The 30 most popular traditional dances of Spain. Do you like to dance? If you have a hobby or curiosity about the world of dance, this article is especially for you. We are going to talk about the most popular traditional Spanish dances. We will see 30 typical dances of Spain per community
Do you like to dance? If you have a hobby or curiosity about the world of dance, this article is especially for you.
Let's talk about the dances of Spain traditional most popular.
we will see 30 typical dances of Spain by communities, such as Andalusia, the Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria, Navarra, Madrid or the Canary Islands.
In this article you will learn about the different names of Spanish dances from each autonomous community and about a lot of types of dance.
Let's start!
The Sevillians are one of the typical dances of Andalusia, specifically from Seville and its surroundings.
The Sevillanas are one of the flamenco styles most famous and funniest, consolidated as one of the most popular dances in Spain.
It is a couples dance, where a boy and a girl look at each other, search for each other and flirt with elegant and sensual movements. It's like a love story that takes place in a song.
The rhythm of this typical dance from Seville is very animated. It's impossible not to move your feet and hands to the music!
The clapping and clicking of heels mark the beat while the dancers of this Spanish dance move through the space with grace and elegance.
The girls wear ruffled dresses with bright and cheerful colors, and they comb their hair with flowers in their hair.
While the boys, for their part, wear short suits, white shirts and Cordoban hats.
It is impossible not to be carried away by the joy of the Sevillians!
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The jota is a traditional Spanish dance, especially from Aragon and Navarra.
It is danced in pairs. The boys and girls face each other in a competition of fast and energetic movements, jumping on the ground.
In these traditional spanish dances, it is done like a kind of dance duel in which the feet move at full speed 😁.
We tell you what the main Spanish jotas are like, those of Aragon and those of Navarre.
The Aragonese jack It is a real party in motion.
The dancers move to the rhythm of the music, which is usually performed by a rondalla, composed of guitars, bandurrias and other traditional instruments.
What clothing is traditional in this dance?
The girls wear ruffled skirts and petticoats, embroidered shawls, and their hair is braided with bows and flowers.
The boys wear white shirts, baggy pants and vests, and often carry handkerchiefs in their hands or around their necks.
The most characteristic thing about the Aragonese jota is when the dancers they intertwine their arms and they move in circles.
The Navarrese jacks They share the essence of the Aragonese ones, although they have some differences.
In this typical Navarra dance, singing and dancing come together, minor tones are used and the songs are slower than the dances.
The dance of the Navarrese jotas is very exciting. Before we have talked about these popular dances and traditional dances in Aragon.
The rhythm in the Aragonese jotas is more leisurely and solemn.
The dance steps They also vary between the Aragonese jota and the Navarrese jota.
The Aragonese jota is characterized by smooth and elegant movements, with slower turns and turns.
However, the Navarrese jota has quick and energetic steps, with faster movements.
We continue to see more typical dances of Spain.
Imagine a sunny afternoon on the streets of Madrid. Suddenly, a beautiful accordion and clarinet melody begins to play.
People begin to move to the rhythm of the music with elegant and slow steps. That's the Madrid chotis!
The chotis is a typical dance of Madrid which has its origin in 19th century, but remains popular to this day.
The chotis dance is performed in pairs and holding each other. It is characterized by slow and smooth movements, which are executed by taking three steps to the left, three to the right (although many more can be taken) and turning around.
This dance is a symbol of Madrid's identity. It is usually danced at celebrations and special events, such as popular festivals, weddings, and Spanish folk dance events.
The doll is a typical Galician dance which is danced in pairs or in groups.
It is a animated dance which is characterized by rapid and acrobatic movements.
The movements are made with kicks and turnsspectacular, requiring great skill to execute them well.
In the dance muñeira, the dancers move to the rhythm of the music of bagpipe, the characteristic musical instrument of Galicia.
The movements made by the muñeira dancers are very varied, from linear to circular movements.
