Flamenco :)

In Andalusia, we had the please of going to watch two shows for Flamenco style dancing. Both were pretty amazing. The first was in a fairly nice theater where we were able to sit very close to the stage, and therefore, were able to see the dancers’ feet. Flamenco is full of steps that are so unbelievably fast, and so crisp and sharp. This performance was fun because of all the wild costumes and amusing story lines within the dances, not to mention the live music, which I found out is a necessary staple of nearly all Flamenco dancing. The second show I went to was very different, much less structured and organized, but full of passion and energy. These dances were less choreographed and elaborated, but that was very well compensated for by the amount of with which they danced.

While those two dances were fun to watch, the most recent one that I attended, Ballet Nacional de España was simply spectacular, the dancers graceful and powerful, the choreography beautiful, the music amazing. Having danced for many years myself, I was fully able to appreciate the level of difficulty involved in their performances. Everything was so smooth and crisp and strong. So often in group dances like that, the dancers are always split by gender, but this was different. The dancers were mixed up in their ‘groups’ with each group performing the same moves. It was spectacular to see that both the men and the women could perform the same steps and still look amazing, the men still strong and powerful, and the woman smooth and graceful and beautiful. If anyone is planning on coming to Spain, I highly recommend going to watch Flamenco, the Ballet Nacional de España, if possible. Just prepare to be hot (no AC).