Spain marks National Day in Dance and Culture
As part of events marking the Spanish National day, dance group, Anabel Veloso Compañía Flamenco Escénico entertained guests in Abuja at the auditorium of the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) with dance and cultural display.
The group performed the traditional Spanish dance along with Nigerian dancers incorporating instruments, steps and costumes from both countries.
Eva Barta, cultural advisor at the Spanish Embassy, told journalists that the performance is part of the embassy’s culture agenda and an MoU with the Ministry of Information and Culture and Spain’s Agency of International Cooperation.
Dancer, Anabel Veloso, who is also the director of the dance company, said she was proud to return to Nigeria. “We are already feeling like a part of the fusion we want to do with Nigeria and the Nigerian artists are always happy to work and train with us. We spend time in rehearsals looking for movements we have in common.”
She described flamenco as an expression of feelings which are the same everywhere. “Everyone can dance flamenco even if you live in Nigeria.”
Annabel, who also said she likes to culturally mix, exchange and learn, added that for the past eight years she has been performing in Nigeria, the goal is to portray how similar both countries are. “When we talk about flamenco around the world people think it is so far away. We have the same feelings, bodies and can express. In Africa it is easy to explain because rhythm is similar. Flamenco is a fusion of different cultures which all mix to become flamenco.”
On her experience with Nigerian dancers, she said, “When I start to clap and make the feet movement, all the dancers join in because the feeling is the same. In Africa you can feel the power [of the dance] on the ground. This is the most difficult part of the dance.
“If someone is dancing flamenco and you can’t feel the energy on the ground it dilutes the dance. It is not just teaching flamenco to the African dancers, but for me to also feel them.”
This year the theme ‘Root to wind,’ while connecting to the origin of the dance, reflected the four European seasons of winter, spring, summer and autumn with the general feelings associated with them expressed in dance.
According to Veloso, “We take the rhythm from the origin. It is like a tree which gets its energy from the roots, the earth; which is the same as us and then we want to fly. There are more traditional flamenco steps. We are developing this to become more contemporary and technical. We take the energy from the root which is the energy source.”
Dozie Udezie, Director of SV Chrome, a Spanish-centred hotel in Abuja said it was partnering with the embassy to promote Spanish culture and cuisine in Nigeria.
He said, “This is the integration we hope and feel that the Spanish culture is similar to Nigeria’s and we should therefore integrate and have a fusion hence the restaurant being named Fusion.
“The similarity is in the rhythm. The afro and Spanish rhythm have a similarity and when you have it, it will be easy to follow the other. Culturally, you first have to sell your own culture for you to integrate the other culture.
Referencing what the Spanish Embassy is doing to promote the dance in Nigeria, Udeze said, “You can see a concerted effort by a government to promote flamenco. In no time it will be a dance popularly talked about.”