We thought it would be fun to check out this unique cultural experience, so we asked a few other couples if they were interested in joining us. As it turned out, four couples said yes to our invitation, and we all joined a bus full of complete strangers and headed to Jerez for a very interesting evening.
So are you at all familiar with flamenco? I thought I was, but quickly figured out I had no idea what it was all about. I googled "flamenco," and found this description provided by www.spain-info.com to be very accurate...
"Flamenco is a folk art, around 200 years old. It is from Southern Spain and is individualistic, yet structured. Song, dance and guitar are blended into passionate rhythms which are often improvised and spontaneous. Flamenco will have any imaginable theme, from up to date stories, to politics, to love, to history, to humor, etc. Often however, the tragic lyrics and tone of flamenco reflect the sufferings of the gypsy people from whom it originated."
Here are a few scenes from our evening...
This is where it all went down. 
Here's our group, waiting for dinner to begin, followed by the show. 
This was the main course for dinner... beef and veggies in a sauce (comparable to beef stew) with patatas fritas (fried potatoes, like French fries).
Dessert tasted like a type of flan or custard. 
Dinner is rolling right along, and the flamenco show is about to start on the stage at the end of the table. 
Okay... the entertainment is beginning. There are four dancers, one guitarist and one singer, although all of them sing from time to time. I was surprised at how small the stage was! 
I loved this lady's dress, but it was totally unlike what I'd expected. I had it in my mind that all the dresses were going to be red and black. Why? I guess because that's all I'd ever heard about... I don't know.
I guess it was at this point in the show that we got really tickled. This woman looked very serious and determined throughout her dance routine, to the degree that she looked to be in pain. It was rather funny, and someone asked, "Is this a Saturday Night Live skit?" That's all it took for several of us to get the giggles. You know what it's like when you're trying to stifle a laugh, particularly when it comes at a very inappropriate time and place, like church, or in our case, in the middle of a Spanish flamenco performance. Of course it was only funny to us because we were clueless as to what was happening. We didn't know it was supposed to be so serious. 
I really liked this dancer's dress and her style of dancing most of all.
I suppose this lady's dress is what I expected all dancer's dresses to look like. I remember this particular dancer really stomping her feet, and I kept thinking that my feet would never be the same if I were attempting to do what she was doing.
The singing was unlike anything I'd ever heard. It was more like chanting, and of course it was in Spanish, so I didn't understand any of it. Rather reminded me of going to an Italian opera. The music alone is very confusing to someone who doesn't speak the language, but combined with the visual aspect of what's happening on stage, it makes a little more sense. I believe the underlying theme of tonight's flamenco performance was a woman scorned, thus the serious faces and stomping of feet.
At times the ladies danced in pairs.
I'm glad we had the opportunity to see an authentic flamenco show firsthand. I feel a little more cultured. Is it my favorite form of entertainment? Honestly? No it isn't, but I'm still glad for the experience.
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