Passion of the dance

Friday, April 13, 2007
Seville's flamenco dancers

I was eight years old when my father returned from a Spanish holiday on crutches after trying to impersonate a flamenco dancer in a Seville nightclub.

He'd been on the old vino tinto and, having consumed far too much, he made the wrong move and broke his ankle.

I've been fascinated with the art of flamenco ever since. And, captivated by the great Eva Yerbabuena at last year's Sadler's Wells Flamenco Festival, I've come to Seville – spiritual home of the dance, which is a fusion of cultures from when Arabic Spain was under Muslim domination.

Taking steps
Mindful of dad's experience, I've decided the best route to learning is with a couple of classes at Taller Flamenco – one of the city's schools.

The electrifying atmosphere the performers create infuses the bar with a contagious dose of alegría

But it's not as easy as I'd hoped and I've just about mastered las palmas (or getting my hands to clap in time).

(leer +) [vía metro.co.uk]

tags: flamenco, baile, cante, flamenca