La Noche Sevillana

Up until last weekend, I had been feeling disappointed in Sevilla's nightlife. Sure, there is a cornucopia of clubs and bars to enjoy yourself in, and the people party until 7 in the morning, but I still was not satisfied.

It is true that the discotecas are a hoppin' good time, and unlike anything we have in Wisconsin, but I still felt like they weren't that special. They play mainly American music, and people dance the same way as they do in the States. And sure, while I do love jamming to Lady Gaga and fist pumping to Kesha, I still wanted to experience the real Sevillano nightlife.

And on Saturday, I did.

My friends and I met my intercambio, Ramón, at a small bar called "Lo Nuestro." It is located on a street called Calle Betis, an area known for having bars and clubs packed with obnoxious Americans. So when he first told me to meet him there, I was more than skeptical. 

Luckily, my skepticism turned out to be unfounded. We entered into this tiny bar to find it packed with Spaniards. In the corner were two men with guitars, singing everything from Flamenco to Frank Sinatra's "I Did it My Way" (in Spanish, of course). And in the middle of the room, people had cleared the floor for dancing. (And not the crap that you see at high school dances--I mean real dancing)

At the start of a new song, the Spaniards took to the dance floor in pairs. They faced each other, and as the music started, they began to dance Sevillana.  

Sevillana is a type of folk music to which people dance the "Baile por sevillanas." It looks similar to Flamenco, but has some differences. It can be found only in Sevilla (according to Gloria), and is most famously performed by Spaniards in the spring during La Feria (spring Festival--basically a week of fiestas). So naturally, all Sevillanos know how to dance Sevillana, including Ramón who showed me some of his skills with some Spanish guapas (very impressive).

I immediately began to thoroughly enjoy myself. I mean, how cool is it that Spaniards dance Flamenco and Sevillana while they party on the weekends? Because let me tell you, it is a very difficult dance to do. But that's the thing--they can do it simply because they are Spanish. 

One of Ramón's friends asked me if I knew how to dance Flamenco. When I immediately shook my head, he laughed a little and told me it is a very difficult dance to learn. "You just have to feel it in your heart," he said.

The atmosphere, music, dancing, and the people were all so authentically Spanish, that I knew I had finally found what I had been looking for. But as I was basking in the glory of my new discovery, something happened. 

All of a sudden, I saw Ramón standing in the middle of the floor, with his hand outstretched towards me. I immediately said "Absolutely not." But my objections were no good. The Spaniard on my left took my drink, the one on my right took my purse, and Ramón pulled me to the center of the room. 

Now, I am not a girl to be shy about showing my dance skills. But to be honest, I was terrified. In a room full of Spaniards, who all know the dance "in their hearts," I stood out, to say the least. But Ramón told me not to worry (which really didn't make me feel any better), so I decided to try it. 

It is a partner dance, so Ramón led me though the moves. I also had been watching it for a while, so I had an idea of what it looked like. I honestly have no idea of how stupid I looked while dancing, but Ramón and his friends said I was "buenísima," which means "really good." I don't know how much I can trust their opinions, but Amber told me I didn't look like an idiot, so that's something at least. 

In conclusion, it was a great night. I finally found real Spanish culture, and it was everything I had imagined it to be. Now I just have to work on my moves for next time!