
D3. Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of art forms, styles,
and techniques from the past and present, and their sociocultural and historical contexts.
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
A.1 Creating and Presenting
A1.1 incorporate the use of props and materials
A1.2 use dance as a language to interpret and depict central themes in literature
A1.3 use guided improvisation in a variety of ways as a starting point for choreography
A1.4 combine the elements of dance in different ways to communicate a variety of ideas
A. 2 Reflecting, Responding and Analyzing
A2.1 construct personal interpretations of dance pieces that depict stories, issues, and themes, and explain
their interpretations, using dance terminology
A2.2 analyze, using dance vocabulary, how the elements of dance are used in their own and others’ dance
pieces and explain how they help communicate messages and ideas
A2.3 identify and give examples of their strengths and areas for growth as choreographers and audience
members
A. 3 Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts
A3.1 describe, with teacher guidance, types of dances used among Aboriginal peoples in the past and the present that express aspects of their cultural identity
A3.2 identify and describe ways in which pop culture and the media influence our awareness, understanding,
and appreciation of dance
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INTERMEDIATE DIVISON: GRADES 7-8
Dance - In Grades 7 and 8, students refine their kinesthetic awareness and use all of the elements of
dance (body, space, time, energy, relationship) to create dance works that express a point of view about a
variety of issues, concepts, and themes. Students at the intermediate level should be able to select a form of
choreography appropriate to their theme and combine all the elements of dance effectively to communicate
meaning. They should also be able to use technology and/or props to enhance the message of their dance
pieces. Students apply their knowledge of dance; reflect on their strengths and next steps as dancers,
choreographers, and audience members; and think critically about the role of dance in the media and in their
lives. Students also demonstrate an increased understanding of the role of dance in various cultures, societies,
and historical periods and refine their ability to evaluate the quality of performances by writing critiques of
their own and others’ work and reviewing dance performances.
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of Grade 8, students will:
A1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to the composition of a variety of
dance pieces, using the elements of dance to communicate feelings and ideas;
A2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the critical analysis process (see pages 23–28) to
communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces and
experiences;
A3. Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of dance forms,
traditions, and styles from the past and present, and their sociocultural and historical contexts.
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
A.1 Creating and Presenting
A1.1 create dance pieces to respond to issues that are personally meaningful to them
A1.2 use dance as a language to communicate messages about themes of social justice and/or environmental
health
A1.3 determine the appropriate choreographic form and create dance pieces for a specific audience or venue
A1.4 use technology, including multimedia, to enhance the message communicated by the choreography in a
dance piece
A. 2 Reflecting, Responding and Analyzing
A2.1 construct personal and/or group interpretations of the themes in their own and others’ dance pieces
A2.2 analyze, using dance vocabulary, their own and others’ dance pieces to identify the elements of
dance and the choreographic forms used in them
A2.3 identify and give examples of their strengths and areas for growth as dance creators, interpreters, and
audience members
A. 3 Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts
A3.1 describe how social, political, and economic factors influenced the emergence and development of a
dance form or genre of their choice
A3.2 identify a variety of types of dances and relate them to their different roles in society
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ACTIVITY PAGE # 1
Visual Arts and Language
Appropriate for primary, junior and intermediate divisions.
Imagine you are visiting the south of Spain. Maybe a beautiful town like Seville! Pretend you have just
seen a flamenco show (like the one you just did!) and are going to write a postcard home about it. Not
only are you a writer but a designer too! Design the front of the postcard with themes or images that relate
to flamenco and/or Spain – music, dance, costumes, people, food…whatever comes to mind. Have fun!
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ACTIVITY PAGE # 2
Language and Literacy - “Text to Me/Text to World” Writing Ideas
Appropriate for junior and intermediate divisions.
Flamenco and Spanish dance are about expression and emotion. they are about expressing
something important to you – how you feel, what you believe in, things you value. In Journey
to Spain, you saw dances full of joy interpreted through big and bright movements. You also
saw serious dances full of drama. Below are three ideas for expressive writing.
