FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQ in Spanish (PDF)

> Shoes/attire
> Flamenco classes
> About flamenco
> General information

Shoes/attire

What shall I wear? Women: Closed toe shoes with a low wide, heel, avoid rubber soles. Wide, ankle length skirt and top. Men: Hard soled shoes, avoid rubber soles. Pants and shirt. NOTE: There is no need for you to go out and buy a full flamenco costume for the first classes. Take the most suitable shoes/outfit you have at home and come to class!

Where can I buy flamenco shoes, skirts, dresses? If you think that flamenco is for you and you want to buy real shoes/attire, start with the shoes.You may visit Web sites, such as www.menkes.es, and have them ship your order from New York. They have a large selection of flamenco costumes in the United States, directly linked to their main store in Spain. Also, search on each city's/state's flamenco Web site and/or dance attire store.

Flamenco classes

How much are the classes? It varies a lot, since many of the teachers set their own rate. The dance schools, where the teachers are employed, seem to have a general semester rate at around $15-20 per 90 min. class, master classes and special courses not included. The price can often be higher if the instructor is teaching in a private setting. Flamenco instruction is often more expensive than other dance classes, such as ballet, due to the difficulty for the flamenco teachers to study themselves and the very expensive necessary attire. Master classes for teachers, with specially invited artists from Spain, are often given at far distanced locations, which increases the cost of the classes severely. Regarding private classes, all teachers set their own rate per hour/session on a weekly/monthly basis.

Do I need to pre-register for class? It depends on the schools, some do not require any registration, and some do. Regarding master classes, workshops, private sessions, etc., you usually need to register to reserve a spot.

Can I start classes in the middle of the semester? Contact the teacher directly. He/she is the only one, considering your own dance experience and the material taught so far, who can tell you if you might start, or if it is better to wait until next semester.

At what level shall I start? Beginner level: no experience required. Beginner/Intermediate level: approx. 1-2 semesters (6-12 months). Intermediate level: 1-2 years. Intermediate/Advanced level: 2-3 years. Advanced level: 3 years or more. NOTE: These requirements are set for Atlanta, GA, but may vary a lot depending on the teacher, school, state and country.

What shall I do if I miss classes? There will always be a time when everyone has to cancel a class due to work, illness, family, vacation or other special events, and the flamenco classes have to be put on hold for a certain period of time. If you miss just one or two classes, do not worry about it. Go to class 15-30 minutes before class starts and see if someone can show you what they did the class before. If you know ahead of time that you will lose three or more, try to contact someone in your class to schedule a run-through. The teacher might also be willing to give you a quick update before or after class, or ask him/her if you can book a private class. In all cases, out of courtesy to the teacher and not to worry him/her, contact your teacher and let him/her know why you cannot attend classes.

Do I need a partner? No. Flamenco is not a social dance where you dance in couples or small groups.

Do you compete with flamenco, like ballroom dance? No. It is often a misunderstanding that flamenco is similar to rumba or tango. The ballroom dance competitions you may see on television with couples dancing, is not flamenco.

I took a salsa course for six weeks and after that I could go out dancing with my friends. Is that possible with flamenco, too? Anything is possible, but flamenco is not similar to salsa in that sense. Flamenco is more like ballet, where you start at a basic level learning the special technique required.

How fast will I learn to be able to perform on stage? Over the years, you will reach a higher technical level, as well as develop a deeper understanding of flamenco as a form of art, where the communication between the singers, dancers and musicians, is the most important essence of true flamenco. To be able to perform at such an advanced level, you have to study flamenco thoroughly for many years.

About flamenco

How do I pronounce flamenco? The three-syllable word, fla-men-co, is pronounced (fla -méng-ko ) with the accent on the second syllable. Not flamInko and not flaminGo!!!

What is flamenco? A rhythmical, improvised style of playing, singing and dancing, characteristic of the Andalusian gypsies in Spain.

What is flamenco jondo vs. festero? El flamenco jondo is deep – profound base of all todays' flamenco. It tells the story of the more painful part of life, vs. el flamenco festero, which is performed at happy family events or as part of the Fin de Fiesta in shows. The color dress code for these two styles used to be black vs. red.

What are the different flamenco styles? There are many, many branches on the tree of flamenco. Here are mentioned the most frequently performed styles from each group. El jondo: Soleares, Seguiriya, Soleá por Bulerías and Tarantos. El festero: Bulerías, Tangos and Alegrías.

Is Sevillanas flamenco? No. It is an Andalusian folkdance, which is danced in couples in four different verses. Sevillanas is one of the styles, however, that has been aflamencado and is performed at various flamenco stages as a part of the Fin de Fiesta.

It is hard to understand the flamenco terminology, e.g. falseta and compás. Where can I learn more? It is impossible to mention all terminology used in regards to flamenco since it varies a lot from teacher to school, and from region to country. The list that follows contains common flamenco words that you will encounter in your first meeting with flamenco. You may also visit http://herso.hypermart.net/dict.html or search for dictionary flamenco on the internet. Spanish speaking aficionados; please visit http://personal.redestb.es/jmcastel/index3.html

General information

Can flamenco dancing cause injuries? Unfortunately, it is common that dancers suffers from different types of injuries, more or less severe. Flamenco dancers are not excluded, and have to take good care of their bodies.

Where can I buy flamenco music and videos, read articles, view clips and listen to new CD releases and get information about upcoming workshops and festivals worldwide? My favorite Web site is www.flamenco-world.com, which promotes everything related to flamenco. You can also sign up to receive their newsletters, in Spanish or English. Other interesting sites are www.duendelenguas.com and www.deflamenco.com. Also, you might search the Internet for flamenco, plus the location you are interested in, for example, flamenco New York, to find details for a festival or other event in that specific city.

Is there a website that specalizes in flamenco classes and workshops in the United States?
Yes, please visit FlamencoUSA.com for more information or search on the internet for flamenco + the location.  

Can I listen to flamenco radio on the internet?  Yes, here are some web sites that play flamenco music; www.EmisionDigital.com, www.radio-lamenco.com, www.canalsur.es, www.ondajerez.com

Can I view Spanish direct TV on the internet? Canal Sur in Spain send some of their programs live and they also show different flamenco events now and then.