Spanish flamenco dance in Spain. Where do you dance flamenco in Catalonia? What is flamenco

What should every tourist in Catalonia see? Bullfight? Horse show? Wine cellars? Incendiary flamenco? Or maybe we should start with flamenco to understand the passionate Spanish soul?

Now let's talk about where you can watch and listen to flamenco. Unlike bullfighting, there are plenty of options. No arena required, numerous creative teams mobile and ubiquitous. And if you are too lazy to look for flamenco, then it will find you. Right at the hotel. During the season, there will definitely be a “flamenco show” in yours a couple of times a week. Just don’t waste your precious holiday time on it and ruin the impression. Let them entertain German pensioners. And you and I will go, excuse me, to the tablao.

As you already know, tablaos are cafes with a small stage where flamenco is performed. Sometimes it's quite good. There are plenty of them on the coast, just tell the taxi driver the magic phrase “flamenco tablao”. The guide can also tell you where it makes sense to go in the evening.

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As part of the “Spanish Night” excursion, you will not only see a magnificent horse show, but also immerse yourself in the unique world of Spanish music and flamenco rhythms. As a rule, the flamenco show takes place in the second part of the evening. It should be noted that Spanish music originated in the process of interaction between many musical cultures who once inhabited this country - Iberians, Celts, Phoenicians, Romans, Germans, Arabs, Berbers, Jews and, later, gypsies.

The latter, finding themselves on the peninsula in the 15th century, absorbed the ancient popular art of the south of this country and, at present, they are mainly the only carriers of this type folk art. - it's not just dancing, solo singing, guitar, castanets, first of all, is a way of life, flamenco is light, long dresses with frills and shawls with tassels, flying up in an impromptu dance. - these are black and red leather shoes, beating the rhythm of tap dancing, flamenco - these are flexible, passionate movements of a dancer, bewitching the entire hall. - this is Spain!

At the end of the evening, a comfortable bus will take tourists to the hotel.

People have always been attracted by dance, and this remains one of the secrets of nature to this day. When the music is in tune with the mood, it’s as if the soul begins to sing. The head sways to the beat of the music, the body begins to slowly sway by itself, with perky rhythms you want to beat the beat with your feet, wave your arms and be carried along with the music into a world where feelings and experiences can be poured out in a gesture, movement, look. Flamenco is one of the special dances that exist as an original form of storytelling about life.

Where does flamenco come from?

Flamenco is an art not only of dancing, but also of singing, instrumental music. Flamenco comes from Andalusia, the southern region Spain, whose name was given by the Moors. They called the region Al-Andaluz - the land of light. The inhabitants of this region are distinguished by pride and a very passionate temperament.

How did flamenco appear?

There are many versions about this. It is generally accepted that this art dates back to the time of the fire cult. According to another version, flamenco was brought to Spain by gypsies expelled from India in the fifteenth century.

Main directions of flamenco

There are two main directions in flamenco dance. In the first case, passion, fire, pride, deep internal tension, and sorrow prevail. This type of dance is called the word “hondo” (“deep”). In another manifestation of flamenco, a different Andalusia comes to the fore - more refined, civilized, urban. The dance becomes different: crafty, mischievous, full of ingenuity, which is called traditional dances flamenco.

The peculiarities of flamenco dance include the fact that, unlike others, folk dances, it can be performed not only in a group, in a pair, but also by one dancer. In flamenco dance you can feel the militancy, the reflection of ancient rituals, and the burning passion of love. And the dancer carries all this within himself. Flamenco dance does not require a wide stage space, here in to a greater extent Internal space, the space of the dancer’s soul, is in demand.

How to master the technique

Flamenco technique is considered very difficult - mainly due to the complex rhythm, which is not found in any other dance. Therefore, a beginning dancer should not rely only on his talent when mastering flamenco; he needs strict discipline of constant mental (for memorization) and physical training.

One of the most important details When performing a dance, the dancer's posture changes. This is more important than clearly tapping the rhythm with your heels. It is important for a dancer to captivate his viewer, and himself, into the world of passionate experiences, which means he is not allowed to relax, to forget about how to behave in dance.

Particular importance in flamenco dance is given to hand movements. Hands become the language of this art and give the dance its originality.

