Flamenco in South Africa: Outsider in Two Places
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The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgementTown of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Cape Published by the University ofof Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University FLAMENCO IN SOUTH AFRICA: OUTSIDER IN TWO PLACES Town Cape Carolynof Holden Cape Town 2012 University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Music at University of Cape Town School of Dance DECLARATION I declare that this thesis is my own work unless specifically stated otherwise in this text. It is submitted in fulfilment of the degree of Masters of Music at University of Cape Town School of Dance and has not been submitted before for any degree or examination in any other university in South Africa or abroad. Town _________________________________ Cape Carolyn Holden of 31 August 2012 University ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful for the care, insight, clear feed-back and encouragement from my supervisor, Mr. Gerard Samuel, and co-supervisor Dr. Rob Baum. Mr Samuel’s patience and steadfastness around my year’s leave of absence, and encouragement for me to continue was invaluable in getting this process to completion. During this final year, Dr Baum’s insightful approach has assisted me in finding a way to focus my process. I am grateful to La Rosa’s board of directors, who saw fit to fund this research and to the National Arts Council of South Africa for their contribution to the second year’s study fees. I am grateful for the support of numerous individuals who have contributed in some way to this process: my friends and colleagues in the world of Spanish Towndance and flamenco in Spain and in South Africa, who were generous in sharing their experience and resources with me; Donald Paul, for believing I could do this, and for assisting with final edits; my staff at La Rosa, for taking turns to stand in for me when researchCape took precedence over work; Katie Thorp, for just being there (albeit really far away); the many friends who offered their time to care for Eli-Rose over weekends, when offamily time made way for writing time; Eli-Rose and her carer Connie, for putting up with a closed home-office door on many a morning; my dogs who are looking forward to regular walks again, once this process is over! University iii ABSTRACT This dissertation interrogates the notion of flamenco identity in order to establish a case for the existence of a legitimate flamenco identity outside of Spain, and specifically in South Africa. Verification of the existence of a legitimate flamenco sub-culture in South Africa would add gravitas to the practise of flamenco by South Africans (as well as other outsiders across the globe), helping to shift the unspoken parameters governing who has the right to teach and perform flamenco, and which criteria might be used to decide this. Spanish dance has appeared on South Africa stages since the mid-1800s. During the 1960s it came second only to ballet as South Africa’s most popular dance forms among students with the means and access to extra-mural dance studies. As one out of four forms of dance that fall under the umbrella term ‘Spanish dance’, flamenco began to emerge in the 1980s as a singular, independent dance form in South Africa, with an Townidentity separate from the collective ‘Spanish dance’. Changes in South African government policies postCape 1994 presented new possibilities for the growth of flamenco, when access to public offunding became available to all who satisfied the criteria for funding. However, the perception that all Spanish dance forms are classified as eurocentric and in some way connected to ballet provides flamenco companies with the challenge of justifying their applications for funding. This argument for the verification of a legitimate flamenco identity in South Africa should be of value to flamenco dance practitioners and scholars, funding organisations, Spanish flamenco artists interested in working with South AfricansUniversity, and artists from other parts of Africa interested in flamenco. The introductory chapter formulates the argument of this dissertation, and defines flamenco dance in terms of its rules, structures and norms. Chapter One is a review of the literature I have consulted on flamenco identity, both from a historical and anthropological perspective. Chapter Two describes each category of Spanish dance and details aspects of Spain’s cultural heritage pertinent to the evolution of flamenco. Chapter Three, the theoretical framework of this dissertation, exposes the stereotypes and assumptions concerning flamenco, and discusses concepts of cultural and national identity, race, iv ownership, cultural transmission, tradition and the appropriation of cultural products. Through this interrogation I hope to dispel some of the myths that permeate flamenco and suggest a new set of parameters that might be applied to assign legitimacy to flamenco practice in South Africa. Chapter Four documents my research methodology in terms of an heuristic enquiry using my own trajectory as a South African flamenco practitioner over more than thirty years. Chapter Five describes the (r)evolution of flamenco in the 21st century, sharing insight as to how the content and context of flamenco performance has shifted due to the effects of rapidly changing technology and globalisation. The concluding chapter documents the background of Spanish dance and flamenco in South Africa into the 1990s, which contextualises my work. It includes my own early experience of this genre, and describes the works of my company, La Rosa, from 1990 until the present. ThisTown forms the substance of a heuristic enquiry into the construction of my own flamenco identity, and that of my company. In closing, I distil the findings of this dissertation, and propose a set of recommendations that strengthen the case for theCape existence of a legitimate South African flamenco identity in South Africa, and on the global stage. of University v CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 2 CHAPTER 1: RE-SEARCHING FLAMENCO .................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER 2: FLAMENCO ROOTS/ROUTES ................................................................................ 30 CHAPTER 3: THE POLITICS OF PARTICIPATION ........................................................................ 58 CHAPTER 4: IN SEARCH OF COMMON GROUND ...................................................................Town 107 CHAPTER 5: FLAMENCO (R)EVOLUTION ................................................................................ 116 CONCLUSION: FLAMENCO FEET ON SOUTH AFRICANCape SOIL ................................................... 126 BIBLIOGRAPHY: ...................................................................................................................... 163 APPENDIX 1: GLOSSARY OF SPANISH TERMSof ........................................................................ 169 APPENDIX 2: BIBLIOGRAPHY CITED ON spainthenandnow.com ........................................... 171 APPENDIX 3: LA ROSA PERFORMANCE PROJECTS 1990 – 2012 ............................................ 174 APPENDIX 4: HEART OF SAND EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE .................................................... 180 APPENDIX 5: WORKINGUniversity DOCUMENT: TABULATION OF INFORMATION GLEANED FROM RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................ 185 APPENDIX 6: NOTES OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE NAC AND THE CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMMUNITY ............................................................................................................. 195 INTRODUCTION The performing art known as flamenco is a multi-disciplinary form rooted in the culturally diverse history of Spain.1 When flamenco2 is performed or taught outside of Spain and by foreigners from countries such as South Africa, the identity and thus legitimacy of this art form come into question. This dissertation will examine this issue through a range of resources that will illuminate and refute the stereotypes that define the criteria against which legitimacy is measured, and will provide evidence in support of a case for legitimate flamenco identities existing outside of Spain. Donn Pohren, an American flamenco aficionado3 describes flamenco as a performing art form that arose in Spain in the middle of the 19th century, consisting of cante (song), baile (dance) toque (guitar playing), palmas (hand-clapping) and jaleo4 (the intermittent calls of encouragementTown given by performers and audience members) (Pohren, 2005, p. 55). Although the focus of this dissertation is the baile5, this element cannot be investigated independently of the others, as the links between each of the elements is vital to flamenco’sCape history and place as a performing art in present times. of Flamenco is performed across the globe by artists from a myriad of cultural origins, including South Africans of diverse lineages. Two questions arise, and are the subject of contentious debate: Who may legitimately perform flamenco? In which contexts can flamenco be consideredUniversity authentic? American flamenco aficionado Michelle Heffner Hayes describes the problem thus: 1 The