While in Madrid....See a Flamenco show... CHECK!

Flamenco is an exotic dance considered to be a very large part of the culture in Spain. One cannot visit any part of Spain without seeing this amazing colorful and vibrant form of dance. It is usually accompanied by a guitarist and clapping. Girls will usually wear the traditional dress that is very dramatic in its coloring and very large at the bottom. On Wednesday I was able to see my first Flamenco Show in el teatro Munoz seca with our IES program. Having never seen a flamenco show and only hearing about them in my spanish classes I thought we were going to a restaurant to watch one couple dance flamenco. Instead I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived to a two story theatre for an hour and a half showing of flamenco! The show we saw below was called Ballet Flamenco de Madrid.

The show consisted of various performances by multiple dancers. The show opened with smoke filling the entire stage and theatre and one flamenco dancer appearing in the middle of the stage. Two men accompanied her for an amazing opening performance of clapping and very aggressive but beautiful movements. The energy in the room increased dramatically when the stage was filled with more and more flamenco dancers dancing and clapping completely in synch! The castanet is the instrument in which the dancers use to clap. It is very difficult to learn yet very amazing to watch and hear.



The picture to the right are the instruments in which the flamenco dancers use when performing. They are generally made out of shells of ivory or hollow hardwood and held in the palm of the hand of the performers. They are a very difficult instrument to learn however when performed in flamenco it is one of the most exotic and interesting instruments you will ever hear and see performed.







The dance to the left was my favorite performance of the night. All of the performers were dressed in very vibrant colors illuminating the stage. The performances with multiple dancers are the most amazing because everyone is so in synch with each other it is an amazing thing to watch. The show was an hour and a half of amazing flamenco dancing in an amazing theatre right in the center of Madrid.