Sevillanas

Last week I started Sevillanas lessons, and it has been by far one of the best things I have done in Sevilla. For some background, Sevillanas is a folk dance similar to flamenco, but less complicated and done with a partner. It´s only done in southern Spain, mostly in Andalucia. It is descended from flamenco which, as we just learned in one of my classes, is a fusion of dances brought by gypsies from India and Egypt. Nearly all people in Andalucia learn Sevillanas from an early age-- my señora and host sister both know how to dance it. It´s mainly danced during fiestas and the Feria de Abril, the huge festival in Sevilla happening in two weeks!

I have been looking for something to do to fill all my free time and had been searching for sevillanas lessons, but all the lessons I found at the Sevillanas schools were incredibly expensive. Then I just happened across these lessons advertised in Facebook. They are taught at the Tex Mex bar (now becoming one of my favorite American-friendly places) by a dance instructor from Ecuador. The classes mostly consist of American students, but there are also French students, German students and friends of the teacher who take the class. I had been meaning to go for weeks, but hadn´t been able to because of exams and getting sick. I also was hesitant because I didn´t want to go alone. Although I tried to get my friends to take it with me, none of them were interested.

But I got to the Tex Mex bar and met six girls from the United States who had been taking lessons for a few weeks. They were all studying in Sevilla through another program-- some of them through Sweet Briar college. They were all very friendly and spoke Spanish much better than I do, so it was great practice.

It was difficult to come in halfway through lessons, but for a beginner I caught on fairly quickly. Although the steps are challenging, the rhythm is simlar to a waltz. There are four Sevillanas dances, and I learned the first and second. The steps are simple once you have practiced them a lot (and once you stop mixing up dances), but I think the arms are the hardest part.

To see what it looks like, you can watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlpiSUp9T8A&feature=BF&playnext=1&list=QL&index=1

So far I've had three lessons, and I´m looking to get in one more before my trip to Paris next week. I´m looking forward to dancing at Feria! Wish I had some pictures-- I´ll remember to take a few next week. But for now, I should go work on my essays. So excited about the sunny beaches of Portugal tomorrow!! adios