Flamenco & Spanish Dance

DVD Review: Basic Castanet and Movement Technique Volume 1

August 18, 2014 by Rachel Hellwig

Basic Castanet and Movement Technique Volume 1
JoDe Romano

In this thirty-five minute instructional DVD, New York City-based teacher and choreographer JoDe Romano walks the beginning student through a series of six castanet exercises. She begins with simple instructions for putting on and adjusting the castanets, then moves on to finger exercises, and eventually incorporates arm, head, and leg movements. Each new element is added systematically, with emphasis on slow repetition and daily practice to develop strength and accuracy.

Romano’s verbal directions are clear and easy to follow, and each exercise is shown from the front and back. Her demonstrations cleanly show the technique for each combination, and she provides an inspiring example of the strength, passion, and power of Spanish dance.

This DVD is a useful tool for beginners of any age, or any dancer looking for a better understanding of the basics of Spanish castanet movement. Basic Castanet and Movement Technique is the first of a two-part series. Both DVDs can be purchased on Romano’s website, www.flamencoromano.com.

Shoes For Spanish Dance

February 8, 2013 by 4dancers

As part of our continuing focus on footwear and foot care this quarter, today we are excited to bring you the basics on footwear for Spanish dance…

by Karen Stelling

The dances of Spain, loosely categorized as regional, classical, and flamenco each put a unique foot forward–quite literally! Many regional or what are traditionally called folk or peasant dances, often utilize a soft shoe, a sort of a tie-on slipper. Although they look rather flimsy, these types of shoes such as those worn in the Jota Aragonesa are quite comfortable and actually offer great cushioning for the jumping that a dance such as the Jota requires.

Spanish Classical or Ballet Espanol dances are usually performed to Spanish classical orchestrated music and are very balletic in style. The shoes preferred for Ballet Espanol have a taller, thinner and more “shapely” heel than flamenco shoes and feature a soft sole to allow greater flexibility of the foot and a more elegant line when the foot is pointed. There may be some “zapateado” or heel work in classical Spanish dance but not as intense or as deliberate as in Flamenco.One of the most identifiable traits of flamenco dance is the intricate footwork. The shoes are the instrument the dancer uses to create and compliment the various flamenco dance rhythms. Flamenco shoes can be as varied as the dancer who wears them.

“Zapatos” need to be sturdy with solid heels but heel heights can vary depending on the dancer’s preference. Most flamenco shoes are made of smooth leather but suede is very popular and as far as colors and designs are concerned, anything is possible! Straps, ties, lace-ups are all incorporated in these shoe’s designs. Many women flamenco dancers like to coordinate their shoe color with their costumes for a unified look. Most professional flamenco shoes are hand- made in Spain and a dancer submits individual foot measurements for a custom fit.

In addition to leather soles, the toe tips and heel bottoms of flamenco shoes have tiny nails embedded into them to add a slight tapping sound when the feet hit the floor. This feature is unique to flamenco shoes. However, the real sound is produced by the strength of the dancer’s body as all her energy is directed into the lower legs and feet.

Character shoes are not the same as flamenco shoes! While character shoes can be used as Flamenco shoes for the beginner who has not decided to invest in an expensive pair of Flamenco shoes, Flamenco shoes are not interchangeable for character shoes. It is not a good idea to try and dance in Flamenco shoes for a non-Flamenco dance class. The nails at the bottom of the soles will be extremely loud and possibly damaging to the floor you are dancing on! As one might imagine, many flamenco dancers and their shoes are not especially welcome in many dance studios! The shoes pictured below are made by Begona Cervera and Gallardo, well known Spanish manufacturers.

Contributor Karen Stelling Began her Spanish Dance training in 1975 and since then has performed in many venues around Chicago, the Midwest and beyond. She was the First Dancer of the Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Company from its inception in 1976 through 1987, performing flamenco, neo-classical and many of the regional dances of Spain. Highlighted performances included the chance to dance with the Chicago Symphony, at the Theater of the Riverside Church in New York City, for migrant workers in the fields of Southern Illinois and in many lecture-demonstration and concerts for Chicago and suburban school students.

