(noticia) Fiery, festive flamenco takes center stage at First Night

By JOAN FINN
of The Montclair Times

It’s fiery. It’s festive. And it’s hot, hot, hot. Audiences will be clapping their hands and stomping their feet to flamenco’s vibrant rhythms when Barbara Martinez and her troupe of talented dancers take center stage in a lively performance of this traditional Spanish art form on New Year’s Eve at First Night.

“Flamenco dance is a Spanish art form with roots deep in Andalusia, Spain’s southern region,” explained Barbara Martinez, founder of the troupe. “It began in the 15th century, at a time when Muslims, Jews, Catholics and Gypsies were all living together in that particular region of Spain. For the most part, many of these groups were held down by the oppressive rule of Queen Isabella of Spain. Their voices were muted and they weren’t accepted as first-class citizens.

(leer +) [vía the montclair times]