October 12, 2008
Flamenco Dance Terms
At my flamenco lessons, my teacher uses the correct Spanish terms for our footwork drills. Remember, we are dancing in high heeled shoes with nails in the bottom of the shoes!
So, the heel is tacon. The ball of the foot is planta. The whole foot is golpe.
With just those three terms and two feet we drill different combinations for 30 minutes!
golpe, golpe. planta, tacon. tacon, tacon. golpe, planta, tacon. planta, tacon, tacon. and any other combination you can imagine.
First with the left foot, then with the right; then part with the left, part with the right; then alternating. THEN, we add the arms. Then we add the arms AND the hands. Don’t forget your feet. Like I said Flamenco is a discipline.
But with the guitar, you can really lose yourself in the music and the dance…and even the technique drills become beautiful. And that is one of the things that I love about dancing —you can totally immerse yourself in the experience. With that immersion comes relaxation from the stresses of daily life and then I can feel refreshed and open minded.
Flamenco Shoes by PDXFirefly
Flamenco Dancing Guitar and Cajon Spanish Music » Blog Archive » Flamenco Dance Terms said,
October 12, 2008 at 1:15 pm
[...] admin wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThen we add the arms AND the hands. Don’t forget your feet. Like I said Flamenco is a discipline. But with the guitar, you can really lose yourself in the music and the dance…and even the technique drills become beautiful. … Read the rest of this great post here Posted in Uncategorized on October 12th, 2008 | [...]
Dharma said,
October 25, 2008 at 2:26 am
Hi! I found your blog in a search for Flamenco shoes. I just started lessons and am excited to learn more. I noticed in your photo that you have a pair of Sansha shoes. I just ordered a pair (so maybe it’s too late to ask this) but they were less expensive than shoes on a lot of other sites and I am wondering what is your experience with them? Are they pretty solid? And did you feel like their sizes ran small, large, or were they pretty much what you expected? I don’t think I’ve ever ordered a shoe from online without trying it on, so I’m apprehensive. Though surely I’ll find out if they work soon enough. As a beginner, though I have the impulse to invest in a dream pair of handmade shoes, I restrained myself and went for the most economical thing I could find for the time being. Thanks for any thoughts on this!
pdxfirefly said,
October 25, 2008 at 11:36 am
I think you did the right thing in ordering the Sansha shoes. I think you will like them. I honestly cannot rememeber how they run; but if they don’t fit right, then get right back on the phone and talk to the company and order another pair. You may have someone in your class that wants to buy the ones you can’t wear– if not return them before you dance in them. If you ordered the correct size, they will be comfortable and will give you the sound and the feel that you need for your beginning lessons.
As you progress, you can buy a “better” pair of flamenco shoes when you have had more time to research the right shoe for you. I will say that when I dance in my Gallardos, I am a much better dancer; even if I am the only one that notices! Portland Firefly hopes that this helps you.
BTW, are you in the Portland area?
Dharma said,
October 25, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Thanks so much, that is very reassuring! Good idea about seeing if there is anyone else who might need a pair, in case they don’t fit (I’m really hoping they do so I can start using them right away). Yes, I am in the Portland area. I just signed up for 10 classes at Solo Flamenco and had my first with Mitsue last Thursday. I am a complete beginner and I don’t know how long I will stick to it but am feeling very inspired right now. I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed your experiences with Mitsue
. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Solo Flamenco over the years and want to support them as an organization as well!
pdxfirefly said,
October 25, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Don’t get discouraged… it’s a fantastic discipline. See you in class!
Dharma said,
October 26, 2008 at 12:44 am
See you there and thanks again!