Flamenco Dancing in Second Grade

Flamenco Dancing in Second Grade
Posted on 05/05/2016

By: Adam Epstein and Eve Costarelli

FlamencoDuring March and April, second grade students learned about flamenco dancing over four music class sessions with Eve Costarelli, a Dance in the Schools teaching artist, who also taught them yoga in their homerooms. Eve taught the students about the cultural and historical origins of flamenco, demonstrated flamenco dancing, and taught the students to dance an exciting flamenco piece.

Flamenco is an art form created in Southern Spain that was invented by the gypsies. The Gypsies, who originally lived in Northern India, traveled through Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, before crossing the Straits of Gibraltar, on their way to Spain. They brought with them a deep connection to their previous life in India and then added in music, dance, and the characteristics of the cultures they visited, to create a multicultural art form that has come to be known as flamenco.

Flamenco dancing embodies intricate rhythms, footwork, hand claps, a distinctive torso and flowing, refined arm and hand movements. Second grade students learned to dance to the flamenco rhythm called Tangos. It is a festive dance that is often performed at parties. Through this, students practiced rhythm, phrasing and form, all of which connected strongly to their learning in music class. We are grateful to the Dance in the Schools program for providing this amazing opportunity. Special thanks to the Friends of Baldwin for providing supplemental funding for Eve's residency. Click here for more information about Eve.

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