''Zambra'' () (from Andalusi Arabic ''zamra'', originally from classical Arabic ''zamr'') is a style of

flamenco dance Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...

, typical of the Roma of the provinces of

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

and

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of Almería, province of the same name. It lies in southeastern Iberian Peninsula, Iberia on the Mediterranean S ...

(Andalusia, Spain). It is believed that the zambra is a continuation of earlier

Morisco ''Moriscos'' (, ; ; "Moorish") were former Muslims and their descendants whom the Catholic Church and Habsburg Spain commanded to forcibly convert to Christianity or face compulsory exile after Spain outlawed Islam. Spain had a sizeable Mus ...

styles of dance. It became typical during wedding ceremonies, although nowadays it is particularly commonly danced for tourists in the caves of Sacromonte (Granada) and in the caves of Almería. In modern times, it has been espoused by flamenco dancers Carmen Amaya and Lola Flores. It is danced barefoot with finger cymbals; the blouse is tied under the bust and the skirt is very tight around the hips, then flares out and has a ruffle at the end.

References

Zambra by Susana Navalón
Spanish dances Romani dances Music of Spain Spanish folk music {{Europe-dance-stub