Spanish dances are widely popular all over the world. Their names are known to many. However, few people thought about where they originate from. But the names of Spanish dances (we list below) people knew in ancient times. Even the dance forms that existed in the Hellenistic era have survived to this day.
general information
For many millennia, Spain has been known as Iberia. Its first inhabitants were characterized by a very variegated ethnic composition, which made Spanish folk dances, whose names are very sonorous, so unique and varied. Dance art was largely influenced by the Celts who lived in Iberia in five hundred BC , as well as the Moors who occupied Spain for seven hundred years.
Jewish ethnic immigrants and Indian and Pakistani Gypsies, who arrived in Spanish lands after its conquest by Castile, made ethnic diversity even greater. The combination of ethnic forms and new immigrant cultures in art led to the emergence of unusual Spanish dances. Their names are familiar to everyone today . Each dance has unique features in accordance with the region where it originated. This is not surprising, because each region of Spain has its own cultural roots and specific features.
Spanish dances: names
Historically, the most temperamental and passionate women and men live in Andalusia and other provinces of Spain. They know how to love passionately, without looking back, and suffer bitterly. Such an unstoppable passion showed the world the beloved Spanish dances. Names such as flamenco, bolero, paso doble are on everyone’s lips today. Undoubtedly, these dances are the most emotional in the world. They combine the rhythms of castanet, southern temperament, the sounds of a guitar, the honed movements of handsome brunettes and brunettes.
Not everyone knows that Spanish dances include many stylistic incarnations and varieties. Let's consider separate types.
Flamenco
If you ask any person to say the name of the famous Spanish dance, with almost one hundred percent probability he will pronounce the word "flamenco". And indeed it is. This most popular dance in the whole world originated in the lands of Andalusia, when gypsies arrived there in the fifteenth century. They formed a special dance caste.
As to why flamenco got its name, there are many theories. Some consider it a synonym for the word "gitano", from Spanish jargon translated as "gypsy". Others identify the origin of the term with the Flemish soldiers who guarded the Spanish-Belgian territories. They wore special clothes, emphasizing ostentatious pride and self-confidence. The same qualities were inherent in the character of the gypsies.
Thus, it is impossible to find out reliably where the name of the famous Spanish dance - flamenco came from. But if you study all the available sources, they will lead us to Seville, Cadiz and Jerez. In general, flamenco includes two schools: Castile and Andalusian. The former is characterized by poorer and drier postures and movements. The second is distinguished by some pretentiousness.
Gypsies say that flamenco expresses their soul. Now this dance is popular not only in Spain, but throughout the world. Probably, even mistakenly positioning it as exclusively Spanish or Gypsy is a unique combination of dance forms of all peoples living in Spain throughout its history.
Fandango
This Spanish dance, whose name comes from Portuguese folk songs, originated in the region of Huelva. The development of fandango was significantly influenced by flamenco. It is based on typical courtship rotations and figures. In the provinces of Andalusia, various variations of fandango are now popular, but only the special features of the old style that originated in Huelva make this dance unsurpassed. However, I must say that outside of Spain fandango is little known.
Paso doble
In fact, this dance originated in the south of France, but its movements, drama and sound reflect bullfighting - the Spanish bullfight. From Spanish, the word "paso doble" is translated as "double step". The basis of the dance is the music that sounds at the time when the bullfighters enter the arena, or just before the killing of the bull takes place. Paso doble is characterized by speed of movement - it consists of turns and steps. Currently, the Latin American dance program is not complete without him.
Bolero
This is the national dance of Spain, whose ancestor is a court dancer named Sebastian Cerezo. He invented it back in 1780 for his French ballet. The basis was taken dance forms from Morocco. Bolero can be called one of the oldest "school" dances. Presumably, its name comes from the Spanish verb "volar", which translates as "fly". This is due to the fact that during the performance of the bolero, it seems that the dancers seem to soar in the air.
Since the eighteenth century, a lot of dance compositions have been created. A guitar is used as accompaniment. This national dance is one of the favorite among the Spanish people. Thanks to interesting dance steps and beautiful rhythms, he gained fame all over the world.
Bolero can be performed by one pair of men and women, or several pairs at once. There is a dance option in the form of a square dance.
Sarabanda
This dance has been known in Spain since the twelfth century. Once the Catholic Church even insisted on its prohibition, since during the execution some frank movements were used, the grace and bends of the female body were too openly demonstrated. The songs under which the saraband was performed were also considered indecent. Then a conscious rethinking of the dance began, as a result of which it became more solemn and serious. He even began to be performed at the funeral, and custom-made music was written in a minor harmony.
All this led to the fact that in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, an ennobled version of the saraband spread throughout Western Europe as a ballroom dance. However, by the mid-eighteenth century, it had lost its popularity.
Ethnic dance
In general, the first dances that appeared in Spain were based on the theme of magic. They were based on a variety of religious rituals that were inextricably linked with the cycles of nature. For example, in the Basque Country since pagan times, witch dance has been popular. Its name is Sorgin Dantza. In addition, the Basques have a dance with swords, symbolizing the arrival of spring, - Galicians. Also, these people are known for their martial dance art. Two competing dancers participate in such dances; they use sticks or swords. Exciting and grandiose look their jumps.
In Spain, folk dances in a circle are popular, in which both men and women participate. People become in a circle, hold hands and perform synchronously defined steps. There is a Catalan sardan dance, when men and women also become in a circle, take neighbors by the hands, raise them up and begin to move with slow steps.
Each Spanish dance is a story of its people and shows the racy and individuality of its soul.