A Night of Flamenco

Sevilla, Spain is the heart of the Flamenco music...  guitar, singing and dancing.  

If you want, you can go to a flamenco performance every night of the week.

 A few of the theaters in Sevilla

A few weeks ago we went to a performance at a small theater, so last night we chose to go to the Flamenco Museum and Theater.

The format of the evening was somewhat the same...

 A solo guitarist played...  and then a male singer came on stage and sang the haunting music of the gypsy culture.

While this theater is quite a bit larger than the other one we were at, the seating was on a flat floor, so if you were not in the front couple of rows (which we were not) it was impossible to see the dancers feet.

So much of the dance "action" the arms, and  below the knees.  The  torso is often quite straight.  

The emotions the artists portray is intense and pure.

 This male dancer was fantastic...  

And again, the female artist...

 The use of her shawl and her long, ruffly skirt are incorporated in the dance...  emphasizing intense emotions.

The show lasts one hour...  

 Flash photos are not permitted, so the performance is not constantly being interrupted by annoying flashes.

The cost to attend can vary...  depending on whether the theater is well known or a small "out of the way" place.  I think the popularity and expertise of the performers also comes into play.  Some are dinner shows with a meal and drinks included.  The prices range from about $15 euros to $50 euros per person.

There is at least one more performance we hope to attend before we leave...  it's a fairly new place and has shows only on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  

As we were walking back to the Triana, the barrio where we live, we passed through the big shopping area.  We had attended the early (7pm) show, so it was about 8:30 as we headed home.

The streets were bustling with people.  Between 5pm and 9 or 10pm the shops are open and very busy.   Families with kids of all ages are out taking in the evening fare.  As it was Friday evening, I'm sure it was like the start of a weekend most everywhere else.

We tend to be more window shoppers than buyers.  Since we'd just been to the dance, I just kept focusing on the many shops that sold flamenco dresses.

The Sevilla Fair is coming up soon (April) and the week of Semana Santa (the week just before Easter) as well...  that is the time all the ladies...  of ALL ages... wear their finery.  

It is desirable to have a different dress for each day.  They aren't cheap!  While you can pay less, we saw a sign in one store window...

 The dresses start at $395 euros...  and go up in price.

And, of course, the ladies need the accessories...

A window of fans 

And then one needs shoes, hair combs, and other enhancements.

We'll still be in Sevilla during that week, so you can expect to see lots of photos then.

We wandered through the streets and across the bridge.  Bill had been wanting to try a certain restaurant, but they never seemed to be open when we walked past.

Last night they were open, so we went in and shared 4 kinds of tapas....

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of our feast until we were done.  Well...  I can report that it all tasted very good.

That's All For Today!