Use your emotions to create power and confidence.
By Assertive Way
Watching authentic flamenco performances in Spain inspired me to try it out. I was super shy and still decided to join a flamenco dance class in my early 20s because I felt empowered just by watching them dance.
What is Flamenco?
Flamenco is a Spanish Andalusian music and dance from the south of Spain. There is nothing quite like it. The music uses guitars and is quite dramatic.
The dance doesn’t just focus on body movement like most other dances. And the dancers don’t just smile either. Instead, flamenco expresses a full range of deep emotions from sadness to passion. It is full of contrasts: slow and fast; elegant and powerful; delicate and strong.
In the flamenco dance class, I felt like a fool because I could hardly keep up with the dancers. However, I still left the class feeling a lot more confident and powerful then when I came in.
In the flamenco dance class, I felt like a fool because I could hardly keep up with the dancers. However, I still left the class feeling a lot more confident and powerful then when I came in.
How is that possible?
Well, flamenco uses emotion to create confidence and power. Motion create power. And motion plus emotion creates superpower! That is the secret of the flamenco dance.
Here are 10 elements of flamenco dance that convey powerful confidence.
- Emotional intensity. The expression of deep emotions is the distinctive feature of flamenco dance compared to other dances. And the emotions are spontaneous.
- Lesson – Express your feelings
- Name your emotions
- Share your feelings and emotions with “I feel … when …”
- Smile and laugh fully
- Lesson – Express your feelings
- Expressive body language. You can see the emotions vividly in the faces of flamenco dancers. When there are two dancers interacting, they keep strong eye contact throughout the performance. The dance also includes a lot of improvisation based on how the dancer feels in the moment.
- Lesson – Free your body to speak the language of your emotions
- Relax
- Embrace eye contact and facial expressions
- Gesticulate freely
- Lesson – Free your body to speak the language of your emotions
- Passion. At the start of each song, flamenco dancers don’t move much. But as soon as they feel the music, they get inspired, and start moving with energy and passion. Dancers interpret the music and all its emotions through their dance.
- Lesson – Seek out your passions and let them shine
- Write down your passions
- Allow yourself to spend some time on your passion every single day
- Connect with other people with similar passions
- Lesson – Seek out your passions and let them shine
- Confident posture. Flamenco dancers have an upright posture that conveys confidence and strength. Just like in martial arts, a confident posture is necessary to allow powerful movements to occur.
- Lesson – Put on a confident posture even if you don’t feel like it
- Stand up tall
- Keep head up and not tilted
- Keep your hands and arms from hiding you
- Lesson – Put on a confident posture even if you don’t feel like it
- Powerful movements. Powerful flamenco moves include spins, clapping, and stamping. The power comes not only from the use of muscles, but also from the use of their emotions.
- Lesson – Embrace your power in how you walk and talk
- Walk with purpose like you have something important to do
- Project your voice when you talk
- Always finish your sentences
- Lesson – Embrace your power in how you walk and talk
- Precision of each move. The movement of feet, legs, arms, and hands are fluid and intentional. There is no hesitation. There are no half movements. There is no looseness.
- Lesson – Have purpose and intention
- Get really clear on your goals
- Have an intention for each difficult conversation
- Share your intention
- Lesson – Have purpose and intention
- Bold and colorful outfits. Flamenco dresses are designed to be noticed and to energize the dancers. They are brightly colored and usually include red (the color of passion). Typically, they have patterns such as polka dots and ruffles. And female dancers usually wear flower adornments on the hair.
- Lesson – Be bold, don’t try to fit in, and don’t hide
- Dress to impress and to feel good
- Be authentic
- Show up
- Lesson – Be bold, don’t try to fit in, and don’t hide
- Pride. Flamenco is also the dance of pride. Both women and men dance in front of an audience with zest!
- Lesson – Be proud of yourself and of your work
- Write down your accomplishments
- Celebrate your small wins
- Ask others what you are good at
- Lesson – Be proud of yourself and of your work
- Stamping of feet. Dancers stamp their feet in a rhythmic energized way like tap dancing.
- Lesson – Stand up for yourself and protect your boundaries
- Stop people pleasing
- Name your boundaries
- Learn to say no
- Lesson – Stand up for yourself and protect your boundaries
- Occasional rapids which are outbursts followed by “ole” from public. The expression ‘ole’ is how the audience shows they enjoy the dance and it serves to encourage and energize the performers. It is positive feedback.
- Lesson – Share your wins and invite encouragement
- Promote your work
- Show others your wins
- Demonstrate that you welcome support and encouragement
- Lesson – Share your wins and invite encouragement
The expression ‘ole’ is how the audience shows they enjoy the dance and it serves to encourage and energize the performers. Essentially, it is positive feedback.
Another curiosity is that unlike other dance styles, professional flamenco dancers dance until their 50s. Many of the best dancers are in their 30s and 40s. Age does not limit their passion and pride.
SUMMARY
When you find yourself lacking confidence, remember the passion, expression, and power of flamenco dance.
Are you convinced to take some flamenco dance classes? It will be an empowering and mesmerizing experience that you will never forget!
Ole!
“Dance is the timeless interpretation of life.” – Shah Rizvi