A.
What would YOU dance about?
B.
You are a famous reviewer…
C.
A Song from a Poem, YOUR Poem!
If you were going to choreograph a dance, what would you dance about? What would you want
to express and how would you do it? You can write about your ideas and emotions and you can
include other aspects of dance and the stage – what would you wear, how would you design the
lighting, who else would be on stage with you if anyone, how would you move? Art is about
freedom – create a wonderful dance piece through writing.
You are a journalist writing the arts column in your local paper. You have just seen “Journey
to Spain” and are in charge of writing a review of the show. Describe the show from many
different angles. What worked for you and what did not. Think about the artists, the
choreographies, the costumes, the “feel” and interpretations of the flamenco and classical
Many flamenco songs (cantes) are poems or verses borrowed from famous Spanish poets.
As you heard, flamenco singing can be light and lovely or serious and sad. The songs are
almost never stories but focus on feelings like love, happiness, hope, sadness, loneliness or
pain. Sometimes it is as simple as a special memory about a moment in time. Write a poem
that could be used as a flamenco song. Remember that flamenco lyrics can be literal or very
abstract.
13
ACTIVITY PAGE # 3
Appropriate for junior and intermediate divisions.
Draw a line connecting the Spanish word with its English translation.
buena suertefair
canteHurray!
golpefootwork section
abanicotime
feriafull foot strike
mantóncastanets
Olé!singing
tiempogood luck
castañuelasform
escobillashawl
palofan
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ACTIVITY PAGE # 4
Appropriate for primary, junior and intermediate divisions.
Music and Dance Exercises
Please look at the resource page for appropriate music and video clips. The tangos music clip will be most helpful for the
Music/Dance exercises. Do them along with your students and have fun!
MUSIC
Palmas or Clapping - Set your Internal Clock!
• Palmas or clapping exercises help develop rhythm.
• Stand class in a circle.
• Have students count out loud in 8 beat phrases. (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,1,2,3,4…)
• When the rhythm is established have them stop voicing the beat with numbers and “play” it with palmas.
We only hear hands now.
• Experiment with speeding up and slowing down.
• Experiment with dynamics.
• Palmas sordas are muffled sounding claps with two hands cupped together.
Thumbs over each other and two cupped palms together with a bit space for echo.
• Palmas abiertas are open, clear sounded claps with a flat handed (mostly fingers) hitting the palm of the
receiving hand. Receiving hand should be slightly cupped.
• Have fun finding what YOUR palmas sound like!
Palmas Variations
Around the Circle
These exercises develop coordination and rhythm.
• Can you send the beat around the circle without mishaps? One person sets the pace with 8 beats of palmas and the
next student seamlessly takes over keeping the same speed and dynamic.
Can you make it all the way around the circle?
Hands and Feet : A Feat of Coordination
• Can you coordinate hands and feet?
• Have the class start just counting the numbers out loud again.
• Have them golpe or stomp their feet on beat 1 and beat 5 while counting out loud.
• Now replace the counting with palmas just as you did above. Only now you’ve got to keep your foot going!
•*Variation – can you drop out the palma on 1 and 5? So it will sound like:
stomp, clap,clap,clap, stomp,clap,clap,clap
(um,pa,pa,pa,um,pa,pa,pa) Um is your foot, pa are your palmas!
Get fancy!
• Have your students get the strong 8 beats going again.
• Can someone come up with an 8 count pattern? Or two 4 count patterns?
• Take turns or send the new variations around the circle.
Tiempo/Contratiempo – Time and Counter time
• Flamenco is all about the offbeat. Have one student play 8 slow beats of palmas.
Can someone insert the “and” beat or the “off ” beat.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 - player 1 on tiempo/time
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ - player 2 on contratiempo/counter time
It should sound just like a clock - “tick, tock, tick, tock…”
• Now try this with your golpes, your foot stomps!