After leaving the Company, Karen continued to perform at a variety of concert halls, festivals and special events as a soloist/guest artist, and as a member of the flamenco trio, Los Tres. Karen was a guest artist and choreographer in 1999 and again in 2002 with the Ole Ole Puppet and Dance Theater directed by Wendy Clinard.

In 2007, Karen provided choreography for the Halcyon Theatre’s production of Yerma, by F. G. Lorca. Karen has taught private and group flamenco classes for over two decades including work for Hedwig Dance, the Evanston Park District, Danza Viva, Harper College Dance Program, The Salt Creek Ballet and currently at the Flamenco Arts Center and SPACE in Chicago. She received flamenco and Spanish dance training from many masters of both “old school” and the “Nuevo” styles. Karen also enjoys playing the cajon, a box drum used frequently in flamenco and teaching castanet technique.

Costuming For Flamenco

August 17, 2010 by 4dancers

4dancers contributor Karen Stelling joins us today to talk about the costuming in flamenco dance…

Thinking about costuming for dance, especially flamenco, isn’t so easy! There are as many thoughts and feelings about costumes as there are patterns of materials and fabrics out of which they are made!

The flamenco look was originally born of the traditional clothing of the gypsies. For women, the long brightly colored skirts with tiers and ruffles and scarves and shawls were “borrowed” when flamenco began being performed by professionals. It is said that the popular use of polka dots on fabric or “lunares” as they are called in Spanish, represented the “little moons” of glass that gypsies would sew onto their clothing to ward off the evil eye! The gypsies every day wear was all they needed to express themselves.

Flamenco, as it was danced fifty or more years ago, before the current emphasis on fast heelwork, focused on the arms, hands, torso and the “spirit” or “aire” of the upper body especially for women. Sleeves and fancy ruffles at the cuffs or shoulders were not just to cover the body but to highlight the movements that emanated from there. The materials used for costuming were much heavier than current materials as well. Dancers moved more slowly but did so in a very measured way. It may have been less spectacular than much of the dance we see performed today, but there was a certain drama that could be built to an intense yet calm finish. Footwork was minimal for early female dancers and if they did lift their skirt or dress hem, or wore the “bata de cola,” the long dress with a train, to show their feet, they did so subtly and with style. The dancer, who wore the bata, represented an artist who was committed to total artistic expression, using legs and hips to demonstrate the movement in rhythm, making the costume and the dancer appear as one. Dancing well with a bata de cola remains a challenge for most dancers but when it is done well, it is a sight to see!

Men’s costuming has remained virtually unchanged over the years. There remains the basic look of trousers and shirt or shirt and vest. Early male flamenco dancers adopted the look of the bull fighter with spectacularly decorated jackets which were very ornate but may have detracted from the dance. They also were made of heavy velvets and brocades and could not possibly have felt cool and comfortable! The high waisted pant showed off a long, lean and elegant line. Current male dancers have certainly dressed down to more comfortable fabrics and fewer pieces because there is so much more athleticism in the dance and the focus is on what the dancer is doing and less on what they’re wearing.

As flamenco dance technique has evolved over the years, with faster and more rhythmically intricate footwork and women totally keeping pace with men regarding their own “chops,” costuming, although still attractive, now has to serve the dance in an economical way. With a dress made of light blends of fabric, rather than a bata, female dancers can make many turns and generally just move more quickly across the floor. There is still use of accessories such as shawls, which may be worn as part of the costume, but are more often used as part of the choreography and usually wind up being used briefly then put to the side.

For most dancers, it is a matter of personal style but all costumes for flamenco work to represent the total body in movement, to be a companion in the dancer’s expression, not just a beautiful body cover. Flamenco costuming is very sensual with a mystery to the lines that are created and ever changing by virtue of how the fabric clings and then moves on, again and again.

Flamenco Training Basics

April 13, 2010 by 4dancers

by Karen Stelling

It isn’t spoken of very often in flamenco classes but this dance form requires every bit as much body training as any other dance form. Granted most flamenco dancers do not have to master a mean Cabriole Double as part of their regular technique, (landing with boots or shoes would DEFINITELY make it interesting however!) or other feats of derring-do, but flexibility, strength and correct posture are de rigueur.

