Plaza Del Toros and Rafael Amargo

This past week I had the amazing opportunity to visit two very important parts of Spanish culture and it really allowed me to dive in and be immersed in what Spain has to offer. I had the opportunity to visit the Granada Plaza Del Toros (Bullring) and a flamenco show. 



Now, I had never realized this but after experiencing both and talking to my professor, I began to realize how closely related they are to each other. My professor was explaining their similarities to me and it became blatantly obvious. Now, I am going to try to explain the similarities but keep in mind that my professor was speaking Spanish so there may be errors in translation. In a bull fight (which makes me, a vegetarian against animal cruelty, very uncomfortable), the bull fighter is dressed in vibrant clothes and the bull is obviously a bull. They fight but it is truly a dance and the whole experience is very much a cultural party and celebration. People who attend bull fights do so because it is what their culture is about. Flamenco is very much styled after bull fights. The woman is dressed in vibrant clothing and the man is usually dressed in black. The whole time it is a dance (obviously) but it is also a duel between them. There are also other aspects to flamenco such as song. It is very strongly routed in culture. 

Now, I ended up seeing a Rafael Amargo flamenco show titled, "Eclectic" and boy was it eclectic. This particular show was a combination of flamenco and contemporary dance. Rafael Amargo is apparently one of the best flamenco dancers in Spain and I am happy to have been able to see him but his show was not really conducive to a cultural experience. I have also been able to see a couple of other flamenco shows and they have been more cultural and they had guitarists and singers and have been amazing and interesting to watch.

When we went to the bullring, I was very happy to be able to see the bullring without seeing the cruelty. I do realize however that bullfighting is a part of their culture but even so, it isn't something I can stand behind. In Cataluña, a province in Spain, they have even gone so far as to ban the act entirely. (Cataluña also wants to become it's own country and leave Spain entirely, but that is besides the point.) 





The bullring has a lot of different sections, the first, obviously, being the ring itself. When you stand in the center, your voice can be projected without a microphone which I thought was pretty amazing. Aside from the bullring, there is also a hospital area attached for any injuries that might be obtained as well as an altar for prayer. 






Overall, I was very happy to have this week filled with the culture of Spain. Can't wait to learn more!

Thanks for reading,
Kelly