Tartu residents fight to preserve dying flamenco culture

Tartu is hosting a flamenco week, during which the flamenco studio Duende celebrates its anniversary and the Vanemuise small hall held a concert marking the 20th anniversary of the Primavera festival. Tartu Oskar Lutsu Library has opened an exhibition of books and wall paintings related to flamenco. The events aim to save the gradually declining flamenco dance culture.

Tartu Oskar Lutsu Library's fourth-floor corridor is currently filled with unusual colour. An exhibition is open there showcasing books and wall paintings related to flamenco dance. The exhibition is part of a broader initiative by Tartu flamenco enthusiasts to keep alive a dance art form with a gradually dwindling fan base.

The opening of the exhibition coincides with flamenco week, during which Tartu flamenco studio Duende celebrated its anniversary. Over the years, the studio has been one of the main promoters of flamenco dance in Estonia, keeping the spirit of this traditional Spanish dance art alive far from the Pyrenean peninsula.

The highlight of flamenco week was the concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Primavera festival at Vanemuise's small hall. The festival, which has spanned two decades, has been an important platform for both local dancers and foreign artists who have come to bring flamenco culture to Tartu.

Flamenco enthusiasts acknowledge that the popularity of the dance art has declined over the decades and finding new students has become increasingly difficult. The book exhibition at the library and the anniversary celebrations are an attempt to draw public attention to this cultural value and spark interest among young people.