The main thing in flamenco

Flamenco is more than music and more than dance. This is an attitude to life, a certain worldview. In times of sadness, despondency or melancholy, allow yourself to become a flamenco dancer: straighten your shoulders, throw your head back, lower your chin, be yourself and dance. As long as you are with flamenco, this world belongs to you.

Flamenco - national spanish dance. But this is too simple and exaggerated a definition, because flamenco is passion, fire, bright emotions and drama. It is enough to see the spectacular and expressive movements of the dancers once to forget about keeping track of time. And the music... This another story... Let's not bore you - it's time to plunge into the history and specifics of this dance.

The history of flamenco: the pain of exiled peoples

The official date of birth of flamenco is 1785. It was then that Juan Ignacio Gonzalez del Castillo, a Spanish playwright, first used the word "flamenco". But these are formalities. In fact, the history of this trend goes back more than 10 centuries, during which the culture of Spain changed and developed with the participation of other nationalities. We invite you to feel the atmosphere of bygone years in order to better feel the energy and character of the dance.

Our story begins back in 711 in ancient Andalusia, located in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Now it is an autonomous Spanish community, but then the power on this land belonged to the Visigoths, ancient Germanic tribe. Tired of the arbitrariness of the ruling elite, the population of Andalusia turned to Muslims for help. So the peninsula was conquered by the Moors or Arabs who came from North Africa.

For more than 700 years, the territory of ancient Spain was in the hands of the Moors. They managed to turn her into the most beautiful European country. People from all over the continent flocked here to admire the magnificent architecture, learn about science and understand the sophistication of oriental poetry.

The development of music does not stand aside either. Persian motifs begin to take possession of the minds of the inhabitants of Andalusia, forcing them to change their musical and dance traditions. Abu al-Hasan Ali, a Baghdad musician and poet, played a huge role in this. Art critics see in his work the first traces of flamenco and give him the right to be considered the father of Andalusian music.

In the 15th century, Christian states located in the northern part of the peninsula began to displace the Arabs. Where the Spanish Moors disappeared is a mystery that historians are not yet able to solve. Despite this, oriental culture became part of the worldview of the people who inhabited Andalusia. But for the emergence of flamenco, the suffering of another ethnic group persecuted around the world is not enough - the gypsies.

Tired of constant wandering, the gypsies came to the peninsula in 1425. These lands seemed like paradise to them, but the local authorities disliked the foreigners and persecuted them. Everything associated with the gypsies was considered criminal, including dancing and music.

Bloody persecution did not prevent gypsy folklore from uniting with eastern traditions, which by that time had already taken root among the local population of Andalusia. It is from this moment that flamenco begins to emerge - at the junction of several cultures.

Where does history take us next? To Spanish taverns and pubs. This is where the local population begins to perform sensual dance, attracting more and more curious eyes to him. For now, flamenco exists only for a narrow circle of people. But at about mid-19th century style goes outdoors. Street performances or fiestas are no longer complete without passionate and emotional dance moves flamenco.

And then a professional stage awaits the dance. Flamencologists note that the peak of the genre falls on the second half of XIX century, when the Spanish population was crazy about the work of singer Silverio Franconetti. But the age of dance was fleeting. By the end of the century, flamenco had become a common form of entertainment in the eyes of young people. A history of dance filled with suffering and pain various nationalities, remained on the margins.

The musician Federico García Lorca and the poet Manuel de Falla did not allow flamenco to be equated with low-grade art and to allow the genre to leave the cozy streets of Spain forever. With their easy support, the first Andalusian festival took place in 1922. folk singing, where the melodies beloved by many Spaniards sounded.

The six-string guitar is the national Spanish instrument, without which flamenco performance is unthinkable.

Traditional women's suit flamenco performers - long dress to the floor or bata de cola. His required elements- a tight-fitting bodice, many frills and flounces along the edge of the skirt and sleeves. Due to the peculiarities of the cut, spectacular movements are obtained during the dance. Doesn't remind you of anything? The clothes were borrowed from gypsies and became a symbol of femininity and attractiveness.

