UNESCO granted flamenco the status of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2010. I think the below video UNESCO have made introduce flamenco very clearly, and I like they highlight that flamenco is a style of life. The music is in everybody’s mood and in every occasion!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
This week I want to talk about “toque,” the second element of flamenco.
The introduction of flamenco guitar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco_guitar
The greatest living Flamenco guitarist is, without a doubt, Paco de Lucia.
The introduction of Paco de Lucia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco_de_Luc%C3%ADa
There are other famous guitarists such as Tomatito, Gerardo Núñez, Vicente Amigo and so on. Vicente Amigo is my favorite guitarist now because I think his performance is like a gentle breeze which can help you relax!
The introduction of Vicente Amigo
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Welcome to see 4D performance!!!
Our club will cooperate with other dance clubs and have a big show on next Monday. Welcome to join us to have a special and crazy night!!!
Time: Monday, May 23, from 19:00 to 21:00
Venue: Audiovisual Theater on the 3rd floor of the Art & Culture Center
Venue: Audiovisual Theater on the 3rd floor of the Art & Culture Center
Performance: Tap Dance Club, Ballet Club, Folk Dance Club, Flamenco Club
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Let’s visit a tablao (flamenco club)
I had kept thinking the topic I should introduce this week for many days, and finally I had decided to talk about “tablao.” The information I shared in several weeks maybe was not strongly related to daily life, so I chose the topic which might be useful if you want to see a flamenco show in the future.
Tablaos are flamenco clubs which are most frequently found in Andalusia. At a tablao, you can have a drink and order some tapas while appreciating flamenco dance and song. Compared to big and formal show, I think that seeing a performance at tablao is much more interesting because it is more casual and traditional. Furthermore, you can feel the dancer’s power and passionate (or crazy) atmosphere closely.
As an audience, you must know the word “olé” which means God. We say olé when we see something that is beyond words or when we hear a rhythm that is close to perfection. It is the highest compliment in flamenco. When seeing a show not only at a tablao but also on the street, you can yell olé or clap whenever you want just like you also participate in the performance. As far as I am concerned, it is the magic to see a flamenco show in live.
Let’s visit tablaos on youtube!!!
Commonly Used Jaleos (yelling)
1. Olé! - Ala! - Alé!
2. Vamos (lets go)
3. Arriba
4. Toma
5. Olé Guapa! (beautiful female)
6. Balia Bien! (good dancing)
1. Olé! - Ala! - Alé!
2. Vamos (lets go)
3. Arriba
4. Toma
5. Olé Guapa! (beautiful female)
6. Balia Bien! (good dancing)
More information
Tablao in Spain
There are some tablao’s style shows in Taiwan now, but not very often.
In the following weeks, I will keep sharing some interesting videos. Welcome to visit my blog again!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Baile---famous dancers
Traditionally, male dancers concentrate more on complicated footwork and technique, while female dancers focus more on upper body movement and like to use props like castanets, shawls and fans. However, the differences between the two become blurred nowadays. For example, female dancers now also like to challenge themselves with difficult footwork, while some male dancers start wearing skirts to make their performance more interesting to watch. As time has changed, the dancing styles 0r the way that dancers dress have been more creative.
And now, I want to introduce my favorite dancer, Sara Baras, who was born in Cadiz, Spain, 1971. “She was taught to dance by her mother, Concha Baras, who ran a dance school in Spain. She has increasingly worked across all forms of media including television, film and the fashion catwalks and has won a number of awards such as Madroño Flamenco of Montellano (Seville) in 1993, 1999 and 2001.” (1) I like her performance because I think her movement is elegant, clean, powerful and breathtaking. Besides, I think she is beautiful!!
The video is from movie “Iberia” performed by Sara Baras.
Many people think flamenco is only suitable for women, and the men who dance it are weird or sissy. Actually, there are a lot of famous male dancers in Spain, and I think many of them dance coolly and awesomely. Therefore I choose the below videos and hope to twist the impression. The first video was performed by Antonio (male) and Manuel Reyes (male), and the second one was performed by Manuel Liñan (male), Marco Flores (male), Daniel Doña (male) and Olga Pericet (female). Hope you enjoy!!
See more videos
Female dancers
Sara Baras
Eva Yerbabuena (I love her, too)
María Pages (A dancer in “River Dance”)
Male dancers
Rafael Campallo
El Carpeta (young dancer)
Manuel Liñan
Marco Flores
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Palos(曲式)
I have mentioned that flamenco can be not only happy and emotional but also deeply sad and serious, depending on the “palo” (flamenco music style). To put it simply, like ballroom dance can be classified into waltz, rumba or cha cha, flamenco can be divided into different palos based on criteria such as basic rhythmic pattern, mode and geographic origin.
Palos are traditionally classified into three groups:
1. Cante jondo: The deepest and most serious forms are known as cante jondo which means “deep song” in Spanish. Famous palos are soleá and siguiriyas. Because it often sings about sorrowful story like death, it is difficult for beginners to learn the group of palos.