One of the most exciting moments in this traditional Galician dance is when the dancers they form a circle and they begin to tap their feet around a central point, creating a super-vibrant rhythm.
The muñeiras are very beautiful dances to watch, they transmit very good vibes!
Do you want to know more names of dances from Spain? Forward!
We are still in the north of Spain, but we go from Galicia to Catalonia, the other side of the country.
The sardanas are typical dances of Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain.
It is danced in a group, and the people holds hands forming a circle called «shot».
Dancers move laterally in rhythmic steps, while raising and lowering their arms.
The music of the sardana is performed by a cobla, a traditional Catalan orchestra composed of wind instruments.
Some of the most common instruments in the Catalan sardana are: the flute, the oboe, the clarinet and the flugelhorn, accompanied by a tambourine and a timbala.
Furthermore, one of the most special features of this typical dance of Catalonia is that it is danced collectively, with people of all ages.
They all hold hands in an act of community and togetherness. The sardana dance seeks, above all, to promote coexistence and Catalan culture.
The pasodoble It is a very typical Spanish dance.
How do you dance the pasodoble?
The Spanish pasodobles are danced to the rhythm of music with trumpets and drums that evoke the atmosphere of the bullfight.
The steps imitate the movements of a bullfighter in the bullring.
The dancers move around the floor with a firm and elegant step, performing twists, turns and choreographed movements as if they were authentic bullfighters.
The Spanish pasodoble dance is done as a couple. The man can carry a suit of lights (that's what the bullfighters' costumes are called) and the woman can be dressed in flamenco or other elegant clothing.
This is a dance full of strength and emotion, which transports dancers and spectators to a world of Spanish tradition and folklore.
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In the Basque Country, dance has a very important role in the cultural identity of this region. Let's review what are the basque dances most popular.
The aurresku, also called «aurresku of honor», is a popular dance that is performed in pairs or groups,
In this dance the dancers are not usually holding on, but instead perform coordinated movements at the same time separately.
The steps and movements vary depending on the region and the specific interpretation, but in general it is characterized by its grace and precision when making the movements.
With the help of bagpipe and drum music, an atmosphere full of enthusiasm is created.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the aurresku dance are the ribbons and bells that the dancers wear in their costumes.
The ribbons are held by the dancers as they perform choreographed movements, creating figures in the air.
The bells produce a rhythmic and festive sound which adds an additional element of joy to the dance.
The dance agurra It is another of the traditional Basque dances.
Agurra means "farewell" in Basque. It is a dance that is performed during Basque festivals and cultural events as a way to say goodbye and express gratitude.
The dance agurra It is generally performed by couples, who face each other and perform a series of choreographed steps and movements to the rhythm of traditional Basque music.
This dance may include couple changes, circle formations and choreographed movements with handkerchiefs or sticks.
Among the typical Basque dances, we also find the banakoa dance. “Banakoa” in Basque means “individual”.
"Dantza" refers to "dance." Therefore, the banakoa dantza refers to a solo dance.
This allows the dancer to express themselves with movements and own steps, similar to those of the previous dances, but always alone.
The popular fandangoa dance arrived in the Basque Country in the 19th century.
At first it was a scandalous dance and almost banned because it was considered erotic and unethical at that time.
Despite everything, the dance had a great reception and was fully established in the Basque community.
Today, the Basque fandango is also known as the jota Basque.
The Basque jota is generally danced in pairs or groups performing rapid, coordinated foot movements, accompanied by live music.
The music of the Basque jota is usually performed with traditional instruments Basques like trikitixa (a type of Basque diatonic accordion), the tambourine (a drum) and the txalaparta (a percussion instrument made of wood).
The lyrics in the dances and songs of the Basque jota are usually in Basque, the Basque language, and often talks about topics such as nature, love, rural life and Basque identity.
In this dance, the dancers move with grace and agility, as if they were floating in the air. That's how delicate he is arin arina.
In this dance, the dancers start in a couple's position, looking at each other (while you're at it, smile!).
