A Dance in Danger of Extinction

A Dance in Danger of Extinction.

The history of Zambra.

Forbidden for centuries, Zambra is a Spanish dance and music tradition of Moorish, Sephardi and Gypsy origins that has survived against all odds for more than 500 years to become a cultural phenomenon during the first half of the 20th century. Unfortunately, Zambra  (also known as Zambra Mora) is now an art in danger of extinction.

This dance style would have originally been seen at gypsy weddings. It has a Moorish style and can be considered similar to belly dancing. It was established, like other dance styles like this, in Andalusia, which is similar to a state, in Spain. 

What is Zambra?

They dance barefoot and playing finger cimbalini, with the blouse knotted under the bust and the wide skirt fixed at the hip with wide folds that allow it to float in the air. The name "Zambra" means party.

The Zambra ceremony was absorbed, learned and transformed by the new Sacromonte tribes, who at some point began to show it and keep it as their tradition. These groups are the only remaining proof of this amazing Moroccan dance. They are the only ones who have kept this ancient discipline alive and those who have made it evolve to the flamenco dance we know today.

The history of the Gypsy Zambra stopped during the Inquisition of the 16th century, where it was banned as it was considered an unworthy dance. They even considered the dance sinful or inappropriate. From the 19th century on, flamenco began to take on importance as a musical art, and the gypsies of Sacromonte always appeared reflected by the romantic writers.

Zambra Now.

Zambra is now seen as the traditional style Flamenco dance that we have talked about in blogs previously. We still see similar styles of this dance in gypsy tradition with belly dancing but otherwise it has been slowly falling off. This dance style is still beautiful and it is very dance to be able to see that the traditional Flamenco originated from this beautiful dance style.















Works Cited

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/zambra-once-forbidden-art-in-danger-of-extinction#/

https://gipsyfashionwear.com/en-us/blogs/news/zambra-the-sensual-forbidden-gypsy-dance

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Paso Doble Origin and Impact

Image
Where it all began. Just like last time, this dance style originated in/ around Spain. It is different based on the source you may read but it is said to have began in 1780. Of course, in that time the dance was very different but now many people even get it confused with Flamenco. It adapted into marching music for Spanish infantry troops because of the beat and pace of the music. "In the nineteenth century, paso doble songs also served as music for Spanish bullfights during the paseo, or entrance into the ring." (Masterclass)  America's perception. The way that our culture looks at this dance form is much different than how it is/was viewed in Spain. Spanish culture would compare this dance style to bull fighting considering that is what it originally started as. "Paso Doble steps represent a bullfight, with the male partner—the matador—in the lead, and the female partner following." (Masterclass)  Now days the reason many people in America know what Paso Dobl...
Read more

Flamenco in Spain

Image
Stereotypes or History? Flamenco Dance in Spain and the World. As stated in my last blog I will be giving you a brief  rundown of all things related to different dance styles. This blog will be focused on Flamenco dance and its cultural significance, most common use of the style, and how it began versus where it is at today. To truly understand Flamenco dance we need to understand the history associated with it. Outside of Spain people look at Flamenco as the key to Spanish living. In American media we may use Flamenco to stereotype what life is like in Spain. For example, in Toy Story 3: Buzz Lightyear is mistakenly reset in “Spanish mode,” and becomes a passionate Spanish flamenco dancer (Smithsonian Magazine). When watching the scene you may look at it as embarrassing, incorrect or just plain laughable. The American media does this all the time to make a joke or simply to make fun of the aforementioned cultural item. But, the way that people outside of Spain look at Flamenc...
Read more