Flamenco is involuntarily associated with the color red. But professional dancers see this only national stereotype. Where did the myth of the red dance come from? From the name of the style. Translated from Latin, “flamma” means flame, fire. These concepts are invariably associated with shades of red. Parallels are also drawn with flamingos, whose name is so consonant with a passionate dance.

Another stereotype is associated with castanets. This percussion instrument in the form of two concave plates, which are put on the hands. Yes, their sound can be clearly heard during the dance. Yes, dancers use them. But in traditional flamenco, girls’ hands should be free. Where did the tradition of dancing with castanets come from then? Thanks to the public, who enthusiastically accepted the use of this musical instrument.

The nature of the style largely determines the dancers' shoes. The toe and heel of the shoes are specially tacked with small nails in order to obtain a characteristic sound when performing the roll. It’s not for nothing that flamenco is considered a prototype tap dancers.

The Spanish city of Seville is considered one of the most significant in the development of flamenco. There is a museum dedicated to this dance here. It was opened by Cristina Hoyos, a famous dancer. This city is popular thanks to literary characters: Don Quixote And Carmen.

With the names of which dancers is flamenco associated? These are, of course, Antonia Merce i Luca, Carmen Amaya, Mercedes Ruiz and Magdalena Seda.

To us at military music festival Orchestras from 13 countries fly to the Spasskaya Tower.

Musicians and artists from Belarus, Belgium, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Mexico, Pakistan, Slovenia and Japan arrive in Moscow.

And according to tradition, units of the Presidential Regiment, all the best military musicians, will come to Red Square Russian army, Ministry of Emergency Situations and Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kremlin Riding School and Shady Glen School of Scottish Dance.

The festival's guest of honor is Mireille Mathieu, she arrived on Tuesday. On Red Square she will sing “Under the Sky of Paris”, and “Hymn of Love”, and “The Blue Handkerchief” in Russian.

Don’t even try to count the number of orchestras - you’ll still be wrong. The orchestra of the municipal police of Rome is flying towards us. Created in 1870 as the City Guard Band, today it is a musical icon Eternal City. But in fact these are three orchestras: the same musicians perform in the orchestras of the Carabinieri and the Vatican.

Only the colorful one is older than them folklore group from Japan "Kanto Matsuri", which is 400 years old. Translated from Japanese - "Lantern Festival".

An unusual participant is the "Royal Stilt Walkers" from Belgium. In the Middle Ages, the Belgians used stilts instead of boots: they crossed streams and rivers on them. They also revived another ancient method of transportation. Four people line up one behind the other and fasten their clogs to two wooden boards: it turns out to be something like improvised skis.

In general, skiing on the Kremlin paving stones in September is an unusual spectacle, to put it mildly.

It is no longer possible to imagine the Spasskaya Tower without bagpipes - and that means there will be them. Ireland sent the Pipes and Drums Orchestra, which won applause last year.

Old acquaintances will also perform: honor guard companies from Kazakhstan and Belarus.

Greece also sent festival veterans to Moscow: an Air Force orchestra and an honor guard company.

Newcomers to the festival: the Postal Service Brass Band from Slovenia and the Imperial Youth Orchestra from Great Britain.

This time there will be no Shaolin monks and fiery Mexican dancers. They were replaced by the Chinese Army Band and Honor Guard Company and the Mexican Armed Forces Model Band.

An army band arrived from Pakistan.

Special guest of the festival: Royal Andalusian School of Horsemanship.

This is the elite of the world cavalry. The Spaniards perform in 18th-century costumes. Live music: at the piano is virtuoso pianist and composer Manolo Carrasco, creator of his own style new piano flamenco. By the way, the pianist has a Russian wife, and he considers Spanish music close in passion to Russian music. Definitely our man.

Andalusian horses “dance” synchronously to the accompaniment of Manolo. The climax of the show: the horse rears up and... jumps up on its hind legs. The public is shocked.

“The trick is called Corbeta,” the director of the Andalusian school, Juan Carlos Roman, explained to the RG journalist. “At home, our shows are usually called equestrian ballet.”

Last year, festival guests were amazed by the “flying horseman” Frenchman Lorenzo. Now here are the Spanish horses jumping from their hind legs. In my opinion, the only symmetrical answer on our part is to urgently train some circus bear in acrobatic rock and roll.

