Flamenco And Social-Feminism In Spain
Introduction
Flamenco, dance with music and song, has been a way for Spanish people to express themselves through physical art for many years. The dance form is known as an element of Spanish culture and has been growing since the early 18th century where the Spanish were first exposed to it in Andalusia. In this paper I will first talk about the history of sports in Spain and the role they play and have played in the society. I will also give an overview of what Flamenco is and how it has developed as a staple in Spanish culture, where it originated from, as well as a more in-depth view of the history. Then I will talk about how the dance form, Flamenco, and Spain are tied together in the cultural beliefs. Lastly, I will discuss how Flamenco can be tied into my life and upbringing. The goal of this paper is to analyze Flamenco and the social-feminism aspect of dance culture in Spain and how that clashes with a hyper-masculine culture.
National History and Overview of the Nation Spain is rooted in deep history, there have been bones discovered in Spain that are around 300, 000 years old, with proof of modern humans around 35, 000 years ago. As a nation Spain is roughly 196, 000 square miles, roughly 30, 000 square miles larger than the state of California. Spanish history dates back to pre-Roman era and can be traced from that point forward, making for a rich culture and history of a nation. It was constantly going through wars and different changes for as long as Spain is remembered. Spain faced difficulties starting in the 1930’s with Franco’s control over the nation and he continued that control until the 1970’s. But looking at Spain in the 21st century, it is rated one of the highest in life expectancy and had more doctors per person than most European countries. The future for Spain looks bright as we continue to move through the 21st century. The history of sport in Spain is diverse and interesting due to it being heavily rooted in the Spanish cultural values. For example, bullfighting in Spain has been around for the last 300 years according to the BBC. It has been judged internationally for the blood involved in the sport but to the Spanish, they believe it is more like a ballet than a violent blood-sport.
Calcio Storico is a historic game, which is played to honor their neighborhood, that is played as a part of a Spanish festival. It is similar to American-football but participants bare-knuckle box in the middle of the game. Bullfighting and Calcio Storico are both sports from Spain, which are both very masculine in nature with violence and aggression intertwined with play. Although some of the sporting events in Spanish culture are violent and intense, the culture can be quite laid back and inviting. According to donquijote. com, Spain is known for its relaxed way of living and hospitality which makes it a great tourist destination.
Overview of the Sport
It is said that Flamenco was brought to Spain by Gypsies from Roma in the 15th century some time. The first place to get a taste of Flamenco was Andalusia, Spain. Flamenco originated as something women practiced and did as a form of entertainment in Gypsy culture. They began to perform Flamenco for money, like performing at fairs and festivals, it’s how a majority of the women made the bulk of their money that were a part of the culture. It started as something to pass the time by and entertain people around them, it then developed into shows and performances. As Flamenco develops it becomes an organized sport with judges. Flamenco dance as a sport is under the International Dance Organization, meaning it has uniform guidelines and criteria that dancers are judged on. According to the IDO rules, dancers are judged on four different categories: technique, composition, image and show value.
Expression of Cultural Values
Sports are everywhere in the world and they are defined by the cultures they live within, and each culture has a different perspective on what a sport is and how the culture experiences it. I find this interesting when I look at Spain and its history of violent sports. While Spain does have violent sports, they can be seen as extremely passionate and expressive. Previously mentioned in this paper was how Spain demonstrates a hyper-masculine culture. This can be seen in many of the sporting events in Spain like Calcio Storico, bullfighting and the running of the bulls. These two sports are perfect examples of the need to publicly display your own masculinity and power over others. Then you have Flamenco, which displays sexuality and masculinity in a much different way than the previously mentioned sports. Flamenco portrays the male roles in dance very similar to the role that is played in bullfighting, where the man is the dominant role player, even further it has been said the bull is feminized and represents the woman in a traditional relationship. I find it interesting that you can see the same cultural values and construction in two completely different sports and they are almost identical in how they appear in each of the sports. This shows how strong the Spanish culture is and how it reaches every facet of the Spanish life. However, the role of a woman in Flamenco is incredibly powerful and demands respect. Women were constantly being oppressed in Spanish culture, which is very patriarchal and male-dominated. Flamenco gives these women a platform to express themselves and be strong through the art of dance and song, almost as if they’re breaking free from the constraints of masculinity. This shows me how social feminism can be utilized to fight back against traditionally patriarchal societies and cultures. Through the empowering of women through sport.
Relationship to Personal Values
Through research I have seen how patriarchal the Spanish culture is and how it can subdue women into “playing their role” in family life and society. Flamenco is a way for these women to break free from the constraints of society as a form of self-expression. My tie to the Spanish culture is through my maternal side of my family, I will briefly talk about my past and how I was raised. My mother was predominantly raised by her mother and her father was not in the picture for all of her early life. Then my mother left my father when I was around six years old and she moved in with her mother. My mother pretty much raised my sister and I on her own with influence from her mother as well. While Flamenco was never a part of my life I think the cultural aspects have showed up in parts of my life as a young child. After conducting research my perspective of women in Flamenco is that they are strong women that can function independently of men and that’s exactly how I view my mother. Through my upbringing and primarily being surrounded by strong women, I think it has helped me to respect and understand strong women in my life and in culture.
Conclusion
Flamenco has influenced and intertwined with Spanish culture in many different ways and can even be connected with something as different as bullfighting. Before I began researching this topic I thought I was just looking at an ancient dance form that was used as entertainment. Little did I know, Flamenco and the culture surrounding it has been an influence on Spanish culture for years. Through research I learned how Flamenco made it to Andalusia, Spain through Roma and the Gypsy culture. I learned about the hyper-masculine way of life that Spain promotes through its sports and culture. Also, how Flamenco promotes this culture but at the same time challenges it with the strong identity that women portray through Flamenco dance and song. It has been interesting learning about the roots of Flamenco and how they can be tied to my upbringing in the personalities of my mother and grandmother of being strong and independent.
