The Flamenco & Gender

Dance and Music go hand in hand, no matter what culture or where in the world you look. Women are expected to play feminine instruments, and men are expected to play masculine instruments. Women dance feminine dances, and men dance masculine ones. There are similar practices all around the world and accompanied by different forms of music. Music and dances are gendered towards either feminine or masculine.
 
Today I will focus on Flamenco, which is a form of song and dance in Southern Spain.
 
But first, a quick lesson on the Flamenco:
It can fall under three categories. First, the "Cante Jondo"  (translated into: "profound song" or "deep song") is the oldest form and is characterized by conveying extreme emotion. Second, Canto intermedio ("intermediate song") combines Spanish music styles. And lastly, Canto chico ("light song") has a simpler rhythm and focuses on skill rather than emotion. The dance style is associated with the Roma (or gypsies), and the roots of the dance are still unknown. However, it is thought to have been brought by the Roma migration from Rajasthan (India) to Spain. Over years of rubbing against other cultures and music, Flamenco was eventually established as its own dance and music style.
 
The flamenco is normally accompanied by the Guitar and "palo seco" (a dry stick, which is used to keep time for the dancers). All dances utilize the body as instruments as well, including clapping, snapping, and footwork to make a beat or melody along with the accompanying instruments. Each song tells a story, and the dancers are the protagonists and interpret the lyrics and music through their dance which is often improvised. I'll include a video showcasing a few different songs, so you can tell the difference of emotion and storytelling. 

The men perform lighting speed footwork with ferocity, and the women use their dresses, upper body, and handheld instruments to make a melody. In this example, you can see both a man and women dance. The woman uses a pair of castanets, her dress, and upper body movement to showcase emotions. Her movements flow smoothly into one another and create a reasonably easy story to follow. The man steps out towards the end of the video, and you can watch his footwork. The crowd claps along, and the mood of the room shifts.

After watching the video you can see the difference between the dance styles, and the music their dances produce (her cassinettes, his footwork, clapping).
 
But… what if women were to learn the intricate footwork? Carmen Amaya, answers that questions. She is known as "the greatest Flamenco dancer" and she was the first woman to master the male reserved footwork.

Because of Carmen Amaya, all of Flamenco was revolutionized. Carmen Amaya changed the music as well as the dancing. She was nicknamed the "Human Tornado" and she inspired many women to follow in her footsteps to learn intricate footwork. She combined the grace and flow of the feminine side of dance with the ferocity and speed of the male dance of Flamenco.
 
Let's take a look at a recent concert that showcases women doing both dance styles. This is a clip from the opening of "FUEGO" a dance production by Benise. 

For the majority of the dance, you can see the dancers sway with the music, but they travel around the stage. The dancers even get a solo to showcase footwork towards the end of the song, showing how the gender norms of the music have changed.