As the music begins to play, they begin to move in harmony, with agile steps and smooth turns. The arms move fluidly.
According to the music is speeding up, the steps become faster too, with small lateral movements and little jumps, as if they were jumping from stone to stone in a stream.
The seguidillas is one of the traditional Spanish dances that is danced in many Spanish autonomous communities.
For example, it is one of the typical dances of Castilla La Mancha, Madrid, Andalusia or Murcia.
The seguidillas are famous, fast and happy dances that follow the rhythm of typical instruments in the folk dances Spanish like guitars and castanets.
In Spain, this dance is considered a fundamental part of our cultural heritage.
Each region has its own variations and styles of seguidillas, making this dance diverse and rich in its artistic expression.
Some of the most famous seguidillas are those of La Mancha and those of Requena. Do you want to see them in more detail? Let's get to it!
dance the La Mancha seguidillas (from Castilla la Mancha) is highly advisable for many reasons:
Dancing La Mancha seguidillas is a social activity which will allow you to connect with other people interested in dance and Spanish culture.
Furthermore, these regional dances of Spain are fun to dance and they allow you express yourself artistically through movement.
The steps and movements of this dance will challenge you and allow you to improve your coordination, balance and body skills.
TheRequena seguidillas They come from the town of Requena, within the province of Valencia.
These seguidillas differ from the La Mancha seguidillas in several ways. On the one hand, Requena's seguidillas are faster and more festive.
They are accompanied by instruments such as the dulzaina, the drum and the guitar.
The movements performed are more vivacious than in the La Mancha seguidillas, with many jumping dances.
The lyrics and themes are also different. The La Mancha seguidillas usually have lyrical and poetic lyrics that talk about topics such as love, nature and rural customs.
While Requena's seguidillas often have more humorous lyrics, satirical or popular, with references to daily life and local traditions.
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In the canary islands They also have their own dance.
What is a Canarian dance? The Canarian dance simulates the dance of the guanche aborigines, the ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands.
This dance is often performed in pairs, although it can also be performed in a group, with the dancers dressed in traditional costumes from the region.
The movements of canarian dance They usually include jumps, turns, tap dances and arm movements, which are performed with rhythm and precision to the beat of the music.
The music that accompanies Canarian dances is usually performed by instruments such as the guitar, the timple(a traditional string instrument from the Canary Islands), the tambourine and other percussion instruments.
The canarian dance isa It is another of the emblematic dances of this archipelago.
The Canarian isa is danced in a binary time signature, with a defined musical and choreographic structure that includes verses and choruses. The dancers execute coordinated and elegant movements.
The boleros They are originally from Cuba and have spread throughout the world. In Spain they are also popular dances.
This musical and dance genre is characterized by its style romantic and melodic, with poetic and emotional lyrics that talk about love, passion and desire.
The bolero has a rhythm slow and rhythmic, with typical instruments such as guitar, piano, violins, maracas and other percussion instruments.
The bolero dance is performed as a couple with a style elegant and sensual, with soft and fluid movements.
The fandango It is a Spanish folk dance that has its origins in Andalusia.
Fandango is considered one of the oldest forms of flamenco music
It is characterized by its fast and cheerful rhythm, with accompaniment of guitar, clapping and castanets.
Singing and dancing are essential parts of Spanish fandango dancing, and it is often improvised and performed in groups at flamenco tablaos.
We continue to see regional dances from Spain. This time we are going to the Balearic Islands to talk about ball pla.
The ball pla is a traditional dance of Majorca, a beautiful island located in the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Balearic Islands.
The most interesting thing about ball pla is that you dance in circles... but marching backwards!
Yes, you read that right! In ball pla, the dancers form a circle and advance counterclockwise, moving backwards.
This requires special coordination and skill, since the steps and movements must be performed in the opposite direction to what we are used to.
The result is a very striking and curious dance show that will not leave you indifferent.
