Sevilla

I'd rather not write a guidebook to flamenco and Sevilla, instead, here is some of the basic information about Sevilla and flamenco, and why I have chosen to study in Sevilla rather than another city.

Sevilla is the capital of the region of Andalucía in southern Spain.  It is the largest of the three cities that make up the flamenco triangle--Jerez and Cadíz are the other two.  These three cities and the triangular area they encompass is considered to be where flamenco singing really took form.

Basic facts about Sevilla:
population: appx. 700,000
average annual temperature: 77 Fahrenheit
          The summers are extremely hot, and many people leave the city during the entire month of August.  Air conditioning is not used like in the United States--many people do not have a/c, and those that do only use it on occasion and often only in the main room of their apartments, one reason being the high price of electricity.  The same goes for heating in the winter, so although it does not get too terribly cold, it's hard to ever really feel warm.

Sevilla was initially founded by the Romans (and you can still see many Roman ruins just outside the city). Sevilla was later taken by the Moors in the 8th century, and was taken by the Catholic monarchs in the 13th century.

The Giralda tower uniquely represents the Moorish influence as it was originally constructed as a tower for the call to prayer.  The top part was later added in Christian architectural style as a bell tower for the Cathedral of Sevilla (which is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world).

Here's a view I took from the top of the tower overlooking the city:

Sevilla is now most popularly known for the Feria de Abril and Semana Santa (Holy week) in the spring.  During the Feria residents from Sevilla and all over Spain head to the fair grounds with the women dressed in the traditional ruffled and polka-dotted flamenco dresses and the men in trajes cortos (a traditional short jacket, tight pants, and boots) where they dance a traditional folk dance with partners known as Sevillanas.  

During holy week, statues of Saints from the various churches around the city are brought by procession to the the Cathedral.  Here is one of the most famous saints, La Macarena being carried through the streets:

I studied abroad in Sevilla in the fall of 2010 and what I miss more than anything (other than the flamenco) is the streets--in the city center they wind around like a maze, and among the cobble stones are many blossoming orange trees.  I have many memorable images of the sun shining down on a beautiful corner of the street.  Here's a photo of a typical narrow street in the city center:

There are dozens of reasons why I have chosen Sevilla to study rather than another city in Spain.  Sevilla has many flamenco studios where some of the best dancers in the world teach.  I particularly want to study with Andrés Marín, and his studio happens to be in Sevilla.  It also has several peñas and tablaos, and hosts the largest flamenco festival--the Bienal de Sevilla.  I also personally just feel very at home in the city, maybe because it has about the same population as Albuquerque, or maybe it's just a very charming place.  I will also be able to travel to many of the nearby towns and cities such as Cádiz, Jerez, Granada, Málaga, etc.