| By :
Michel Maling
Spanish dancing is an enjoyable dance form which is maybe not quite as popular as ballet or jazz, but it is a great form of dancing and exercise for all ages to partake in. You can start as young as six and I know of people who are still doing exams well into their seventies. Spanish dancing is made up of different styles. The most prominent of them is the Flamenco. Classical and Regional fill up the other two styles, and are a little more difficult to learn for someone who has never had any formal lessons before. Flamenco dancing involves a lot of intricate footwork and is exciting to watch. Zapateado is the name given to this series of fast pace stamping steps. The rhythms are constantly changing, and the guitarist has to follow the dancers lead. Flamenco dancing originated with the gypseys who arrived in Spain during the 1400's from India. They were the Sudra Tribe from North India. Flamenco is usually loud and spectators clap and shout to encourage the dancers. The word 'Flamenco' only came into play during the nineteenth century. It is believed that the word came from the word 'Flamma' which means flame and describes the fiery and flashy gypsy movements of the dancing. Escuela Bolera means School of Classical Spanish Dancing. This type of Spanish Dancing came into play during the middle of the nineteenth century It became quite popular and was elegant and stately to watch. Well known ballerina's traveled to Spain to learn the dances, as it became a very popular art form in Europe. The Bolero was danced often and in different forms in couples, groups and solo's. To do classical spanish dancing, you will need to have a good understanding of the music and learn to play the castanets proficiently. It is very tricky at first to play different rhythms on your castanets while thinking about what your feet are doing. Within Spanish Dancing, there is a section for Regional Dancing. The regional dances come from many different places. The Jotas and Basque dances originate from the North of Spain. The Fandangos comes from the South and the Seguidillas from Central and Western Spain. The Sadanas comes from the east of Spain. The dances are normally performed in couples by ordinary people at local festivals. There are many different styles of regional Spanish dancing. The dances of the East are tranquil and graceful, while the dances from the North are rough and vigorous. In the South, the the dances are often done alone and very provocatively by the women, while the men show strength and virility. Whichever style of Spanish dance you choose, you will find something that suits you. So why not grab that pair of castanets that you have always wanted to learn to play and give spanish dancing a whirl.
|
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.articlesbacklink.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
