The Training of Flamenco Dance Teachers of the Escuela Sevillana (Sevillian School): From Practical Experience to the Practice of Teaching

Abstract

Flamenco is a traditional way of expressing values and knowledge from one generation to the next as part of informal education and is now a consolidated artistic genre in Andalusia. A legal framework was created to protect and promote flamenco as a unique element of Andalusian culture, and to incorporate flamenco studies into the official school curriculum. There is nothing written on what constitutes flamenco content or how it should be taught. We conducted a small phenomenological ethnographic study of women who teach a specific style of flamenco dance which is important in the field of teaching, namely the Escuela Sevillana, and we aimed to understand how they constructed the pedagogical content knowledge that enabled them to teach it in the public and private spaces where it is taught. The study design was qualitative and interpretive. The study population comprised all women teaching this style of flamenco dance. Data collection was through in-depth interviews, with a bibliographical review of relevant material for context. The results focus on interpreting and understanding the reality studied, and describing in detail how these dance teachers constructed the pedagogical content knowledge in order to teach it effectively. We draw the conclusions that there are various stages of teaching professionalisation, and experience-based learning is important for consolidation as a teacher.