Dancing is one the most fundamental aspects of Sevilla’s Feria de Abril.  I knew this long before I set foot on the fairground, but like many things, I didn’t understand its vibrance until I saw it with my own eyes.

After an early afternoon spent eating, drinking, and mingling in the Costas caseta (that of my host family), my host mom led our jumbled group of family members – aunts, uncles, nieces, and cousins- into the hot Feria sun.  We shuffled through the dusty streets, the hems of our dresses gathered in sweaty palms, and finally made our way to a large, high ceilinged tent.

Following a long, cool corridor off the entryway, I couldn’t anticipate the color and motion that would greet us inside: a dance floor alive with young girls.  They were moving in harmony, following the traditional steps of the “Sevillanas.”  To my untrained eye they seemed to be spinning and spinning, their colorful dresses fanning out like so many pinwheels in the wind.

Live music came tumbling from the musicians on stage, guitars and tambourines setting the rhythm for the dancers and cuing their uniform twirls and swirls.

“Sevillanas” is a dance originating in Castile and popular at festivals like the Feria of Sevilla.  It has four parts, each with its own set of strictly choreographed steps.  Combining intricate footwork with elegantly circling arm movements and slow turns, it can be very provocative and sultry.  It was originally a courting dance and facial expression is as meaningful as the moves themselves.  Women and men alike display coy smiles or aloof disinterest, passion or apathy, depending on the phase of the dance.

But dance floor ratios seem to be universal – or at least they looked familiar to me.  Women and girls whirled away to the music while men nursed their beverages on the sidelines.  As a result, a collage of colored ruffles and patterns dominated the scene.  Together with music and motion, the panorama summed the “feel” of Feria better than any description I can piece together here.

So here’s a video!  My host mom, Marta is in red, her sister, Rocío is in white.  Like the little girls dancing in the background, they have been performing these steps since they were 5 and 6 years old.  Here’s to tradition!  Here’s to culture!