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                                           The passion of Flamenco

This old Spanish dance continues to attract fans all over the world

A man and woman stand in the middle of a café. A group of musicians starts playing a Spanish song. Then the man and woman start dancing. The man stamps his feet and claps his hands in a complicated rhythm as he circles the woman. The woman moves her hands over her head. As she twists and turns. Her long skirt moves dramatically.

One of Spain’s greatest gifts to the world must be this style of music and dance-flamenco! How did this graceful art form first develop?

Flamenco’s origins

Flamenco has roots among the Gypsies of Indian Gypsies settled in Andalusia in Southern Spain. there, the new settlers lived peacefully and adjusted to Spanish life. But in 1492, all that changed.

That year, Spanish kings took control of Southern Spain. Anyone who didn’t obey the new government was persecuted. So the people turned to music and dance to express their strong feelings of pain and depression. Gypsies and locals eventually merged their individual styles into one style-flamenco.

Word bank
Rhythm (n) 節奏；韻律
Can you hear the rhythm of the drums in this song?
Dramatically (adj) 生動地；充滿
Sheila held everyone’s attention as she talked dramatically about her travels overseas.
Roots (npl) 根源；起源
Bill was born in America, but he sha family roots in Ireland and England.
Persecute (v) 迫害
During World War Ⅱ, the Nazis persecuted the Jews in Germany.
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Gypsy (n) 吉普賽人
Gypsies from India settled in many countries throughout Europe.