Sevillanas are the only dance form in flamenco performed in pairs. You can see people dancing them at flamenco shows, celebrations, nightclubs or simply on the streets of Seville. At the annual La Feria de Sevilla (the Seville Fair ) sevillanas are danced day and night for a week.
Our students perform sevillanas at various levels of expertise at most of our public school showcases and events.
The rhythm of Sevillanas can be interpreted as 3/4, although it is generally 6/8.
Coplas: Each sevillana is composed of 4 “coplas“.
Tercios: each “copla” or verse is divided into 3 sections or tercios (1/3s), the dancers switch places with a “Pasada” at the end of each “tercio” (third), except on the first sevillana, where there are 4 additional pasadas at the end.
The Sevillanas’ steps are a traditional choreography and although there are variations in style and mostly in the second and third “coplas” (verses), the structure is the same, so they can be danced with anyone else who knows them anytime, anywhere.
The Paso de Sevillana, the Pasadas and the Vueltas are steps repeated in all 4 sevillanas, while the other steps are specific for each sevillans.
Paso de Sevillana (Sevillana Step) The most common dance step performed in Sevillanas includes a front and backward stepping pattern. The Sevillana step starts all four sevillanas and it is done there times in each Sevillana, and four additional times in the first one.
Pasada/Pasadas (The Pass or passing step) Partners switch places with each other twice in each verse and additional four times in a row in the first Sevillana.
Vuelta/s: pivot turns that end all fours sevillanas and also take place at various points during sevillanas 2, 3 and 4.
Esquinas (corners or grapevines) are steps that go side to side in the first sevillana
Pasos Arrastrados (Brushed Steps) and Pasos Cruzados (Crossed steps or pas de Basque) waltzing, 3-count step characteristic of the second sevillana
Careos: type of posada used in the fourth sevillana in which dancers switch positions facing each other, the word “cara” means “face”, “careos” meaning face to face.
Click on each one, to view the steps to each of the four sevillana verses:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z A abanico: fan. Also, rasgueado guitar technique using a triplet pattern of up with the thumb, down with both the middle and ring fingers simultaneously and then back up with the thumb. afillá: a type
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