Sevillanas

The Sevillana is a Sevillian derived, common in southern Spain folk dance, which is counted to flamenco. It is valid in Andalusia as the folk dance par excellence, the Andalusian each tries to dominate his childhood and performs with great zeal and earnestness at carnivals.

Typically, the Sevillanas is danced in pairs, where two women, but traditionally never two men dance together. It is also suitable for stage choreography.

There is always a series of four Sevillanas ( coplas ) dancing that are always equal the rhythmic structure ago, but each differ in the melody and the lyrics of the song. The dance steps of the four coplas are different, though, to repeat some elements, such as the Sevillana basic step and the so-called pasada often.

The Sevillana begins with an instrumental introduction, which sets the rhythm. She is interrupted by a sung transition, the salida. Then the actual dance, which consists of three stanzas begins. Each stanza in turn has an instrumental part of three clocks ( estribillo ) and nine sung clocks, so that the dance including closing measure takes exactly 37 cycles. The conclusion of the fourth Sevillana in the series mostly takes place without injury to the last note of the song.

The basic rhythm ( compás ) stands in a 3/4-time, which is strongly stressed on the first beat. However, the harmony changes first in each second clock on the third beat, so that sometimes gives the impression of a shifted accent:

Chord C G7 C Cycle time 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | This impression is reinforced by the gegentaktigen melodies usually.

The key is actually the modo mayor, ie major, although many Sevillanas in modo menor be heard. Sometimes the keys are alternated in a series.