Castanets - what is it? Features of Spanish dance with castanets

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

A simple percussion instrument invented in Spain and used in Spanish dances is the castanets. They not only set the rhythm of the movements and add a special flavor to the dance. Castanets are an invariable attribute of national dances, which are popular today not only in the country where they were born, but also in Italy and many countries of Latin America.

History of the origin of castanets

Castanets are two wooden shells connected by a rope that is worn on the thumb. The musical instrument got its name from the Spanish word castañetas, which means chestnut. Initially, castanets were made only from chestnut wood, then other types of wood began to be used - walnut, rosewood, granadillo. Today, castanets are often made of fiberglass.

The sound from castanets is extracted thanks to two hollow halves, so they are idiophone music altools. Castanets are one of the oldest instruments, since their image is found on the frescoes of Ancient Greece and Egypt. According to another version, the musical instrument was brought from the travels of Christopher Columbus after the discovery of the New World. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately name the true homeland of the instrument, but it is the Spanish dance with castanets - flamenco - that is known all over the world.

How to play the castanets

The ancient history of castanets and centuries of use have little changed the principle of playing this instrument. Like many centuries ago, today there are two types of games:

1. The classic way to play the castanets involves attaching the instrument to the thumb of the right hand, grabbing the shell with the other four fingers. The sound is produced precisely thanks to the movement of the fingers.
2. The folk way helps to extract louder sounds from castanets. The ribbons of the instrument are also attached to one or more fingers, but the game is played with the movement of the hand, not the fingers.

Spanish castanets are used in dances in two ways, even today there is no clear preference for one method or another. From the beginning of the 17th century, castanets began to be used in ballet performances and to accompany the playing of orchestras. Modern orchestras use special castanets that help produce a characteristic sound without human intervention.

Features of national dance

Dance with castanets is difficult to confuse or not recognize, even the first steps and the sound of musicevoke the national flavor of Spain. As a rule, women dance flamenco. Their red and black outfits fascinate, and confident, clear, incendiary movements capture the eyes of the audience. A bright scarlet flower in black hair, a mischievous look of a dancer and dance movements seem to create a separate world in which there is no place for strangers. There is only her, the music and the frantic rhythm of the castanets.

It is interesting to watch when one woman dances flamenco, but a team of several dancers causes delight and awe. Their unusual appearance and coherence of movements in time with the tapping of castanets fascinate. Today, Spanish flamenco is mixed with other styles and movements from various dances, but the original national Spanish dance with castanets remains a unique spectacle that needs no improvement.

History of Spanish flamenco

Despite the fact that Spain is rich in musical instruments and varieties of dances, it is flamenco that is considered the national symbol of this country. Castanets are an invariable attribute of such dances, in addition to which only guitar picks sounded. These two musical instruments were enough, because all the beauty and charm of the dance was in a bright girl performing simple, but incendiary and full of passion movements.

Part of the movements and dance traditions remained in flamenco from the movements of the Iberians - the inhabitants who inhabited the territory of modern Spain BC. But only in the 15th centurynational dances became unified, acquired recognizable features and similar movements. This is due to the settlement of gypsies on these lands, with their color and vibrant traditions. They organized holidays and festivals that brightened up the difficult working life of the Spaniards.

Using castanets while dancing

Playing the castanets while dancing requires attention and an inner sense of rhythm. Therefore, this combination is considered a difficult performance, which not all Spanish girls were able to do. Only real craftswomen skillfully combined the passion and whirlwind of their own movements with the simultaneous playing of castanets.

The most skilled professional dancers use two types of castanets to accompany the music and their own movements: large and small. As a rule, a larger instrument was in the left hand, which made it possible to extract a lower sound. In the right hand were smaller castanets, the rhythm of which was faster and the sound higher. This combination creates an indescribable impression, and skillful professional performance still captivates everyone who manages to witness Spanish flamenco.