Festivals Around the World: Festival Flamenco Gaucin

The summer is the perfect time to kick back, relax, and have some fun. The weather is great, and everyone seems to be just a little bit happier and more laid back during these warm, sunny months. The carefree atmosphere and sunshine also provide great conditions for some fantastic summer festivals. Ranging from bull fighting festivals to music and beer festivals, these events are located everywhere around the world and boy, there are plenty of them. 

Beginning this week is the popular and exciting Festival Flamenco Gaucin. Located in the town of Gaucin, in Andalusia Spain, this event is the best example you'll see of the Spanish Flamenco, a traditional folk dance originating in Andalusia. It is a local and traditional festival in every sense, so if you are looking to truly dive into Spanish culture- this would be the way to do it.

The dance is inspired by the movements of flamingos during courtship and is quite aesthetically pleasing. It is made up of dancing (Baile), guitar playing (Toque), singing (Cante), and clapping. The dance is held to such a high regard that it is thought young people do not posses the emotional maturity or capability to accurately display the correct movements and convey the soul of the music, referred to as the duende, to the audience. It is believed that the dance cannot be perfected until the dancer is into their thirties, continuing to perform into their sixties and even later. 

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The dance has become so widely recognized and gained so much popularity that it has begun to spread to other parts of the world, even being taught in schools in countries such as Japan. The festival is the perfect way to show off the beloved and culturally significant dance to eager locals and tourists, with more and more tourists in attendance each year. 

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