Taranto

Why is it used?

We choose the Taranto dance when we want to create a sentimental and melancholic scene. It is a style that requires a large scenic and interpretative weight.

Thematic

You will hear lyrics that reinforce this melancholic feeling through themes such as the loss of love or the loneliness of mining work.

References to the aforementioned geography may also appear.

Costumes

The costumes used for this dance are usually sober, with dark colours or intense reds. We can find accessories such as the shawl, predominant in the female dance.

How is it performed?

The Taranto is a technically very complex dance as it uses more “stylised” elements. The guitar and the voice will “call” the zapateado (or footwork) as if it were a question-answer dialogue.

The ayeos (parts in which the cantaor sings ‘Ay’) are very characteristic of this style, as are the melodies that the guitar coordinates rhythmically with the feet.

The second part of the dance, the tangos, are characterised by being more accelerated and festive, producing a great contrast. The tempo will progressively accelerate towards the conclusion of the dance.

A bit of history

The history of the Taranto is relatively recent. As a dance, we saw it for the first time with Carmen Amaya. According to recent research, this style of dance was invented by Carmen together with the guitarist Sabicas and performed for the first time on 12 January 1942 at Carnegie Hall in New York.

This type of performance already had precedents with other dancers such as Antonia Mercé ‘La Argentina’. They consisted of alternating works by classical Spanish composers

Event location

• Cardamomo Tablao Flamenco
• Calle Echegaray, 15
• 28014 Madrid
• +34 918 05 10 38
• reservas@cardamomo.com