On Monday, June 10th, students at Marlborough Elementary School were snapping, clapping and stomping their feet to the rhythms of flamenco. Two dancers in brightly polka-dotted dresses led the children through the intricacies of palmas (palm clapping), finger counting for castañuelas (castanets) and zapateo (footwork). The guitarist marked the beat for them.
The program, Flamenco! The Art & Culture of Southern Spain, was presented by Rebeca Tomas and her A Palo Seco Flamenco Company.
The students were able to see and hear the different sounds, styles, and emotions inherent in Flamenco. They learned about the geographic and historical roots of the different cultures and religions that created Flamenco, while also learning a little Spanish vocabulary and counting.
These two multicultural assemblies (30 minutes for young learners, and 45 minutes for 4th-6th graders) were made possible through a grant to CoDE from the Hochberg Committee for Holocaust and Human Rights Education at Temple Bnai Israel. CoDE works closely with the Marlborough PTO to offer two – three multicultural assemblies per school year.
