¡Olé! Flamenco

Pura Belpré Illustrator Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA)

A photo-essay about flamenco, a centuries-old living art form, originating in southern Spain, that incorporates traditional dance, song, and music.

FLAMENCO-it's singing, it's dancing, it's guitar playing! It's an exciting, expressive art form that has evolved over hundreds of years.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, we meet Janira Cordova, who is studying flamenco. The students in her dance company, Flamenco's Next Generation, are eager to learn the tools of their art: how to move their hands, arms, feet, and bodies to the rhythms of the songs and music. When it is finally time to perform at Santa Fe's annual Spanish Market, the young dancers can't wait to get onstage and showcase their skills. As the singing, music, and clapping surround the dancers, Janira's arms and hands flow through the air. Her skirt whirls. Her feet stamp the floor. Her dancing expresses her joy as she proudly carries on the colorful tradition of flamenco.

With captivating photographs and engaging text, George Ancona explores the origins, history, techniques, and performance of flamenco. Come along and catch flamenco fever. ¡Olé!