The art of Duende
By Angela Garcia January 25, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Dance Concert
Junta Flamenca
Fri, Feb 1, 5pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
200 pesos

Flamenco is the traditional song and dance of the Gypsies (flamencos) of Andalusia in southern Spain. The art form developed over several centuries from Gypsy, Moorish, Andalusian, and other roots. Flamenco music and dance became popular in the early 19th century as café entertainment.

Canto (song) is the core of flamenco, and like baile (dance), it has three forms: grande or hondo (grand or deep), intense, profound songs, tragic in tone, and imbued with duende, the transformation of the musician by the depth of the emotion; intermedio (intermediate), moderately serious, the music sometimes Oriental-sounding; and pequeño (small), light songs of exuberance, love, and nature.

Junta Flamenca group presents their show “A mi aire”; you are invited to live the experience of “Duende,” those dark forces contesting within the artist’s soul, forcing their way out through the dance to evoke the battle with life, with death, with the birth of art itself.”

Angela Garcia is a member of Junta Flamenca.