2. Cante chico: Cante chico which means “little song” is much lighter than cante jondo. The form of cante chico displays subjects including love and happiness. Famous palos are alegrías, bulerías and tangos which are more suitable for beginners.
3. Cante intermedio: Forms which are between cante chico and cante grande are divided into cante intermedio such as tientos and fandangos.
I have learned tangos, fandangos, alegrías, tientos, siguiriyas, and so on. Among the palos I have learned, my favorite one is tangos because it is joyful. I think tango is the easiest palo, but it is still challenging for me to execute the simple moves perfectly and beautifully. Maybe the easiest thing is also the most difficult one!
I have learned tangos, fandangos, alegrías, tientos, siguiriyas, and so on. Among the palos I have learned, my favorite one is tangos because it is joyful. I think tango is the easiest palo, but it is still challenging for me to execute the simple moves perfectly and beautifully. Maybe the easiest thing is also the most difficult one!
Siguiriya---Tough I can’t understand what he sang, I can feel the sorrow.
Tangos---A flamenco style in 2/4 and 4/4 time. Tangos which is pronounced by “dango” is different from ballroom dance’s tangos.
See also
Flamenco family tree
Flamenco palos
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Just for fun
Here are some interesting videos. Hope it can help you relax!
Buzz Lightyear can dance flamenco!!!( Toy Story 3)
Iron and Wine - Boy With a Coin
I love the MV !!!
Good luck and hope you can pass all the exams.=D
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Baile---shoes and props
Last week we talked about the three core elements of flamenco. This week I will start with dancing first. But before discussing the style of dancing, I want to introduce the dancing shoes and some props which are often used.
Many people ask me about the difference between flamenco and tap dance, and I think the obvious difference is the shoes. The two kinds of dances create different sounds because of the characteristic of the shoes. Flamenco shoes have nails in the sole and heel, but tap dance shoes are made with metal plates in the sole and heel.
See some pictures
Famous flamenco shoes company--Gallardo
I think Gallardo’s shoes are very beautiful, but unfortunately I can’t afford it.
Dancing with castanets, shawls, hats, or fans can make the performance more attractive. I think playing castanets is the most difficult among all the props because I can’t keep my fingers moving quickly and making various rhythms.
This video is from a musical, DON JUAN, which is not a traditional flamenco show, but I like their performance with castanets.
See more videos
Dance with fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg_rJR81d6c&feature=related
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
So what is flamenco exactly?
What is flamenco? The origin of flamenco cannot be pinpointed exactly to a specific people. However we give a lot of credit to the gypsies who traveled from northern India into Spain. To put it simply, the art form originates in Andalucía (Southern Spain) and consists of three core elements: singing (cante), guitar playing (toque), and dancing (baile). Therefore, flamenco is not only a kind of dance, but also a kind of music which was influenced by various cultures, including Arabic, Moorish, and South American.
Furthermore, what is your impression of flamenco? Most people think it is passionate, joyful and powerful, but it can represent anger, pain and sorrow, too. The reason why flamenco is full of strong emotion is related to the persecution of the gypsies. They overcome the despair and hopelessness by singing and dancing, so some people also describe flamenco as a spirit of life!!!
The below video is one of my favorites, and you can see the three core elements: cante, toque, and baile.
See also
What flamenco isn’t http://herso.freeservers.com/images/isnot.gif
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Ole! Carmen
After waiting for a few months, I went to see a flamenco show, Carmen, performed by “Ballet Teatro Espanol de Rafael Aguilar”(拉法葉亞吉拉佛朗明哥舞團) at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall on Saturday. It was the first time I saw a large and official show live, so I was extremely excited! Their performance didn’t let me down; in the two hours, I indulged in every act and move, which was full of emotion.
The greatest part I think is the combination of flamenco, ballet, and Bizet’s opera music, which make the famous love story between Carmen and Don José have more surprise. Using classical music instead of traditional one let me see a whole new world of flamenco. Moreover, my favorite scene is “the prison” where Don José’s heart is trapped in because of Carmen. The dancer displayed the struggle for love by stamping as thunderstorm that astonished me for a very long time.
That night was so joyful that on the way home I was still thinking about the sound of their stamping and dreaming maybe I could dance like them someday!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Why is flamenco?
I’ve joined flamenco club in NCCU for over three years. Learning flamenco was very difficult and depressing for me in the beginning because I had never tried any kind of dance before. But now, I love and enjoy the challenge, especially rhythmic and complicated “escobilla” (stamping of the feet) which I was afraid of at first.
In Taiwan, there are still few people know about flamenco. That’s the reason why I want to introduce this culture in the blog. I won’t write every detail about it because you can find a lot of information on the internet. All I want to do is let everyone recognize the basic concept of flamenco through an easy way. So let’s have fun in flamenco world!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)