Flamenco is a fiery, passionate dance, the beauty of which is emphasized by the dancer's bright costume. Playing with wide ruffles and folds of fabric is an obligatory element of the dance, so a flamenco dancer's skirt should correspond to the classical canons.
The traditional flamenco costume is based on gypsy motives: heavy heels that provide a clear rhythm, and wide, bright skirts of flowing fabrics. Only a properly selected skirt can create a sensual and temperamental image of baylaora - a flamenco dancer. Costumes for performances and rehearsals may differ significantly from each other, but in any case, the style of the skirt must meet certain standards.
Stage costume
The classic colors of the material for the flamenco dancer's skirt are red, black, white or fabric with large polka dots, but the use of colorful bright fabrics with an abstract pattern is also allowed. The material for sewing a skirt should be fluid and dense in order to provide the dancer with the opportunity to play effectively with the hem - very lightweight, weightless fabrics are completely unsuitable for this purpose. Most often, flamenco skirts are made of satin, crepe satin, "wet" silk.
The cut of the product must necessarily emphasize the line of the dancer's hips and have an extension at the hem. As the basis for the skirt, they take the style of a godet, "six-piece", "eight-piece" or a strongly flared skirt on a yoke. In length, the product should cover the shoes, but it is important to remember that flamenco is danced on legs slightly bent at the knees, due to which the hem is slightly lengthened.
Ruffles, shuttlecocks, set-in wedges or a train are an obligatory element of a stage costume for a dance. The number of frills can be arbitrary, but do not forget that the more there are, the heavier the dancer's outfit and the more difficult it is to perform the dance. Some flamenco styles are designed for a special narrow step, for which a restrictive wire can be sewn into the skirt at the knee level. In order to give the flounces a special splendor and beauty, sometimes they are sewn in double and from fabrics of contrasting colors. In processing the edges of flounces and frills, lace is allowed.
Rehearsal costume
A training suit can be a little simpler than a concert one: a skirt length just above the ankle or up to the middle of the shin is allowed. The fabric for the training skirt should fit snugly around the hips, be elastic and durable: oil, lycra, supplex, etc. However, one must not forget that flamenco is a very dynamic and expressive dance, therefore it is preferable that the material of the skirt is “breathable” and does not retain moisture evaporating from the body. The decoration of the training skirt can also be more modest - one frill or flounce, a small flare, the absence of a train and additional decorations on the skirt.
