Bulerías…. the Holy Grail of Flamenco

I can’t tell you *how* many times I hear students lamenting how they want to be able to go out and do a little pataíta por Bulerías (“patada”- which means a little dance, a little something.) But to go out and dance por fiesta (meaning, at a party) or fin de fiesta (at the end of a show) takes a bit of knowledge of the compás (rhythm), the cante (singing), and the overall structure of Bulerías.

First off, Bulerías is a fun, silly and fast 12 count rhythm that is danced in short bursts (not like a regular long solo). It can be danced at the end of other 12 count rhythms such as Alegrías and Solea por Bulerías, but here, we’re focusing on when it’s danced by itself at a party (por fiesta) or at the end of a show (fin de fiesta). Also, even though Bulerías is in 12, many times it goes into phrases of 6, so that it seems there’s a compás of 12 with an “extra” 6. There are also different styles of Bulerías- de Jerez, de Utrera, etc.

The three things you must grasp in order to dance Bulerías are:

1. Understanding the structure of the dance sequence- una pataíta (a little dance)
2. Understanding the structure of the most common style letra (singing verse) of Bulerías; being able to listen to the cante and hear the flow of where to “resolve” (la caída) in the letras
3. Having a few steps in your repertoire that you can pull out of your pocket automatically to dance!

Let’s start with the BASIC STRUCTURE of a little Bulerías dance.

• Salida– Your entrance usually happens once the singer starts singing a letra. At which point in the letra you enter depends on how you’re feeling. It could be a simple walk in during a line of cante, in the respiro (the break) with a strong remate (accented break) or at any point where there is a caída (a resolve of the melody).
• Letra– During the letra you may go through these dance steps
  • Marcaje- simple marking steps that tend to be more relaxed in nature
  • Paso de Bulerías– the “Bulerías step”, another form of a marcaje that is very common and energetic, with many variations
  • Llamada/Patá- The llamada is an accented move with the heavy accents on 1-2-3 on that first compás. What comes afterward would be a fun, dynamically accented move, the patá, which basically is movement that “completes” the llamada. Note, that this llamada isn’t a “call” as in other dances, it’s more of punctuation mark. Also, some people call this a desplante. I myself was taught that this was a deplante but have since switched to calling it a llamada. 
• More Marcaje/Paso de Bulerías– More dynamic, energetic moves once the letra ends
• Final– This is the end of your dance. You signal the final with a llamada, the same style of step with the accents on 1-2-3, and complete it by going to the corner. The singer generally starts singing the coletilla as you start that llamada- or when you end at the corner. You then dance with fun dynamic marcaje to end back where you started.

However, there are so many variables: are you in a student show, is it an actual juerga with multiple singers, are the singers Spanish or not, is there only one singer for the show, how much experience does the dancer have and will the singer adapt, and on and on.

Again, what’s most important when you’re learning how to dance a general Bulerías, is being able to LISTEN to the cante and FEEL the transitions as well as understand the general structure. And being able to do all of the steps IN COMPAS is a given, right??

It “just” takes a lot of practice listening and watching, testing it out, messing up, and then trying again. And you can practice here!

Here are a few wonderful videos of Bulerías fin de fiesta with a few notes of things to look for.

Can you see them? Can you find your own?

Saray de los Reyes has her salida (1:12) just waiting as the singer begins a letra and she does a remate (1:15) during his caída. She does a llamada at 1:25 followed by a patá at 1:29. She completes it with a llamada for the final at 2:15.

Blanca del Rey starts dancing letra at 2:12. Does a llamada at 2:21. Llamada for final at 2:41. Coletilla at 2:50.

The dancer walks out when the singer starts singing the letra at 3:28. Paso de Bulerías at 3:43. Llamada at 4:04 followed by little patá. Llamada to the corner at 4:18 for the final. Coletilla at 4:22.

MY FAVORITE BULERIAS DANCE EVER! Singer begins the letra and Angelita eases into dancing it at :40. She transitions her marcaje during his caída at :49. New letra at :54 with transition during the respiro at :58. Paso de Bulerías at 1:50 Llamada at 1:55. Coletilla at 2:02.

Got it? Tell me what you think!