Lussilia at Tango and Flamenco Night

Flamenco, Tango and Wine Night is a Carnaval del Sol event featuring performances by Vancouver flamenco and tango dancers in North Vancouver.

The event used to take place on Granville Island, but not anymore. Since of a couple of years ago, it happens in the Pipe Shop at the Shipyards on the North Shore.

The event takes place each summer during Vancouver’s annual Carnaval del Sol Latin Festival. It also sometimes happens in October during Latin American Heritage Month. (but not always). Last year, as part of the Latin American Experience, it happened on July 11th. It will likely take place around the same time in 2025, although exact details are to be confirmed.

If you like dance performances and want to experience some Spanish and Latin culture, this is a great event that you’ll likely really enjoy. Get your tickets early, though. The performance often sells out well in advance!

For tickets and full details about the event, visit the carnavaldelsol.ca website.

This article includes the following information about the event:

Flamenco & Tango Workshop | Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night | About Flamenco Dancing | About Tango Dancing | Other Information

Tango and Flamenco Night at the Pipe Shop — The Pipe Shop

Flamenco and Tango Dancing in North Vancouver

A popular event during Vancouver’s annual Carnaval del Sol Latin festival each year is Flamenco, Tango and Wine Night. Last year, the event happened not at its usual Granville Island location, but rather at The Pipe Shop, located in the Shipyards at 115 Victory Ship Way in North Vancouver. It was at the Pipe Shop again in 2024 and will likely be there again in July 2025.

In addition to the dance performances, samples of paella and sangria are free with admission.

Flamenco & Tango Workshop

The Flamenco & Tango Workshop is an opportunity to learn about the techniques and history of a couple of famous dances. Last year the workshop was presented by Qairo Band and Tango in Fusion. In some past years it has been presented by Flameco Mozaico and Argentine Tango Lab.

At the event you can learn about both flamenco and tango dancing. Attendees learn how the two dances developed as well as some of the techniques and etiquette. The night also includes lots of amazing dance performances! It’s a great event and the dancing is phenomenal!

Click Flamenco & Tango Night for tickets and full details about the event.

Flamenco Performance by Mozaico Flamenco — Mozaico Flamenco

Flamenco, Tango and Wine in One Night

The Tango & Flamenco Experience event of 2024 happen on Thursday, July 11th. The event ran from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm and featured Qairo Band and Tango in Fusion.

This event is both fun and entertaining each year. The flamenco dancing is so fast, powerful and expressive! The tango dancing, meanwhile, is sophisticated, cool, elegant and sexy!

Tickets to this event typically cost between about $55 and $90 depending on when you buy them. This year’s admission ticket also includes Argentinian Sangria and Spanish Paella by the Paella Guys.

Flamenco and Tango Night Video

For a better idea of what to expect at the event, check out the video below. It includes footage from the Flamenco, Tango and Wine Night from a couple of years ago. The featured singer is Lussilia.

About Flamenco Dancing

Flamenco is a type of Spanish folk dance. As you’ll learn at the Flamenco & Tango Workshop, it originated in the Andalusian region of Spain with the Romani (or gypsies). It also has influences from other cultures as well, including Arabic and Indian.

Flamenco is primarily a solo dance. The performance features lots of clapping and foot stomping (almost like tap dancing). It also involves various arm, hand, head and other body movements.

Music for flamenco is usually provided by a singer and guitar player (and often a drummer too). The dancers clap or use castanets (which are a clapping instrument) in their hands .

Men and women can both dance flamenco, although it’s perhaps more common for ladies. At Carnaval del Sol’s event, when we went, women danced and the men played the guitar and drums. A woman was also the singer.

Female flamenco dancers typically wear long Spanish dresses which they hike up from time to time while dancing. The dresses are tight-fitting at the top and layered at the bottom. Black, white, red and other bright colours are common.

Women often wear a shawl around their shoulders and a flower in their hair. High heel shoes, typically with metal on the bottom, are standard footwear. Women’s hair is usually tied back in a bun.

Flamenco costumes are beautiful and an integral part of the dance. Between the flowing bottoms of the dresses, the stomping of the shoes, and the dynamic hand, arm and other body movements, it’s quite the spectacle and thoroughly entertaining!

Visit the carnavaldelsol.ca website for tickets and full details about the event.

About Tango Dancing

As you’ll learn at the Flamenco and Tango Workshop, if you attend it, tango dancing originated in Argentina. Unlike flamenco, it’s a ballroom-type partner dance.

Flamenco originated in a region of Argentina near the Uruguayan border. Today, it’s danced around the world.

Originating in the 1880s, Tango is characterized by its intimate connection between dance partners who embrace, often dancing cheek to cheek.

With tango, between the partners, there is a leader and a follower. The dance is improvised. There is no set pattern. The dancers have to be highly attuned to one another’s movements. The result is elegant, sophisticated, glamourous and almost sexy.

Male tango dancers typically wear a suit. Women usually wear high heel shoes and elegant (almost sexy) dresses.

Trivia: As you’ll learn at the Flamenco and Tango Workshop, men don’t ask women directly if they want to dance. That’s not proper etiquette. Instead, the man and woman communicate via a series of signals from across the room including nods, looks and other coded gestures.