So you want to better understand how to dance with the cante?

I have a couple of ideas for you,

But first, here’s a letra:

(You can watch Carmen Herrera dance to this as José Mijita sings in the video to follow.)

Bulerias
Traditional

En el palacio del rey
hay un caballo de caña
Cuando el caballo relincha
retumba todita España

At the king’s palace
there’s a wooden horse
When the horse neighs
it echoes throughout Spain

Listen to José Mijita sing this at about 1:30 in the video below:

You can hear him sing this one at 1:15.

Responding to the Music

Throughout the video above, Carmen is responding to the music.

Observation is a powerful tool to understanding how flamenco works, so

Try this activity:

1. Watch the clip again.

2. Notice how Carmen isn’t just following her choreography, but she’s listening to the music, especially the cante.

3. What does Carmen do at the caídas of the cante?

4. What does she do when the guitar resolves?

FOR EXAMPLE:

When José sings this letra around 1:15, notice how Carmen marks and listens until he resolves with the caída about 1:28 which she responds to with a little remate.

Want to Better Understand How Cante & Baile Work Together?

If you are looking to better understand the relationship between bulerías cante and baile (and have a lot of fun while doing so) join me for a Virtual Workshop with José and Carmen.

The previous bulerías workshops with these two were huge hits,

“It was almost like being in Jerez for an hour and a half. Carmen and Jose are such great teachers and they explain things (with the help of Laura translating) so clearly. I was dancing along to the singing in my slippers,” said participant, Stefani Miller.

Join us to unlock the mysteries of Bulerías de Jerez!

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Cover photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash