Ecos Flamenco Company:
Echoes of Spain

It was the angle of her neck that mesmerized me. In the middle of a performance, on the wide wooden stage of the Grand Theatre in Old Havana, scarlet dresses swirling and feet pounding out the rhythm, one of the dancers turned at the waist, raised her chin and paused.

That was the moment when I became a flamenco fan. That one small movement said everything about the passion, strength and sensuality of this art form.

Flamenco in Cuba may seem a bit incongruous considering it is quintessentially Spanish. But while it originated in the Andalusia region of Spain, it grew out of a fusion of different cultures including the Islamic, Sephardic and Gypsy as well as the local Andalusian. Spaniards brought their music and culture to many of their far-flung outposts.

Flamenco was first brought to Cuba in 1882 by the Spanish dancer, Trinidad Huerta, who performed at the Teatro Tacón. Fittingly, this venue later became the Sala García Lorca concert hall in the beautiful Gran Teatro de la Habana, named for the Spanish authour closely linked to flamenco