The art of dancing with passion.

Flamenco is a genuine Spanish art form, or, to be more exact, a genuine Southern Spanish art. It exists in three forms: el cante, the song, el baile, the dance, and la guitarra, the guitar playing. Gypsies are often credited with the "invention" of flamenco, and it is at least certain that they played an important part in its creation. But the popular songs and dances of Andalusia also had a major influence on early Flamenco.

First there were the legendary Tartessos, and later, nine centuries of Muslim history in the Iberian Peninsula. Neither passed without leaving an imprint on Andalusian culture, and both influenced flamenco, directly and indirectly. The earliest mention of flamenco in literature is in Las Cartas Marruecas of Cadalso, in 1774.

During its Golden Age (1869-1910), flamenco developed into its definitive form in the epoch´s numerous music cafés (cafés cantantes). Flamenco´s most intense form, cante jondo, expressing deep feelings, dates from this period. And in the cafés cantantes, the art of flamenco dance rose to new heights as the dancers became the major attraction.

Here I want to share with you a video of a famous dancer in Spain. Enjoy!

Sara Baras

Joaquin Cortes

#dance #flamenco