10 Things I Learned About Flamenco Dancing

10. There are 3 major cultural influences on Flamenco, and even if I gave you 10 guesses you would not guess them correctly. They are Indian (as in India), Afro-Cuban, and French. Don’t worry I was dumb founded too.

9. There are 15 different versions of Flamenco, and each stands for a specific feeling like happiness, or passion, or pain.

8. Despite all the rhythm I have dancing salsa, merengue or even booty dancing, I have absolutely not one ounce of rhythm for Flamenco dancing. I look like a spastic mannequin.

7. Gypsies are not from Egypt, contrary to popular belief and what Disney tells you in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Gypsies actually come from India.

6. Flamenco started as a dance of death and pain. Which leads me to #5.

5. When watching Flamenco the dancers make these horrible faces like they are in severe pain dancing…they aren’t, its part of the act, or should I say, part of the dance.

4. Most men that dance Flamenco look like real life vampires…honestly they look straight out of a Bram Stoker novel. Slicked back long hair, all black outfit, long nails, chiseled face, and they have this odd and frightening sex appeal. After two shows I am convinced that vampires do exist.

3. There is no concrete reason why flamenco dancers wear polka dots so much in their outfits. But every year there is a huge Flamenco fashion expo in Seville to introduce the latest trend in Flamenco dresses.

2. Although it may seem tempting….NEVER, I repeat NEVER sit in the front row at a Flamenco show where the seats are directly in front of the stage. Why you ask…well, you are in the sweat zone. Just ask all the tourists who were showered with flying sweat at our show. It is just an added benefit to the show that I believe one can do with out.

1. No matter how many times you have watched a Flamenco show or performance on TV, you must see a Flamenco show in person. It is truly moving and magical…to see their technique and the beauty of the movement is breathtaking.

The first two pics are of technically trained Flamenco dancers and the following two pics are of Gypsy Flamenco dancers. I have to say when we saw the Gypsy dancers we were inside this cave setting and after we all sat down and the women began to dance in walks the Vampire himself. The sole male dancer just glides across the dance floor flashing this dashing smile to all the women in the room. At that point I thought for sure they would seal the only door to the cave and feast on all us unsuspecting study abroad students. Luckily I was wrong or they just didn’t like Hispanic blood, we tend to be a bit spicy.