Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

How has the Guadalupe Center adapted to COVID-19 conditions and restrictions?
We started by following the SAISD guidelines. So, when it was announced that SAISD was going to extend spring break, we said, “We’ll have to start teaching classes online (dance and music classes).” But how do you do it?  What kind of platforms exist?  Within a week we transferred all our classes online for all ages, including adults. To make it easier for people who were already juggling so many different things, we also made all classes available on video, so you could watch the videos at any time. But we are changing that. Now you’ll have a class date and time, and students will have to meet at the designated time. So, you’ll have a live (virtual) class and a video to watch later. We will continue doing this even when we go back to doing things in-person.

And we have Zoom performances. In May, which is our recital month, we did virtual recitals. For Dia de Los Muertos, if we feel it’s safe enough, we’ll record the students out in the parking lot. They will have masks. The tradition of Dia de los Muertos incudes the calavera masks. We didn’t realize it, but we have been rehearsing dancing with masks for years! (chuckles).

Do you personally teach any of the classes?
I have turned over my classes to other instructors. I am more focused on the supervision of everything that’s happening.

You have been at the Guadalupe for years, 25 years maybe. You have served in different capacities. How has it been for you?
Twenty-eight years, actually.  My first role at the GCAC was as a member of the advisory board as the dance company was being formed. Then I was hired as an instructor under the original dance company director, Roen Salinas. The company premiered its first show in September 1991 and I became the dance program director in August 1992. At that point, there was no school; it was just the company. So, I started the dance academy. Yes, it was great to have a company but we needed to train future dancers. As we were building the program, I hired Jeannette Chavez, first as a part-time assistant and later as a full-time instructor. (Now dance company director)

Eventually, I took the role of programs manager (for the entire GCAC)), then marketing manager for many years, and now I am the director of education. (But she never stopped dancing with the dance company.)

Tell us how you developed your passion for dance?
At our family celebrations there was always music and dancing. Also, my mom and dad took me to dance shows because they knew I loved it. One day, they took my sister and me to a dance class. I was five and not very happy in that class. But at ten, I told my mom I wanted to go back to dance classes. And I’ve been dancing ever since. I took ballet classes with Vladimir Marek, then joined the Parks & Recreation dance program, and finally trained with (flamenco artist) Carmen “Chiqui” Linares.

I have seen you dance flamenco. My impression is that flamenco is what you love best.
You are right. Flamenco has a certain energy and power that’s very gratifying. I love (Mexican) folkloric dancing but flamenco is what I love the most to perform. You can put your own personality into it. I continue to learn because flamenco is always evolving. I am taking online classes right now with masters in Sevilla. It’s an amazing opportunity for me to be a student again (laughs happily). I am loving it! As a dancer, you have to practice daily, and that’s something I try to instill in our students. I have choreographed flamenco works but I also enjoy choreographing to Spanish classical music. The body and arms a little different from flamenco.

Is there something special that you would like to do after this pandemic ends?
We actually had our first company rehearsal this past Saturday, with masks, outdoors. It was so hot! Just the opportunity to be together with friends and family, see each other faces and hug, and to be able to perform on stage, would be wonderful.

What are some of the positive changes that you have seen in our city in recent years?
Today, there’s an audience in San Antonio that appreciates dance. We have been able to develop loyal followers which made it possible for us to start monthly performances in 2018. So, every first Friday of the month, we put on a new production at the Guadalupe Theater. The pandemic stopped all of that but we hope to continue it again after it’s over. To have that audience that comes back to see your new work is very rewarding.

What do you think is the best feature of life in the United States and what changes, if any, would you like to see?
My family came from Mexico. I am here today because my family had the opportunity to settle in the U.S. and build a home and a life in San Antonio. The U.S. is made up of so many different and beautiful cultures that inspire me and that I can learn from. That makes The U.S. unique in the world. But I also think that we, artists, and artistic organizations in this country have to struggle so much to prove our value, and it shouldn’t be like that. I wish there was more support for the arts in general, for all arts disciplines.

If our city leaders asked you what the city’s priorities should be at this moment, what would you tell them?
Oh! Arts and Culture! For 28 years, I have repeatedly seen how the arts can transform a child. I see the transformation! I hear about it from the parents!

What do you fear the most?
Right now I fear death. I had no problem with staying in my house when they said that COVID was running rampant. I went out to buy groceries and that was it. I would not be able to accept death.

You have been married for a long time. How do you sustain a vibrant, happy marriage?
I think respect for each other’s values and respect for each other’s work, and supporting each other’s goals, are all important. And having joy and laughter. We don’t have children but we have always had pets in our life, so sharing the caretaking of pets – and, of course, children if you have them – is a strong bond as well.

If you wanted to pleasantly surprise your husband, how would you do it?
Oh, I would show up with airline tickets to Europe, our favorite place to go. We love Italy and Spain. We love to travel.

Do you have a project or a pastime that you have been able to work on during this sheltering-at-home time?
I like to saw. I like making things, just simple things like tote-like bags. I love hand-made items. When I get a hand-made item from a friend or family member, that makes my day.

This is a question I often ask: Which behavioral traits do you appreciate in other people and what drives you crazy?
It annoys me when people don’t listen when you are explaining something. I try to be a good listener and I focus on the person speaking to me as opposed to trying to do all kinds of different things at the same time. As for what I appreciate in other people, it’s compassion. I love it when people try to connect because they want to make sure that you are OK. I always try to make certain that people are OK. When we (the dance company) started meeting on Zoom, we would spend like the first half-an-hour checking in with each other and sometimes becoming very emotional.

Besides dance what are you good at?
I like to think of myself as a peacemaker. When you manage teams of people, you need to know how to deal with different personalities and how to respect other people’s opinions. And you have to know how to lead while giving others the opportunity to shine. Listening to people is a big part of leadership. A lot of the times, I will change my ideas and go with someone else’s suggestions. If there’s tension, I always try to calm things down.