(excerpt from newspaper article Flamenco Dancer Brings the Flavor of Old Espana to Life  by Sandi Holzgraefe)

Flamenco is the dance and music of the early nomadic gypsies. The music and dance of the flamenco is about feeling. It is an artisic expression of many emotions-pride, passion and joy, as well as desperation, dejection, and suffering.

The nomadic gypsies, who overcame years of incessant persecutions, knew all about these emotions. Around the middle of the 15th century they sought refuge in Spain, and settled in Andalusia. There, they found a land rich in music and folklore, strongly influenced by the varied oriental cultures of the people who had passed or settled there. Flamenco is a blending of the songs and dances of the Andalusian people with the music and rhythm of the gypsies.