Bata de Cola . The Bata de Cola is one of the essential elements in flamenco dance clothing and Spanish music.
Summary
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- 1 History
- 1 Fabrication Fabrics
- 2 News
- 2 Sources
History
The Bata de Cola, this great unknown to many, is nevertheless a reference in Flamenco , having Merche Esmeralda , Blanca del Rey or Matilde Coral , as main ambassadors, in fact the bailaora Matilde Coral has written a Treatise on the Bata de Tail. Regarding the origins of this, we find different stories of various artists, for example, Matilde Coral, who in her research, discovered that the Bata de Cola could come from the party clothing of 19th century women, said women, began to dance, just as they were dressed for the street, in this case with a dress that had a gathered to one side, in such a way that when they arrived at a place where the floor was clean they released it and began then to dance. The first lines, mentioned by Matilde, are from the early 20th century, starting with Malena and La Macarrona .
Other historians maintain that the first sample of Bata de Cola appeared in the second half of the 18th century . It was a garment, which dragged at the back, due to folds in the back, which gave the necessary flight; these being adjusted to the body by means of cords or ribbons. It was made of silk pequín (carved fabric) in pastel tones, spiked with delicate floral decorations. The body had a rounded neckline and three-quarter sleeve. Underneath, the skirt or brial appeared with small upper boards that gave it the flight, and on the sides it had two small openings that were fastened by means of ribbons that allowed to hide some type of interior pocket or skirt. However, in the last third of the 19th century, they were shorter than today.
Fabrication Fabrics
If we analyze the fabrics with which they began to be made and those that are used today:
Before made of percale, starched and with bobbin lace, Matilde Coral says that when she started, batas de cola weighed about 25 kilos, while now the weight is around 10 kilos. A bata de cola needs between 35 and 50 meters of fabric.
It is during the first quarter of the twentieth century, when the fashion for the use of the bata de cola in shows prevailed, especially through the dance of Pastora Imperio and Antonia Mercé . In this period, due to the heaviness of the fabrics used to make them, they needed to be starched and ironed before going on stage. For this same reason, and the difficulty in handling provided by its length, the tail appeared, which was an evolution of the bata de cola, since it had the same cut but with a much shorter length, the tail hardly dragged behind the body of the bailaora.
The Bata de Cola has been lightening in weight, or thanks to the fabrics used, such as tergal and synthetic fibers and to the shortening of its length, without becoming pollock. The normal length of one of these garments, from the waist of the dress, varies between 150 and 175 centimeters, although some artists use them longer. For the story, there are the three meters of tail that Carmen Amaya moved , and that later have been seen in shows such as “Leyenda” choreography by Jose Antonio for the National Ballet of Spain .
Present
Handling the bata de cola requires proper preparation and is not something to be taken lightly. There are many professional dancers who have donned a bata de cola, leaving an incredible and impossible to match record. Thus, the use of the bata de cola is considered a flamenco tradition that enhances the beauty and feminine majesty where dance and music are combined to present a striking show that few can match.
