duending

Duending is a neologism used in contemporary cultural studies and arts discourse to describe the practice or phenomenon of eliciting or experiencing duende in performance. The term derives from the Spanish concept duende, which denotes a heightened aesthetic or emotional force believed to animate art, particularly in flamenco, poetry, and other performative arts. Duending, as a process, encompasses strategies by performers to awaken duende and by audiences to recognize or enter that state.

In practice, duending involves vulnerability, improvisation, precise control of tempo and space, and a collaborative dynamic between performer and spectator. It can be invoked across genres, including music, dance, theater, spoken word, and ritual performance. Critics distinguish between authentic engagement with duende and superficial sensationalism, noting that the experience is culturally loaded and context-dependent.

Scholarly discussions of duending often connect it to broader theories of affect, presence, and authenticity in performance. Some scholars caution that the term risks mystification or cultural appropriation if detached from historical and stylistic contexts of duende as used in Iberian arts. Others see it as a useful heuristic for analyzing how emotional intensity is produced and perceived in live events.

See also: duende, affect theory, performance studies.