Full Guide to the Flamenco in Barcelona [Interview with Expert]
Thought you could only see and learn about the flamenco in southern Spain? Well, think again. In my interview with flamenco expert Rosario Puig, I learned all about the flamenco in Barcelona.
Not only are there great places to see flamenco shows there, but there’s also an authentic flamenco shop – and our interviewee is the owner of it! She is incredibly knowledgeable about the flamenco and shares her years of knowledge in this article.
So if you have an upcoming trip to Barcelona and don’t want to miss out on a bit of Spanish culture, then this post is for you! It has all the information you need to know about the history of flamenco clothing and where to see the best flamenco shows in Barcelona.
Who’s Rosario Puig?
Rosario, daughter of renowned flamenco dancer Flora Albaicin, owns the oldest flamenco shop in Barcelona. There, she sells all sorts of clothing and accessories to outfit flamenco dancers.
In this post, Rosario answers all Sorts of questions about flamenco clothing and the flamenco in Barcelona [including where to see the best shows].
But first off, here’s more about Rosario and her shop:
Here are a couple photos from my trip to her shop, which is filled to the brim with beautiful flamenco products!
Where are you from? Being that your mother is a famous flamenco dancer, has the flamenco always been a big part of your life?
I’m from Barcelona (Spain). [As the] daughter of the great flamenco dancer, Flora Albaicin, the flamenco has been part of my life since I was very young. I was always surrounded by the flamenco and flamenco shows. By the age of 6, my mother was already asking me for advice about what to wear on stage.
Why did you decide to open your flamenco shop?
I decided to open the shop 33 years ago because Barcelona didn’t have a single shop dedicated exclusively to the flamenco. And, because I had a good mix of both personal and university knowledge, it made for a good chance to be successful.
What’s the best part about having your own flamenco shop?
The best part about having my shop is to be able to give advice to clients who truly need it. I also love dressing them for all the weddings, parties, festivals and special events they go to, especially since each case is different and they all have to be spectacular.
Every client deserves for you to dedicate your time [to them]. That’s why, even during peak season, I spend at least an hour and a half with each client and, if necessary, make custom, made-to-measure garments.
What kind of clients do you work with?
The clients we have are people who learn to dance the flamenco – girls learning since they were 4 years old, and also young people and adults. The flamenco doesn’t have a starting age. You can start to learn at any age, which doesn’t happen with other genres of dance.
Flamenco professionals also buy from us because we have quality products, which they need since this is their line of work.
Another kind of client is the one who is going to Andalusian festivals. This kind of client wants the latest fashion, since the flamenco costume is the only regional costume that changes every year and I take care of that styling/fashion design.
(Below are a few pictures of Rosario’s clients in flamenco outfits that they bought from her.)
Do any tourists come to your shop to buy flamenco clothing?
There are also many tourists who come here to buy something. The kind of tourists we get are special. Special because, in other words, they dance flamenco in their country of origin, for which they need products that they can’t find there.
Or there are tourists that come here to buy souvenirs because they know that our products are originals that weren’t manufactured in China. So, they bring something from here as a keepsake.
Here’s a little bit more about flamenco clothing itself (history, cultural significance, etc.)
Can you give me a short history of flamenco clothing (how it was created and why, etc.)?
Few dresses or traditional costumes are as easily identifiable as that of the flamenco.
Where to see the best flamenco shows in Barcelona:
Before visiting Barcelona, I’d heard that there were no good places to see a flamenco performance there.
But apparently, I was wrong!
Although Rosario was unfortunately gone traveling while I visited her shop, her (also incredibly kind) husband answered my questions about where to see the flamenco in Barcelona. Here are his top picks (with his favorites at the top) :
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading about this interesting clothing and its history. Now you can wow everyone in Spain with your knowledge about the flamenco. 😉
And, don’t forget to go out and see a flamenco show at one of those places! I’m sure it will make for a fun and unforgettable night.
I’d like to take a moment to say “thank you” to Rosario and her husband. I’m blown away by the amount of time and detail she took in answering all my questions. And, I’m also grateful that her husband took time out of his day to talk to me and show me around the shop.
So, MUCHAS GRACIAS, Rosario! Te agradezco mucho.
To learn more about Rosario’s shop, check out here website here. She’s incredibly kind and I’m sure she’d be happy to answer any questions you have or help you pick out a souvenir. 🙂
Want to read about more traditional costumes around the world? Check out my other articles here.
P.S. – Rosario and I did our interview in Spanish, so I translated her responses to English as closely as possible.
Plus, here are a few more photos from Rosario of the gorgeous products you can find at her shop! Don’t forget to stop by while in Barcelona.
Thanks for reading! What is your favorite flamenco outfit above?
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments and I can gladly update the post. 🙂
Take care and see you next time!
Love,
Emily