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Course Flamenco: Rhythm and Choreography
Instructor Mark Tomass (Studied flamenco with prominent maestros in
Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, and Madrid. Performed in Granada,
Madrid, and at the National Theatre in Prague).
Email: tomass@econ.muni.cz
Course Description
The course is an introduction to the fine art of Flamenco. Being one of
the most hybrid form of music and dance, this course introduces you
to a set of rhythms and corresponding dance techniques of Andalusia
that emerged from combinations of the rhythms of the East, the Near
East, North Africa, and Central Europe.
Purpose of the Course
The course is primarily designed to help you understand complex
music and to be able to physically respond to it. Because of its
richness and beauty, it uses flamenco as a means to offer you
listening and dance techniques that have retaining value. Each class
meeting is divided into three parts. The first two parts is an
introduction to flamenco compás (rhythm), zapateados (foot
techniques), palmas (clapping), arms, posture, and short
choreographies of two main generic kinds of flamenco music and
dance. The third part is a choreography of the Sevillanas, the ball
room dance of Andalusia.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. analyze complex rhythms and reproduce them with clapping
and foot work;
2. perform the Sevillanas, the popular ballroom dance of
Andalusia;
3. perform a choreography of Flamenco Tangos and Rumbas;
4. perform a choreography of Flamenco Bulerias;
Recommended Dress Code
1. Women: Sleeveless tops and skirts of any length.
2. Men: Light material pants and shirts like Latin American
ballroom dancers.
3. Footwear: Flamenco shoes, ballroom dance shoes, ballet shoes
or any shoe that will allow you to spin on one foot. No soft
sports footwear.
Make sure that your shoes do not leave black marks on the floor.
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Course Content
Part 1. A Choreography of Flamenco Tangos-Rumbas
Tangos is the happiest rhythm of all flamenco music and the simplest
after the Sevillanas. It is performed with graceful, stylish movements,
wicked gestures and slick contortions. Like all the rest of flamenco
dance, it is strong, defiant, explosive, and masculine in character. Its
rhythm is catchy, allowing for personal postures and improvisation.
Its meter is in four beats. It is quite a drawn out meter, which is easy
to recognize. The first is a silence and the second, third and fourth
beats are marked as follows:
1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 |
Part 2. Choreography of Solea por Bulerias and Bulerias.
The second part is an introduction to flamenco compás (rhythm),
zapateados (foot techniques), palmas (clapping), arms, and posture of
five kinds of Flamenco Solea por Bulerias and Bulerias. Their rhythm
is in 12 beats with bold fonts expressing a strong beat. There can be
many variations to the following basic rhythms, two of which are:
1 2 3 | 4 5 6 | 7 8 9 | 10 11 12 |
1 2 3 | 4 5 6 | 7 8 9 | 10 11 12 |
Part 3. The Sevillanas.
In the third part of the class, you will learn the Sevillanas. It is the
popular Andalusian ballroom dance, which people dance in flamenco
related dance clubs all over Spain. Because of its simple rhythm and
movements, they are generally taught as an introduction to flamenco,
although it is not proper flamenco. The term Sevillanas is derived
from the Andalusian city of Seville. The Sevillanas is a set of four
dances: meeting, seduction, confrontation, and making up. They are
generally performed in couples (man + woman, or two women). Some
outstanding performers dance it solo as a form of fine art. The most
significant movements are the paseillos (ceremonial entrance),
pasadas (cross-over with the partners side by side), careos (cross-over
with the partners facing each other) and remate (the emphatic final
part of a movement). On the last beat of the singing, the music and
dancing cease simultaneously and the performers finish off with an
elegant and provocative desplante (a hard stepping movement that
climax the dance). Most importantly, dancers look into each other's
eyes throughout the dance. The Sevillanas has three beats, four
times, with the following two variations:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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The Structure of the Sevillanas
1st
5 PASEILLOS
1 PASADA
1 PASEILLO
4 LATERALES
1 PASADA
1 PASEILLO
4 PASADAS
REMATE Y DESPLANTE
2nd
1 PASEILLO
3 SWEEPS
SPIN
1 PASADA
1 PASEILLO
6 VALSE STEPS
SPIN
1 PASADA
1 PASEILLO
8 VALSE STEPS IN A
CIRCLE
REMATE Y DESPLANTE

1998 Tomass DanceNotes, FS2
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3rd
1 PASEILLO
CIRCLE LEFT
2 HORSE MOTIONS
CIRCLE RIGHT
2 HORSE MOTIONS
1 PASADA
1 PASEILLO
3 LATERALES with
ZAPATEADO
SPIN
1 PASADA
1 PASEILLO
1 PASADA
2 HORSE MOTIONS
1 PASADA
2 HORSE MOTIONS
REMATE Y DESPLANTE
4th
1 PASEILLO
CIRCLE LEFT
1 HORSE MOTION
CIRCLE RIGHT
1 HORSE MOTION
1 PASADA
1 PASEILLO
1 CAREO
2 VALSE STEPS
1 CRAEO
SPIN
1 PASADA
1 PASEILLO
4 CAREOS
REMATE Y DESPLANTE
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A Sample of a Flamenco Tangos Choreography
Always start with the right foot unless otherwise indicated
* 10x1 Palmas (2 tempos, 8 tempos + contra tempos)
* 4x Left 360 degrees turn (one turn per two beats)
* 8x Zapateados and palmas (2 steps left, 2 right, 8 in place),
Repeat.
* 8x Valses (4 arms out, 4 arms in)
* 4x Zapateado 1 (Flats: RR, LL)
* 4x Zapateado 2 (Flats: RRL, LLR)
* 4x Zapateado 3 (Flat, Heel, Heel, Flat, Heel, Heel, Flat Heel) (Toe,
Heel, Flat ­ Slow, Slow, Fast)
* 3x Steps backwards, heel front.
* 2x Suspense (Left foot flat down, right to the side, right arm
front middle + left arm side), vice versa.
* 4x Valses (4 arms out)
* 8x Walking valses (4 front, 4 back).
* 4x Tangos palmas in place (tempo and contra tempo)
* 7x Zapateado 4 (3 Left Flat, Toe, Heel ­ Slow, Slow, Fast), Vice
Versa. Includes 1x to change direction.
* 8x Valses back, 4x arms together sides left, 4x clap front, back.
* 1x Turn left 360 degrees and 1x Suspense in the bulľs heart
* 4x Zapateado 5 (Toe, Heel, Heel, Heel)
* 3x Zapateado 6 (Left Flat Front, Heel (right), Toe (right), Toe,
Flat (right), Flat - Contra tempo finish.
* 4x Zapateado 7 [Right Flat, Right Flat, 3x (Left Flat, Right Heel)),
(vice versa)]
* 1x Prepare
* 8x Walk in a circle, Right toe step
* 4x Suspense up (Left Flat, Left Flat down, right side, right arm
up side), (vice versa)
* 1x Prepare
* 5x Zapateado 8 (Left Flat, Left Flat, right heel, toe, heel),
includes 1x to change direction.
* 9x Zapateado 9 (Step Left in place, Right Front, Step Left, right
back),Vice Versa, 1x to change feet.
* 9x Zapateado 10 (2 Steps Right, 2 Steps Left, right front), Vice
Versa, 1x to change feet.
* Walk away finish

2004 Tomass, FT1.
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x is the meter in four beats: 1 2 3 4