“It’s possible without extremes,” laughs the general director of the Kremlin riding school Boris Petrov. “The Spaniards are simply delighted with our horse riding. They also don’t understand how you can perform such tricks at breakneck speed and have such control over your body and edged weapons.”

The Kremlin school presents “Traditions of Russia” - this is a show honed to perfection, complemented by new tricks.

“But I also take my hat off to the Spaniards and their skill,” admits Boris Petrov.

In one thing, ours and the Spaniards are completely similar: in their touching and reverent attitude towards horses. They almost never part with them.

“We offered the Spaniards a hotel in the center of Moscow,” says the Kremlin commandant, Lieutenant General Sergei Khlebnikov. “They refused, asking to be accommodated closer to their horses, which were housed in the stables of the Kremlin riding school, and this is the Krasnogorsk district, the village of Putilkovo.”

... "Spasskaya Tower" runs from September 5 to 13, but the artists have a tight schedule, some will fly before closing. In particular, even before the gala performance he will leave Moscow Japanese group, Mireille Mathieu will also fly away on September 6th.

Don't miss the chance to see.

By the way

As reported music director“Spasskaya Tower”, the chief military conductor of Russia, Lieutenant General Valery Khalilov, at the finale of the festival the number of musicians will reach 1.5 thousand people: “We will perform a medley of military songs, which will not end with the “Farewell of the Slav” march, as in past years, and a collective performance of the song “Victory Day”.

What is this - a fashion for the exotic, thanks to which Celtic motifs appear in the players of our fellow citizens, and Japanese sushi on the menu of cafeterias? Or the desire to stand out: oriental dance Half of my acquaintances are carried away by the belly, other friends choose the R’n’B direction, but I’ll take it and so on... And the soul rushed to heaven, to the sound of heels and the whirling of shuttlecocks!

Perhaps... But those who practice flamenco, smiling mysteriously, admit that there is no better way to throw out excess feelings...

And indeed, from an early age we are taught to behave with restraint: not to laugh loudly, not to show tears, not to make scandals in public... But surely the emotions that burst us must find a way out?

Of course, it’s easier to quell your worries by smoking around the corner, and to cry about failures to friends over a cup of coffee, take your anger out on relatives and pour out your soul by making another entry in your diary... But what’s the use of all this? Temporary relaxation and... you're on the verge of stress again. Whereas flamenco allows you to channel any emotions into a creative direction. You can dance, trample, twist, break melancholy, anger, resentment, worries... passion, tenderness... Everything that we are afraid to express in everyday life, something that is hidden beyond the bounds of decency. “By dancing, a person allows himself the luxury of being himself,” said Paulo Coelho in one of his books.

Flamenco is a dance in which you can do without a partner. Dance of the lonely. This is life in one breath. This is improvisation, an impulse of feelings - intercourse with music, with the soul... As the Spaniards say, this is a dance of naked nerves. If two people dance it, it’s a dispute between male and female. feminine. It is not for nothing that independent, proud women prefer flamenco. They crave confrontation - confrontation with themselves and passionate struggle on equal terms with a man.

The dance of fire is fascinating not only because of its expressiveness. Strict, full of conventions and traditions, having absorbed the culture of many nations, the dance is extremely beautiful. The costumes of flamenco dancers - bailaors - are prototypes of traditional gypsy attire. For women, it is a floor-length dress, often made of multi-colored polka dot material, decorated with frills and ruffles. The clothing of male dancers is dark trousers, a bright wide belt and a white shirt with wide sleeves. Sometimes the edges of the shirt are tied at the front at the waist, and a short bolero vest is worn on top.

When practicing flamenco - an emotional, plastic dance - great attention focuses on expressive movements of the arms and hands, head and body. The liberation of the dancer is also important. Complete dedication to dance. After all, flamenco is the breath of life, it’s ups and downs, it’s when you think you’re about to take off... but you’re not a bird, you’re only a person, and you fall. You fall in order to fly up, in order to feel again, in order to again deeply breathe in the pure, sincere air of flamenco. This is a deep and multifaceted art.
But... As the gypsies say, dance cannot be described in words! It can only be fulfilled...