Flamenco dancing was born in the south of Spain, in a region called Andalucia. It is mostly associated with Gypsy culture or Romani people, as most of the world knows them. Yesterday April 8th we commemorated Romani culture and heritage. They have their own language and culture. Discover more about them with this blog.

In the Middle Ages, the gypsies migrated to Turkey, France and Spain. In Spain, their culture mixed with Iberian, Jewish, Muslim, Moorish and Spanish society, influencing Flamenco’s creation. They have been one of the most persecuted populations, by both the Nazis and Communists, as well as several local governments in Asia and Africa. They had to face severe torture which ended in slavery, so for them Flamenco became a form of theraphy, it wasn’t just music, it was a way of self-identity.

Also read: The fire behind Flamenco

The real story of the Gypsies is still unknown, but according to many researches they originated in the Punjab region of northern India as a nomadic people and migrated to Europe between the eighth and tenth centuries C.E. Romani people are called gypsies in Europe. The term gypsy comes because the Europeans thought that the Romani people came originally from Egypt. This minority is made up of distinct groups called “tribes” or “nations.” Among the most famous Romani people we find the actor Michael Caine and Charlie Chaplin.

Andalucia itself has a really unique history, there’s been plenty of instability and brutal oppression over the years, but several hundred years it was one of the only places in the world that Christians, Jews and Muslims cohabitated peacefully, and it was also a home for many cultures like the Berbers from Africa and the Gypsies who migrated down the Mediterranean.

Since emigrating from India thousand years earlier the gypsies had gradually moved down through Persia, Turkey, Greece and the Balkans, eventually arriving in Spain from the 15th century; they picked up the musical traditions on their way. Flamenco evolved and originated from Romani communities, it was a tradition that was practiced within the families and then passed on from generation to generation. The Romani people always adopted cultures as well as musical styles from their host countries, fusing it into their own expressions to create a very unique sound. The scales of Flamenco are carried from a very different part of the world, from the east. The chordal and the melisma were blended together into the creation of Flamenco. Melisma is singing with more than one note per syllable.

There are 3 types of Flamenco dancing:

• Pure Flamenco is considered the form of performance closest to the gypsy culture, it is always performed solo and it’s more improvised rather than choreographed, it’s characterized by its freedom.
• Then we have classic Flamenco, which is more frequently performed by Spanish companies. This style is a combination between ballet and Flamenco; most of the time women are required to keep their posture with a slight backbend.
• The last type of Flamenco is New Flamenco, characterized by the presence of new elements like spotted costumes and props such as castanets, fans, shawls, among others. This style of Flamenco is the one that foreigners are most familiar with and that is more popular around the world.

No matter the style of Flamenco, it is always composed of 6 elements, these are singing, guitar player, dancing, hand-clapping, fingers clapping, and last but not least “jaleo” which are the shouts of encouragement.

Flamenco has reached high acknowledgment all around the world, not to mention that even in non-Hispanic countries there are a bunch of Flamenco academies, like in the USA and Japan. The best of Flamenco is that it is not only restricted to women; men can also do it.

On November 12th, 2010 the UNESCO declared Flamenco as one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity, this is also a recognition for gypsy culture

So to conclude Flamenco is a very historical and innovative musical journey that not only speaks about the history of the Romani community but it also blends all human beings together. If you would like to learn this beautiful and complex dance we suggest you take this StepFlix class that will help you learn the basic footwork of Flamenco.