Flamenco Dance History

Improved Essays
In a dark, desolate Spanish cave, music comes to life as you enter in. The sudden claps from castanets make the whole room hush. Eyes follow the swift movement of the dancers. Such emotion fills the room; jubilation, bliss, anger, fear, and love. Spanish culture comes alive when the flamenco dance begins. The history of this dance brings together the melting pot of people, traditional music, Latin dancing, and mystic surroundings.
Tourists with their cameras ready for action, stare at the performers in awe. Viewers are able to unwind in the moment with the Spanish staple, red wine. In a like manner, natives make a point to make everyone feel welcomed into the place they call home. Petite female performers dance the night away in their red, fitted, ruffled dresses. The masculine male performers carry themselves with such pride and strength. Together, they rule the room. The audience takes part by clapping
…show more content…
The name of the gypsy cave stands out in bright, vibrant red letters on the outside of the cave.. "Cueva de la Rocio" is artistically painted on the wall. Pictures of famous people fill up all four of the walls. Among the pictures, pots hang from above on the white ceiling. People who gather for the performance sit alongside each wall on wooden chair. With limited space, roughly sixty people can spectate the show. It is dimly lit inside. Although, bright color changing spotlights on the walls shine through the cave. The red lighting creates a dramatic effect and dark, sensual mood for viewers. Shadows of the dancers casted onto the floor create, yet another show for the audience. Smells of fermented grapes and mustiness from the underground catch the noses of the people. Over the green, rolling hill, lies the majestic palace, Alhambra. The cave is like a hidden gem that is located on the outskirts of the vast city. And over the years, these treasures have been well

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    For this analysis, I analyzed the documentary Rize. The story setting is focused on African American youth, during a time that was very controversial in African American history, in the United States. The introduction to this documentary depicts this time that was filled with violence and rioting involving African Americans, including the Watts Riots in 1965 Los Angeles, as well as the infamous Rodney King Riots in 1992 Los Angeles. In the documentary Rize, the themes of expression of emotion and dance as social and personal healing are represented by the dancing, costumes, characters, and music in the film.…

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Quinceañer Film Analysis

    • 1064 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The movie Quinceañera tells the story of a young woman, Magdalena who is about to celebrate her 15th birthday party, better known in the Latino community as a quinceañera, a celebration of the transition from a little girls childhood and her becoming into a young woman, when she (Magdalena) soon finds out that she is pregnant. With much disapproval from her religious father she is forced to leave home and live with her extended family, her uncle Tomas, and her older cousin Carlos. The motion picture illustrates many of Latino’s cultures and values. For instance at the beginning of the film, Magdalena’s cousin Eileen is celebrating her quinceañera and throughout the party many males guests of all ages are seen enjoying the music, conversing, drinking and dancing meanwhile some of the women from the party are seen cooking and prepping food in the…

    • 1064 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Powwows Research Paper

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The first Majenos dance in San Jeronimo appeared during the 1940’s after undergoing regional changes after a earthquake that caused a shift in the economy towards the capital, the end of the hacienda system, and the state began building roads and schools. The Majenos Dance distinguishes social classes between urban and rural regions caused by these regional changes. The dance also distinguishes the difference between mestizos and Indians in San Jeronimo as Indians had acquired negative connotations in the Americas. Mestizos were part of the elite social class because they had less Indian in them. In San Jeronimo, The Majenos Dance was performed for the Octave of Corpus Christi and during the patron saint festivity of the town.…

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The room itself was grand and ancient, with walls of rough hewn stone, polished granite floors, and a ceiling as high as ten men. There were eight long tables, the shortest on a raised dais along the far wall, and seven more set orthogonal to the first and extending to the entry. Sheaves of wheat and sprays of spring blooms adorned the walls, and cornucopias spilled fruits, nuts and candies onto each table. There were dancers, at least a dozen of them, draped loosely in silks of gold and rich green, ribbons of fabric that swayed as they swayed, dipped as they dipped, and fluttered about them as they spun. Along walls and in corners, on tables and among revelers, they danced in time to a rhythmic tune—singly and in pairs and trios, all moving with an agile grace, seducing guests with limber acrobatics and inviting smiles.…

    • 1379 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Merengue Dance History

