Flamenco skirt
Flamenco Shoes
Castanets
What do I need to start?
If you have never danced flamenco and now you're ready to try, you need little more than a sturdy pair of heeled shoes and a brave willingness to put yourself out there.
I recommend that beginning students start with character shoes or a similar shoe that they already own before buying flamenco shoes, since some of the basic movements and steps will come out fine without having to pay the expense of flamenco shoes. If you live in Philly or New York it is easier to find shoes in dance stores but outside of a major metropolis your best bet in North America is the Internet. Even better, pick up a pair on your next trip to Spain and bring them back.
You will want a skirt of some kind to dance in, a full circle is best. You will learn early on the movements of the skirt and how to hold it. If nothing else, it helps the atmosphere and you will feel like a better dancer if you wear something you feel pretty in and can have fun in.
Where can I watch flamenco?
On the homepage of this website are listed our upcoming performances in Bucks County, but if you are not here in our area there are other ways to watch flamenco. Philadelphia has the flamenco company Pasión y Arte, New York has Flamenco Vivo, and various bars and other places to watch flamenco live. Watching flamenco in this way is probably the best thing for inspiration, and for learning about the emotions and energy behind the dance.
You can also search flamenco on Youtube.com, and can order a myriad of DVDs online that present dance concerts, movies, and instruction.
However you manage to do it, if you are interested in flamenco, watch and listen as much as you can handle.
How do I practice flamenco?
Listening and watching count as practice. Put on a flamenco CD and follow the rhythms, listen for the emotion of the singer, and just enjoy it.
The best way to practice the moves from your dance class is to take notes at the end of the class, in whatever way makes sense to you (if I showed you my notes it would look like nonsense but it works for me), and then take just five or ten minutes when you get home to see what you can replicate. I have a terrible memory for sequencing and this helps. This way when you practice later during the week it will be less of a struggle.
Try to practice in front of a mirror even if it isn't full length. Correct your posture and movement through the mirror, but then turn away and let yourself feel it without being glued to the reflection.
You do not need a special floor at home to practice unless you are very advanced or a very good carpenter, and you can go through footwork while you wait for your tea to steep, while you wait for the subway, while you wait in line at the bank. You will learn to ignore the looks that strangers give you.
What if I don't have a "dancer's body"?
Luckily, flamenco is nothing like the tradition of ballet and other forms where your body type determines your ability. You do need some muscle and balance, but that does not mean you have to change who you are. The right muscles will come with practicing the dance. Your flexibility will develop if you stretch every day a little bit. You do not have to lift your leg up above your head or do backbends in flamenco, unless of course you want to. It is more about using your body to express something, not molding it to look like something. Everyone has something in them to express, and everyone has a body to do it with. If you are tall, you absolutely cannot be embarrassed about it. Stand tall. If you are short, it does not matter so long as your energy is true. This can be an important mental and emotional shift for many of us. It is necessary.
