The Difference Between Zambra, Feminine Flamenco, and Barefoot Flamenco

Welcome to our weekly Q&A. The question that we have today came from the beautiful dancer and teacher Carilyn Rome. She is asking: what is the difference between Zambra, feminine flamenco and barefoot flamenco?

Zambra is a style of flamenco, just like Bulerías or Soleares or Siguiriyas or Tangos or Garroting or Malagueñas or Colombianas, you know... it's a style of flamenco. It's a Palo.

Feminine Flamenco is the dance of the female, the original form of the Baile de Mujer, the feminine dance, which is characterized by gentler, more sensual movements and differs from the original form of the Baile de Hombre, which focuses on heavier and more intense footwork. These days, those two are usually a hybrid for both male and female dancers.

Barefoot Flamenco is just the choice a dancer makes, you can dance any style of flamenco with shoes, with slippers, barefoot, with sandals, with alpargatas (espadrilles). Those are choices a dancer makes.

The most normal these days is that people dance with shoes, with the specific Flamenco shoes, but there is no law that says you have dance Flamenco with shoes. You can dance Flamenco as you wish!

In my case, I like the freedom of dancing barefoot! Just like Isadora Duncan, in the beginning of the 20th century, felt constricted dancing in ballet slippers, I often feel constricted dancing in flamenco shoes. I feel freer, more lyrical, more able to express myself dancing barefoot. But barefoot is not a technique, barefoot is just a choice that a dancer makes.

Those are some of the main differences between Zambra, feminine Flamenco and barefoot Flamenco.

If you have a question, email it to me. I will research and if I find the answer, I'll write an article or create a video for you and share what I find.

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