Jaleo Dances, Direct Precedents of Flamenco Dances

Abstract

This article discusses the historical connection between flamenco dancing and a kind of solo-dances, which took on special heyday between the last third of the eighteenth century and the fi rst half of the nineteenth. In addition, we argue its connection with other dances in the oldest Spanish theater. Zorongos, vitos, olés, cachuchas... although each of them had distinctive features, they also had some common features that justify they can be called jaleos, jaleo-dances, or theatrical Andalusian dances. We argue that tiranas were just jaleos songs. Furthermore we argue that the first flamenco dances can be considered “gypsized jaleos”, and its progressive technical refinement was due, mainly, to its continuous contact with the theatrical jaleos.