15
Warm-up
DANCE EXERCISES
Start with a flamenco warm up. Put on some music with an 8 count beat that is easy to follow.
The Flamenco Gaze:
• Have students stand tall with squared shoulders and an open chest.
• Have them put their hands on their hips with strong elbows pointing to the side.
• Practice a very direct gaze.
• Now, with music, use that powerful gaze to look right, look left, look down, look straight ahead.
• Have them engage others with that look.
Hands:
• Have students hold their arms in front of them, level with their stomach, as if they were holding a big beach ball.
• Practice rotating your hands, from the wrist to the fingers, in circles – fingers towards you, down to the floor, up
and back in. That direction is called dentro (inside circles). Fingers out, down to the floor and back up towards
you is called fuera (outside circles).
• Basically just get your wrists and hands going!!!!
Armwork:
1. Have students lift their arms up through the centre (beachball) position as detailed above, up overhead, opening and
coming down the outside. Now reverse the circles. Try adding the hand work described above.
2. Hold both hands above your head in an oval shape with fingers close together at the top. Circle the right arm out,
down to the side and up the centre to meet on top. Now circle the left arm, always meeting at the top. Can you
do outward circles and then inward circles?
3. Try to keep those circles going one arm at a time. Can you add hand work while you do that? It gets harder….!
Footwork – Golpes
Work to music in a compás/phrase of 8 counts.
• Keeping that good posture from above, have students practice golpes/full foot strikes on the floor.
The leg comes up behind, bending at the knee, and drops with a flat foot on the floor. Move from foot to foot,
R, L, R, L… Keep a slow steady rhythm. Let gravity and the weight of your leg do the work.
• 8 slow beats – R foot, L foot, R foot, L foot, … 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8…
• double time to the music, meaning right, left, right left…- 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+…
• quadruple time 1e+a, 2e+a, 3e+a….
• *Variation – Try it all again slowly lifting your arms up the outside, coming together overhead and down the centre –
take 8 golpes or counts to do one circuit of arms.
• Now try and keep the arms at that speed as you double and quadruple time!
Marking Steps
Marking steps are about “marking” the rhythm and style, not about percussive sound.
• Have students put a foot out to the front, pushing on the ball of the foot and bringing the same foot back with a light
stomp. Switch feet. This is basically “out and in, out and in... keeping the beat. Right foot goes out and back
together and then the left. A Spanish version of the “hokey, pokey.”
• *Variation – Can you add arms? Hands are on your hips. Can you reach the right elbow out in front of your stomach
with the right foot and bring it back to your hips when the foot comes back? Same with the left.
The arm is at a strong right angle.
• *Variation 2 – Can you do this step with your arms overhead, one arm circling at a time as described above?
When the right foot marks out in front, the right arm reaches out, down the side and comes up the centre when
you bring your right foot back in and together. Arms meet at the top in that oval shape and then proceed with
the left.
16
Moving Steps
• Have students walk to the beat.
• Have them experiment with arms as they move.
• Inward circles, outward circles, the strong, right angle arm shape mentioned above or hands on hips.
• Have them practice moving in the space, creating patterns and circling each other.
“Fin de Fiesta”
• Try to have your own flamenco juerga/party.
• Have everyone stand in a circle with the music playing.
• Would someone like to go into the circle, practice clapping, a bit of footwork, walk around the circle practicing arm work
– or anything else that comes to mind.
• This is a time for creativity and the support of classmates.
• Don’t forget that jaleo/calls of encouragement like “ole, agua, vamos” are an important part of flamenco.
And they make you feel great!!!!
Student Ideas
• What did students see in the show that they’d like to try?
• Students could try to recall body postures, aesthetics or lines.
• Students could try to recreate some of the opening or ending shapes from one of the pieces.
• They can also practice creating flamenco style “tableaux” in groups.
