Spanish cinema can be classified into 13 different genres: Historical cinema, films about the bullfight, religious and classical films, musical cinema, Spaghetti Western, Landismo, touristic cinema, striptease, deracinated cinema, military films and films about sports. Typical for Spain are of course the films about the bullfight as well as the Landismo. Films about the bullfight tend to treat the topical issues regarding the life of the bull and the bullfighter. They show aspects of the national festivities, criticism about the bullfight, and the enthusiastic fans of the “Matadors”. The Landismo is a sub-genre named after the actor Alfredo Landa. These films are generally low budget showing the Spanish prototype of that period: short, dark-skinned and obsessed with women.

Popular Spanish films are: The Others, the Orphanage, Pan’s Labyrinth, the Sea Inside, Bad Education and Talk to Her. A recent blockbuster is the film Tengo ganas de ti which is already boasting sale figures of more than €3 million. Watching Spanish films does not only help to improve, refresh or learn Spanish, but also to experience the Spanish culture and to get to know more colloquial language, which is often what distinguishes the fine difference between a Spanish and a foreigner speaking Spanish.

Whilst watching films is a very convenient way of learning Spanish in the sense of improving your listening comprehension and learning new vocabulary, a Spanish immersion program in Spain is much more effective if you want to talk, learn the grammar and experience the Spanish culture first hand. Furthermore, due to the low prices, you can enjoy Spanish cinema after a day of your Spanish course on the big screen in Spain! Also in our language schools in Spain we regularly offer film nights in which we watch and discuss Spanish films and talk about the history of Spanish cinema.

Flamenco is a typical Spanish music and dance style which originally comes from 18^th century Andalucía. The singing, dancing and the guitar constitute the main elements of Flamenco. There are four main styles of Flamenco: Fandango, Soleá, Seguiriya and Tango. The Fandango is a dance in pairs often with castanets and lively, passionate movements. The Soleá is danced by a single female dancer with great expression. She dances slow and difficult movements with her arms and body all accompanied by tap dancing. The Seguiriya is a solemn and melancholic style which is also demonstrated in the dance. The movements are similar to the ones of the Soleá but are generally even heavier. Lastly, the Tango, which should not be confused with the Tango Argentino, is danced in couples and is characterized by many hip rolls, flowing arms and hand gestures.

Madrid is the ideal place to learn Flamenco. The city is a stronghold of this passionate and romantic dance and offers many opportunities to perform, listen, or watch Flamenco. Why not combine an intensive Spanish course with Flamenco classes at one of our language schools in Madrid? This is the best way to dive into the Spanish culture and to experience what it is all about to live and study in Spain. The dance is not only a good medium to get to know the culture as well as equal-minded people, but also a very good form of exercise and fantastic way to have fun at the same time. The flamenco course is adapted to your Spanish course schedule and consists of several hours a week in order to teach you this fantastic dance during your time on the Spanish immersion program.

Grab your dancing shoes! Madrid is waiting for you!

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Stocking Stuffer Alert! More great gifts for language travelers:

International Student Identity Cards (ISIC)

Worldwide Cell Phones & SIM Cards: Mobal 

Europe Cell Phones & SIM Cards: Eurobuzz

Best Study Abroad Luggage

Lonely Planet Guidebooks

AmeriSpan Gift Certificates

After spending a week in your Korean class the weekend is the perfect opportunity to unwind and explore the city.  There are so many options but my favorite weekend evening has go to be going to a theatrical show.

The first show that I went to, which I highly recommend, is “Nanta.” This is the longest running show in Seoul and perfect for any age.  It is a show that is best explained as a mix between “Stomp” and “Top Chef”.  There is plenty of audience participation and the best thing is you don’t have to know Korean to understand the show.

Before the performance begins a projection screen comes down and displays the plot as well as some instructions (such as no photos during the performance) in several different languages including English, Chinese, Japanese and of course Korean.  The show itself is mostly a percussion performance where the performers use knives, fresh vegetables, and other kitchen supplies.  There are 4 different theaters in the area that show “Nanta” and they all range in price from 30,000 – 60,000 won.  

In contrast with “Nanta” the other show I went to see is a musical called “Miso”  This show is the classic Korean love story told mostly through traditional dance.  There was only one actress that sang which is why “Miso” is advertised as a musical.  Even though I did not understand the singer (because it was in Korean) I was still able to understand the plot not only through dance but through a brief synopsis they provide before the show begins.  This was done through a screen coming down on the stage just like at the “Nanta” performance.  However, because it went through 3 languages rather quickly, I could not follow it all.  Luckily, one of my housemates explained the plot to me before the show.  Also, in the lobby before the theatre doors opened there was a monitor that explained the story in English.

Once we entered the theater cameras had to be turned off. However, after the show the performers came out and took pictures with the audience.  Below is a photo of myself and my housemate after the show.  While we are both very busy with our course work from the AmeriSpan Korean school we were also able to enjoy our weekend at the theatre!

Read all of Josephine’s blogs from Seoul Korea.

The story of Li Cunxin tells about the strength and determination it takes to study dance as well as to pursue one's dreams. It also shows a glimpse of Chinese vs. American culture and the difficulties of adapting to living in a different country. 

Click to see the trailer for Mao's Last Dancer.

You can also check out Mao's Last Dancer on Facebook.

Go to AmeriSpan's Chinese programs.

Our partner school in Taormina has just excitedly announced that all students enrolled in Italian language courses throughout the duration of the 56th Annual Taormina Film Fest will receive free admission!

This year, Robert DeNiro is in attendance and receiving honors at the event, and The Fondazione Roma Mediterraneo enters the festival this year with the Fondazione Roma Mediterraneo Award for Dialogue Between Cultures.

If you can't make it this year, it's not too early to sign up for next year!  Check out our Italian in Taormina/Sicily program!