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Flamenco Evolution Spanish dance can nowadays be seen as synonymous with its national identity although, the roots and the route to popular demand was more complex than most people think. There are many reasons to the uprising of the dance becoming so popular, in fact it is a whole variety of factors that created the transformation. What exactly influenced this eye appealing, visually satisfying, hand clapping, feet stomping to the strum of the guitar such a hit with our socio-cultural society? What was it that made this dance, Flamenco, known with the status of exhilarating art forms which has taken the steps into a global line with ballet and hip hop? There are three major developmental phases that could be recognized as the major influences of the evolution that spread throughout Spain: the arrival of the gypsies, the romantic era and the Franco’s dictatorship.

The arrival of the gypsies, other words known as the Gitanos. in the 15th century. The gypsies have a colorful history that depicts there travelling across different lands and being able to see different types of cultures through their adventures. While they were exploring different cultures, the gypsies started to adopt folk dances they encountered a long the way. The journey itself is the culture of the gypsies which helped them create their identity and art of expression. The romantic era had its own complications, as to be expected with the word romance to be associated with some despair. Three centuries of extortion and oppression helped create what we see and adore today, this mix of oriental and exotic dance that just creates this intoxicating fume from which lead our eyes to watch the passion from the sweat dripping from the dancer’s expressions. In the 18th and early 19th century, Europe started to gain prominent status with both literature and arts. Within this time period, romance had this emphasis, this hold that transpired through the streets of Europe with its emotional nature and the way it presented communal folklore. The artists were influenced by foreign and more Bohemian cultures and with this, the commercialization of the Flamenco began in the late 19th century. During this time, the dance would be transpiring into the openings of cafes cantantes, in other words, it would be opening in cafes and bars and in which the songs and dances would accompany the “evening” visitors. The “Spanish Art” became so prestigious that ballerinas of the theatre were converted into “Gintas”. The ballerinas started to adopt the gypsy image and with the combination with the opera flamenco, the dance had officially transformed into a popular visual and celebrated culture that the aristocrats and elites could enjoy.

The last major influence that put Flamenco onto the map was the adoption as a national dance by the Spanish Dictator, Francisco Franco (1939-1975). Realizing how the dance could help influence a crowd and entice an entire population to enjoy, the government started to use it as a type of propaganda. Using the dance in films, it was a way to attract tourists to come to Spain. Films like Los Tarantos (1963) became widely known and popularized Flamenco as a Spanish art form to other countries such as Europe. With its complex way of evolving, the Flamenco has had a very entertaining, jaw dropping, colorful background that could rival the standings of other popular dances we have today. The Flamenco had established itself within the music and dance world and became a prominent form of art and culture.

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