Yanii Gough also contributed to this piece.
Zumba, belly dance, the shuffle are among the many type of dances that people have performed over the years. Some dances are more for entertainment, while others are more for expression and be able to tell stories of the past, present and future. If a certain type of dance becomes so known-well and is passed on from generation to generation, it is put on display for everyone to see and understand where, how, why and when the dance originated. For once particular type of dance, the Flamenco, was just that and it was on display at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Center.
In the 19th to early 20th century, people had searched for fame, fortune, and freedom. Dance was a way for some people to let go and become themselves or a character to show people what they are feeling. Flamenco is not only a mix of ragtime, jazz, and hiphop, but also an expression of resistance to poverty, injustice, Spanish Civil War and Spain’s Francoist regime. Some famous Flamenco dancers during this time were Eliza Gilbert James “Lola Montez”, Macarrona “Queen of the Gypsies” and Carolina “La Belle” Ortero.
Excerpts, photos, displays and moving images covered the small gallery room of Flamenco through the years. The displays showed costumes of traditional Flamenco, instruments such as a guitar and castanets, playbills, souvenirs, books, pendent/badges, and the dance shoes. Moving images showed traditional Flamenco dancing that included both men and women. Photos and excerpts around the gallery finished off the exhibition.