• What about a dance off in two groups? One group calls an 8 count rhythm with palmas, feet or marking steps and the
second group answers. Create a back and forth rhythmic dialogue!
Small Group Work – Choreography and Research
• Have students break up into small groups and choose a piece of music to work with.
• Have students choreograph a short dance piece – flamenco or otherwise.
• Have them focus on the emotional framework and structure first.
• Have them consider the entrances and exits. The use of space and patterns of movement.
What will help build a meaningful choreography?
• If some students are less keen, they can be assigned other roles. They could give palmas and jaleo throughout, creating a
musical tableau towards the back of the stage.
• Students could be choreographers instead of dancers, the rehearsal director, the costume designer or lighting designer,
submitting their ideas on paper. There are so many roles in putting together a dance work.
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GLOSARIO/ GLOSSARY
abanico fan
canteflamenco singing
aficionados
enthusiasts
bailaor/a
male/female flamenco dancer
braceoarm movement
cantaor/a
male/female flamenco singer
castañuelas
castanets
compás
rhythm; beat; also a unit of rhythm. Being in a compás is more than just
staying on the beat. It is the knowledge of the various accents of the
particular compás and its interpretation
contra-tiempo
counter-rhythm
cuadro flamenco
a group of guitarists, singers, dancers, and jaleadores who comprise the
performers of flamenco
duende
soul, spirit, being possessed by feelings of the baile, cante or toque
escobilla
a section of footwork in dance
fiestaparty
golpe a full foot strike on the floor
guitarra guitar
jaleo clapping of hands and verbal encouragement for dancers, singers and
musicians – for instance : “¡Así se baila!”
juerga a flamenco happening. A fiesta, usually with the elements of music, song,
dance, jaleo and many aficionados
llamada (la)
a call; a signal used by dancers to communicate a forthcoming change in
the dance
mantón (el)
Spanish shawl used in dancing
ole
shout of approval
palo a flamenco rhythm or style of singing
palillos (los)
the Andalusian or flamenco term for castanets
palmas (las)
handclapping used to accompany flamenco singing and dancing
pitos (los)
finger snaps
planta (la)
the ball of the foot; the movement of striking the ball of the foot against
the floor
Sevilla the famous flamenco city in the heart of flamenco country
sólo de pies (el)
a section of footwork done without guitar or cante – usually accompanied
by palmas
tacón (el)
the heel; the striking of the heel against the floor
tiempo
“time”, the “on” beat as opposed to contra-tiempo, “counter-time”
tocar to play a musical instrument
zapatos (los)
shoes
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RESOURCE PAGE
Audio Clips for Music and Dance Exercises from Pages 19-23:
• 8 count rhythm – tangos
• Slow Version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsDX0h6jE4E
• Fast Version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8mi5XJ9MZ4
• With cante/singing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TI7WA2PYPE
Estrella Morente
• Again with cante - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifJBY-_g1e4
Miguel Poveda
Video Clips
• Children dancing Sevillanas -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POvLdV5WCq0
• Watch men and women rehearsing with the National Ballet of Spain
https://vimeo.com/32899770
Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company excerpts of performances:
https://vimeo.com/146706088 La Capitana (Farruca) excerpts (PW: EESDC)
https://vimeo.com/147050993 La Marea (Alegrías) excerpts (PW: EESDC)
Coming Soon - video clips of dance exercises
in the study guide that you can do with your class
Go to www.flamencos.net
Children’s Books on Flamenco/Spanish Dance
• Spain by Charlotte Guillain
• Olé Flamenco by George Ancona
• DK Eyewitness Book: Dance by Andre Grau
• Pearlie and the Flamenco Fairy by Wendy Harmer
• Thea Stilton and the Spanish Dance Mission by Thea Stilton
Websites of Interest
• Flamenco History - http://www.andalucia.com/flamenco/history.htm
• Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company - http://www.flamencos.net
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