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There were two dances combined in Merengue, which were African and French Minuet from the late 1700’s- early 1800’s. In addition, the original Meringues was not danced by individual couples but a circle dance. At that time, each man and woman faced each other and holding hands at arm’s length. However, they did not holding each other closely like today we do. The original movements for this dancing was only shaking the showers and swift movement of the feet, and they didn't move the hips (Austeritz, 2013).…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When many people hear Mariachi music they instantly think of Mexico or a Mexican party. But is that really the proper thing to think of? Where did Mariachi music actually come from and what is its purpose? This unique genre of music has many hidden facts that most people don’t even think of when they hear it.…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Quinceanera Celebration

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common that when a girl turns fifteen her family throws her a Quinceañera. The Quinceañera is like a “Sweet 15” or in American culture a “Sweet 16”. A Quinceañera is referred to as a mini boda or a miniature wedding. This celebrates the maturity of the young adult. Since this is a religious celebration it is expected that the young adult will live a life full of honesty and dedication to God.…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I possess many notable attributes: I am a successful student; I am an exceptional editor; I am a wonderful writer; I am a standard string-strummer. But, those don’t equate to my defining factor- my Latino background. Consisting of Puerto Rican and Salvadoran ancestry, my culture greatly shaped me into the person I am today.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Essay On Mariachi Music

    • 1900 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Mariachi music was always present in my life. Since I can remember, my family would always support my uncle’s performances since he was in a Mariachi group. My father would cry listening to Vicente Fernandez sing “Por Tu Maldito Amor.” My husband sent me serenata as an anniversary gift. In the beginning, I hated Mariachi music.…

    • 1900 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Evolution and Commercialization of Irish Dance Since Riverdance Since Riverdance hit the world stage in 1995, the culture of Irish Dance has evolved and grown. However, experts within the dance community disagree whether and to what extent Riverdance has played a role in these changes. The scholarly articles, dissertations, and books examined in this literature review examine different aspects of the art and sport: changes in costumes, technique and demographic of the dancers. Most rely on first-hand interviews, but each study differs in the group of people they interview about the subject.…

    • 1947 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Hispanic culture influence on music, art, and dance varies on location, people, and time. “Music and dance are very important elements for special occasions and everyday life” (Hede, 2013). Different celebratory events such as birthdays, weddings, graduations, and parties involve music, dance, and food. “During these gatherings music and dancing is the centerpiece of the culture’s identity” (Martinez, 2015). Holidays can last many hours to days.…

    • 159 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For centuries, song and dance have been a vital part in creating and expressing a community’s sense of identity. Through each, members are able to pass on traditions, make political statements, and express themselves. The tango and salsa styles of music and dance are prime examples of mobilities in Latin American music that help foster a sense of identity among the smaller communities, although each required international attention before earning recognition from its home country. Each style of music is a special hybrid of all kinds of influences, demonstrating a deep history that can also give some insight to the social outlook of the times. Despite the time gap between the emergence of the two styles (tango first appearing in the early 19th century while salsa came into the scene around the 1970s), both styles have contributed a significant impact in establishing a sense of identity among Latin American music.…

    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dama Dance History

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Dama, or the African Mask Dance, has been performed for hundreds of years however is only performed every sixty years as it is based on a celestial cycle that refers to a star that circles around Sirius (Rik Pinxten, 2015). It is a significant part of the African history to follow this particular celestial cycles. The Dama is a ritual dance for the Dogon Tribe of Mali, situated in West Africa. This essay will examine and analyse the movement and non-movement components within the dance. It will also analyse how this ritual dance preserves the Dogon Tribe’s culture and history.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Why Suya Sing Analysis

    • 1723 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Why Suya Sing, a musical anthropology of an Amazonian people, is a book written by Anthony Seeger. Anthony Seeger is a professor, ethnomusicologist, archivist, anthropologist, and record producer. The title “Why Suya Sing” portrays the general idea of all ethnomusicologists, which is to further understand music in its cultural context (“What Is Ethnomusicology?”). Seeger is also the director emeritus of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. The author tackled field research for the book at Mato Grosso, Brazil, during 1971 and 1982.…

    • 1723 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    All they can do is stare ahead at the cave wall in front of them. Behind them, unseen, is a walkway with a low barrier on it, and behind that is a large, bright fire. A group of puppeteers moves along the walkway, with puppets raised above their heads. While the puppeteers’ own shadows are obscured by the barrier, the light of the fire casts the silhouettes of their puppets onto the far cave wall so that…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics