Its roots, though, perhaps give this dance a sort of malleability that not all dance forms have. In the past, each gender has had a rather strict role to play. Men focused mainly on their feet and certainly never used their hips. Women, on the other hand, used their arms and hips more, leaving the powerful stomps and declarations to their male counterparts. However, as the art changes today, many men are learning to sway and roll their hips, while women stomp and clap away in their own declaration of Here, I Am. This becomes even more relevant in the wake of día de la mujer, or International Women’s Day, which was full of marches and protests proclaiming the power of women. In Granada in particular, there was a very passionate protest, complete with drums and a giant crowd that stretched far down the main road. The drums and chants couldn’t help but remind me of Flamenco and the fact that five centuries after this art was created, there is still a very basic and human need to remind the rest of the world, ‘Here, I Am. Pay attention to me.’
Although Flamenco will probably never be my way of declaring my existence, I am delighted to be learning about it. It is fascinating to hear about its history and different from anything I had ever seen before. I also got to buy my first pair of dance shoes ever, or at least my first pair since I was five years old. I am learning the dance steps very slowly, but I am learning them, and, after class, I pray that I will remember them for the final show in May. I think I’m getting better though. At least last week, after a particularly hard sequence, my teacher told me, “Alex, that wasn’t exactly right, but your improvisation was great!”