Several hundred years ago, music styles from around the world melded together in southern Spain, and the rhythmic staccato beat of flamenco dance was born. In the 21st century, flamenco dancing has grown into a worldwide phenomenon.
This Friday, WOW Hall will host a performance by Noche De Luna Y Flor, a flamenco dance troupe from Germany. The name translates to English as “Night of the Moon and Flowers.”
The troupe features dancer, soprano vocalist and castanet musician Rachel Lynn Bowman, guitarist/percussionist Andreas Maria Germek, cellist Jakob Schmidt and Cante Flamenco performer Joaquín Escudero.
Flamenco has three forms: “cante,” the song, “baile,” the dance and “guitarra,” guitar playing. Traditionally, Gypsies have been given credit to the creation of this Spanish art form, though other influences have also had an impact on the evolution of flamenco.
Noche de Luna y Flor will combine all three forms into one ensemble with dance, vocals, guitar, cello and castanets. Castanets are hollow pieces of wood or ivory clicked in the hand to the beat of the music.
Friday’s performance will blend various styles of classical Spanish music, Spanish folklore and flamenco. Noche de Luna y Flor will include works by composers Felipe Pedrell, Issac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, Joaquín Turina and Manuel de Falla.
“Flamenco is a big classic dance category,” said Gary Hammond, a flamenco and classical Spanish dancer since 1980. “There are so many different types of dance that fall in it.”
The common belief, according to Hammond, is that flamenco evolved from the mixing of the Gypsy culture that came from India and settled in Spain with the Jewish culture in Spain. Both groups were often marginalized in Spain, and in some ways still are, he said.
“(Flamenco) is about dealing with life’s pains, and joys of people who have been marginalized,” he said.
He said flamenco is to Spain as blues is to the United States. Hammond also said he is looking forward to Friday’s performance to see the latest European trends in flamenco dancing on the West Coast.
“Flamenco is a mish-mash of a lot of different elements,” said Elena Villa, a student, teacher and performer of flamenco for 10 years.
She said flamenco had been influenced by Spanish, Castillian, Arab, South American, Caribbean, Folk and Sephardic (Jewish-Spanish) styles of music.
The music draws out emotions from the dancer, musician or performer and reveals what’s inside the soul, she said.
Martita Mardares owns a flamenco dance company in Eugene and has been dancing for more than 50 years. She said she will be attending Friday’s performance.
“(Flamenco) is a very passionate inter-soul dance,” she said.
Before choreography became popular, she said, “you didn’t dance the same step twice.”
Mardares said she expects Friday’s performance to be a cross-breeding of different types of flamenco using different instruments as well as musical influences.
Tickets are available in advance for $12 and at the door for $14. Doors open at 8 p.m., and showtime is at 8:30 p.m.