Experience the warmth of Spain with Flamenco

The beautiful city of Seville in Spain has much to offer to eager tourists looking for architectural marvels and historical wonders. World renowned Alcazar Castle complex, breathtaking Plaza de Espana, the largest manmade wooden structure in the world Metropol Parasol with its awe-inspiring mushroom roof, Seville Cathedral, the cobbled streets in the old Spanish medieval town of Barrio Santa Cruz and much more.  

After the morning and afternoon well spent in roaming around the beautiful city, there can be no better way to close the day with an evening at a Flamenco dance show. That is exactly what we did, only to realize at the end of the show that our trip to Spain would have been incomplete without a visit to one of the ‘Tablaos’ that host the show.

Flamenco dance shows are held nightly with numerous show options to choose from but with hordes of tourists thronging the city each year having reservations in advance would be ideal and tickets can be bought online too. 

After checking out reviews and comments, we made our reservations at the Casa de la Memoria. The venue is a small typical Sevillian courtyard house with a very unassuming setting. Inside is a cosy theatre and a small stage. There is a certain warmth about the place that is very welcoming. The seat numbers are not fixed, so reaching a bit early for the show and grabbing your favourite seats is a good idea. As we near the show time, people start pouring in. I notice that the stage is very simple, there are no curtains, no props, just a chair in the corner. We occupy our seats and wait with anticipation for the show to begin. 

I’d done some ‘touristy’ reading about Flamenco before leaving. That way one is prepared for what to expect, what to wear and how to go about the evening. Flamenco is a high-energy dance form with both western and eastern influences. The dance is mostly solo in these Tablaos in a small setting generally, costumes are not very elaborate but what can keep you hooked to the performance are the mesmerizing footsteps of the dancer and the vivid expressions on her face.

Five minutes into the performance I knew this was going to be special. The show begins with instrumental guitar music to set the tone for the evening. And what a recital! The guitarist is then accompanied by a male Andalusian singer whose full-throated high-pitched singing along with the rhythmic clapping of his hands in sync with the guitar sends ripples of joyous applause through the small select audience. The sound of guitar, the energetic clapping of hands and the clarity of his voice is magical.

But the best is yet to come with the entry of a female dancer on the stage. Her attire is a layered red dress with her hair tied neatly into a bun with minimal make-up. With her entry, there are four elements being synchronized simultaneously, guitar notes, claps, singer’s voice and the dancer’s footsteps. The dancer completely takes over the stage so to say. Her movements are so energetic, it feels as if she’ll leap off the small stage. The audiences’ eyes move from one performer to the next lapping it all up as if in a trance. The intensity of the dance goes a notch higher as the dancer swirls her red skirts around to reveal her dancing shoes tapping to the beat of the singer’s claps. The dancer and the singer keep exchanging looks off and on throughout the performance to match pace and rhythm.  

The powerfully athletic, deft feminine movements of the dancer are beautiful. It feels as if she is daring the singer to match his wits with her passion. Her dignified poise and the dancing prowess are a treat to watch.

She swirls all around on the stage making it impossible for anyone to blink for the fear of missing her vigorous moves. There is a certain amount of sensuality in her movements but what stands out is the sheer energy of her body. It is with this energy and grace that the performance comes to a close.

The presentation is enthralling yet intense, entertaining yet focused. In order to maintain a certain decorum inside the theatre, patrons are not allowed to click pictures during the performance. I am glad for this, otherwise at times the essence of an experience is lost in clicking pictures. Although towards the end of the show, an announcement is made allowing for pictures. And my camera is out in a jiffy as I try to capture the spirit of the evening in my lens.