Flamenco Skirts

The flamenco skirt isn't just a piece of clothing, it's a prop.  Watch any flamenco dancer and you'll see how she uses her hands and sometimes her legs to throw the skirt around, adding an extra dimension to the drama and movement of the dance.

In the old days, flamenco skirts were made of heavy cotton and a dancer would never be seen dead without at least one petticoat underneath.  Dancing in so much fabric was an endurance test because of the weight, and it was essential to practice in costume because you had to learn to pace your movements so the dress could catch up with you!   Not to mention that the ironing took hours.

These days, petticoats are rarely worn and skirts are much less voluminous.  Nuevo flamenco dancers wear streamlined, simple skirts with no frills, giving a sleek silhouette.   The fabric most commonly used is polyester jersey, which moves with the  body and doesn't fly up easily.  In some ways I feel that's a shame - the older-style heavy skirts often seemed to be doing a dance of their own, which magnified and enhanced the dancer's movements.

All my flamenco skirts are 100% polyester, preferably microfibre.  It's comfortable, has a nice sheen, and moves well.  Best of all, it can be thrown in the washing machine when I get home from a performance, and come out good as new!  However, if you're going to use a lightweight material with no frills and no petticoat, get your legs waxed and buy a nice pair of knickers - it's safe to assume your audience will be getting a good view of both!

Please don't wear your skirt floor-skimming, like an evening dress - it may look nice, but you'll only end up catching your shoe in the hem.  It's much safer to have the skirt finish at ankle level.  Remember flamenco shoes have tacks in them which can cause a lot more damage than an ordinary high heel!

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Photo credits:  Pink skirt by A. www.viajar24h.com; green skirt by Imaji