Stretching, strength building and posture improvement (look in the mirror, please!) not only improve a flamenco dancer’s anatomy but improve technique, increase a dancer’s ability to sustain energy and breath for demanding sections of heel work or turns and facilitate ones ability to go from stillness to “striking”, not unlike a cobra, unleashing energy in a controlled deliberate fashion.

I have found that especially for the “brazeo” or arm movements, stretching of the entire arm, usually in a position over and behind the head, on a regular basis allows greater movement of the arms into and out of any position. Imagine that you are “strung up” by your wrists, casually blowing in the wind like laundry on a summer day…Well, okay that’s probably a little too comfy a description, because it isn’t exactly that pretty but that’s the basic idea! There was a time that I used soup cans (full, not empty!) one in each hand, to pass through all the basic arm positions. I built strength and control as well by doing this.

Many students and dancers I observe often forget that the strength needs to continue into the wrists, hands and fingers to complete the line. I firmly believe that ALL the upper body and arm energy emanates from the center of the back, like the trunk of a great tree, with the branches carrying that energy outward. It makes sense then to keep the center both strong and flexible. Doing upper and lower abdominal strengthening movements along with the side-waist muscles or obliques builds the “core.” Proper footwork takes a strong center to lift the weight out of the legs and allow them to move freely but with great control.

Of course, there remains and likely always will be, a huge emphasis on heel work and banging out great sounds, which often diminishes what the rest of the body is doing, especially the center of the body and the arms, neck and head. I’ve often commented in my classes that “any knucklehead with a decent sense of rhythm can do heel work.” In other words, it doesn’t take much to pound the floor; a few cool combination’s and you’re a super star! But that isn’t flamenco dancing. The dancing incorporates both the isolation and the joining of all your “parts!” While the arms are moving one way, the hands may move another, while the hips, legs and feet do a counter movement and the face sends out the feeling and expression! Then there is the connection to the singing and guitar…many pieces form the mosaic!

Ultimately, a flamenco dancer wants to create the most responsive body possible…so that her ideas can be fully realized in a strong and beautiful way with all the inner truth, intent and feeling apparent from the first step.

Ole! Flamenco And Spanish Dance

March 2, 2010 by 4dancers

by Karen Stelling

Ole! A shout of encouragement given to the bravest, the strongest, the one who makes a connection to self and life. I thought I’d start my first blog post on 4dancers with that particularly Spanish expression and give myself a burst of confidence. (There’s also the term “mierda” which is typically used for good luck but I’ll go with the big “O” for now!)

I’m happy to be here sharing some info and news about flamenco and Spanish dance. My debut in blog land comes at a great time in that the Chicago Flamenco Festival is just winding down and there was plenty to see and hear over the past few weeks. It’s always a neat trick to get great musicians and dancers from Spain into Chicago when the weather is at it’s worst! We aficionados are always telling the artists to “regresa quando es mas caliente!” (come back when it’s warmer!) Thank goodness, the audiences are really warm and welcoming!

A highlight of the many performances was the terrific dancer Concha Jareno, a Madrid native, who is part of the new generation of flamenco dancer’s currently working. It was her first visit to Chicago and she received much high praise. I took a master class with her which was great, and enjoyed the fun material that I’m now trying to pass on to my students. She communicated entirely in Spanish but her movement’s were so clear and her rhythm so steady that the need for translation was an afterthought.

The hallmark of a performer as gifted as Concha is an amazing musicality that allows her to hear the music and move to it in a very rich way, with a vocabulary of steps that beautifully mixes old school with new. Even better, she can teach it so students get it. Que bueno! Many of those who attended her performance were part of the local flamenco scene. Most of them left the theater exclaiming how inspired they were by her dancing and couldn’t wait to get back to the studio or travel to Spain and keep that kind of energy happening. What a great compliment to Concha and isn’t it nice to be reminded that we can still become inspired by great talent and artistry? Ole to that above all.

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