Ready,
Set,
Flamenco!
Flamenco dancing is a key cultural activity here in Spain. Most dancers have been dancing since childhood and have gone to schools specifically for Flamenco. Thank goodness CEA had an event where we all met and got tapas at a Flamenco “club,” as this is something I may have been too nervous or confused about to do myself.
It was amazing! I’ve never seen someone’s feet move so fast in my life, and I grew up in tap and had friends who Irish danced. This was movement like I had never seen before. The hands tell a story, as do the feet, the face, and the body. They can each be separate or you can see it all together. Either way, Flamenco dancing is the epitome of feeling the music. An amazing part of Flamenco that I had not realized was the group effort of it. In the video you can see two women singing, a man beautifully playing the guitar and the other three dancers keeping the beat and giving their fellow dancer support. They are all giving 100% effort even when they are not the main act. The entire experience was incredible and something you MUST see while in Madrid. Flamenco Dancing in Madrid
Briana Young is the Fall 2015 CEA MOJO in Madrid, Spain. She is currently a junior at The University of South Carolina.