In the community of Asturias There are also many traditional dances. We are going to comment on the top 3 typical dances from Asturias.
The ran ran It is a popular Asturian dance.
This primitive dance is performed by one man, the dancer, and a group of women.
The women wear traditional village costumes and carry branches of laurel, lemon verbena or fern in their hands.
The man wears shorts and a cap.
In the Asturian corri corri dance, the dancer begins the dances with the women, but they are elusive, avoiding the man. He chases them and expresses his complaint about the contempt, they ignore him.
The man waves his arms and they gently slide his arms, starting the corri corri.
All marked by a slow rhythm and an austere tone of skipped steps that make the result an elegant dance.
The pericote It is another typical dance from Asturias that has all the spark and energy of northern Spain.
It is a very dance powerful, with quick movements that are executed following the rhythm of the music of bagpipes and drums.
The dancers hold hands and spin and jump in their colorful costumes.
The pericote dance is like a whirlwind of fun, where the dancers let loose and give themselves completely to the music and dances.
The prima dance is another of the Asturian ancestral dances.
It is a collective dance in which the members form a circle that dances to the music while singing the tune a cappella.
The people who dance the Asturian prima dance go joined together of the little fingers.
They move rhythmically to the rhythm of the song and in accordance with the feet, rotating slowly counterclockwise.
The Ibio dance It is a typical dance Cantabria.
In 1931 Matilde de la Torre Gutiérrez recovered this dance based on the Dance of the Ruiloba Spears, creating spectacular choreography and scenery.
The Ibio dance It is normally danced only by men who are dressed in animal skins, carrying sticks and spears that they use throughout the dance.
The instruments used in this dance are the periwinkle and the drum. The scene is lit by torches carried by women, and ends with the elevation of one of the dancers.
As you can see, it is a very spectacular dance, with a very tribal aesthetic.
Andrzej Lisowski Travel / Shutterstock.com
This is one of the typical dances of Granada.
The zambra mora It receives this name because it comes from Arab dances.
The zambra mora has certain similarities to belly dancing.
His great influences are flamenco and arabic music.
The zambra dance became typical in the gypsy weddings in Granada. Gypsies also dance them for tourists in the caves on the Sacromonte hill (Granada) and in the caves of Almería.
The Spanish dance zambra is danced with bare feet, the blouse tied under the bust and the long skirt with wide pleats to make it float in the air.
The music and dances of the Moorish zambra usually include instruments such as the Spanish guitar, the lute, the darbuka (an Arabic drum) or castanets.
Among the Moorish zambras that are danced at gypsy weddings in Granada, there is a very peculiar dance called the cachucha dance.
Also called "forgiveness of the bride", is usually danced by two women.
Among their steps, one stands out in which one of them kneels, as a representation of the moment in which the bridegroom asks forgiveness from the bride's parents for the kidnapping of their daughter.
The couples are dancing this curious dance around the bride and groom.
The parrandas are one of the typical dances of Spain. They are danced in many provinces such as Murcia, Almería or Albacete.
The parrandas are made up of three dances that are completed with three choruses.
In the typical dance of Murcia they are accompanied with false, the Murcian variant of the castanet, and with finger snaps, called "pitos."
The main musical instruments played in the parrandas are guitars, violins and bandurrias.
At the beginning of these typical dances of Spain they do two rows, leaving the couples facing each other. It begins with some lateral steps and then the dancers cross paths with their partner and do a turn around themselves.
This has been the last on our list of 30 traditional dances of Spain.
We hope that now you have a great idea of what the dances in Spain.
If you want to delve deeper into other aspects of Spanish culture, we recommend that you come to Hispania, Spanish school.
Here we offer face-to-face Spanish courses and online Spanish courses so that you can learn Spanish with the greatest flexibility and perfectly tailored to you.
Of the types of typical Spanish dances that we have seen, which ones catch your attention the most?
Tell us in the comments section 😉.
See you soon!
Article written by Carlos Martinez for Hispania, Spanish school.
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