the dancers
What the dancers’ solos are made of: joy, pain and melancholy
Reading a flamenco solo: carriage, arms, footwork and feeling.
Reserve a seat for the flamenco show ↗A solo at a glance
| Element | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Carriage | Upright and proud |
| Arms | Expressive, shaping each phrase |
| Feet | Rhythmic stamping on the wooden floor |
| Feeling | Joy, pain and melancholy, one after another |
Three feelings
The show describes each dancer’s solo as expressing a range of feelings, among them joy, pain and melancholy. Watch for the point where one changes into the next.
The carriage
Flamenco dance is known for a proud, upright carriage. The body stays composed while the feet and arms do the talking.
The arms
The arms carry much of the expression. Watch how they shape each phrase before the feet answer.
The feet
Rhythmic stamping is the sound of the dance. The wooden floor is the instrument, which is the origin of the word tablao.
Duende
A Spanish dictionary of 1956 defines duende as a mysterious and ineffable charm, and flamenco audiences use the word for the moment when a solo stops being technique and becomes feeling.
Sitting close
Guests say the front rows give the best view of the footwork, so book early if you want to see the feet as well as the faces.