This work investigates how the politics of Blackness is constructed and performed within the flamenco dancing body, specifically examining the intersection of race and performance in the Atlantic world. K. Meira Goldberg utilizes historical analysis and performance theory to argue that the figure of the Gitano in flamenco serves as a site where complex, warring images of race, conquest, and identity are negotiated. By situating flamenco within the broader context of the Iberian Peninsula's history, the author demonstrates how performance practices reflect and reinforce shifting racial hierarchies.

Scholars and critics recognize this text as a significant contribution to the intersection of dance studies and critical race theory. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of both Iberian history and performance theory to fully engage with the author's arguments.