Arts Alive San Antonio

By Jasmina Wellinghoff, Editor

A Conversation with TAMARA ADIRA Flamenco artist and company leader

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

Years ago, Tamara Adira walked into a night club in New Orleans and discovered flamenco- dance and music. It was love at first site.  She threw herself into the study of this Spanish art, and eventually founded a performing company — Arte y Pasion – to keep the flame of flamenco burning in San Antonio.

Thus, it was not a surprise when she arrived for our interview, eager to tell us that a few days later, the mayor and the dance community were getting ready to officially proclaim “The International Day of Flamenco in San Antonio.” She explained that UNESCO had recognized flamenco as an “intangible cultural treasure of humanity” back in November 2010.

 “It’s pretty odd that this happened so late with an art like flamenco which has been in existence for centuries,” she pointed out.

So, how will the official Day of Flamenco benefit the local flamenco artists.

“It will punctuate our company’s festival – We Flamenco Fest – that’s taking place, and it’s going to benefit the entire flamenco community of San Antonio. It brings attention to the flamenco community.  Three million tourists are expected to come to San Antonio in this period. We, as flamenco artists, celebrate the “intangible cultural treasure of humanity.” This is kind of like our gift to San Antonio.

For those unfamiliar with the art of flamenco, a performance involves rhythmic stamping, rapid-fire clapping, heel clicking, expressive arm movements and sometimes the use of castanets.  Dancers, singers and musicians are all on stage together, all giving powerfully emotional performances.

Three organizations worked together to bring this to San Antonio, she pointed out.

So, how did you discover flamenco and what appealed to you so much? We asked her.

“I started dancing flamenco very late, as an adult. I think most dancers here and in Spain start as children. My background was ballet; I started ballet when I was four and started flamenco when I was 29, super late! At the time, I was in graduate school in New Orleans. I went into a club that was all red – red carpet, red velvet, red roses, red everything and they had this great bar, and that’s where I met my first flamenco teacher. I was captivated by the show; it made me cry. I couldn’t stop watching the dancers. There was something so captivating, so magical about it. I’ll never forget that night.  I even remember what I ate and what I drank.

“So, I asked the head dancer, Lali – if there were classes I could take. She said, “Sure. There’s a class that starts tomorrow.” I joined the class and eventually went to class five times a week. And then, I was dancing all the time. My favorite thing was to play castanets. It sounded bad at first but I kept on doing it and succeeded.”

She eventually settled in San Antonio with her children in 2008.

“I wanted to create opportunities to perform not just for me but for other flamenco dancers here; to create something that was distinctly ours. At the time, there were a few other companies doing the same thing.”

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center had classes and performances and a couple of other places staged shows, but that did not stop her. “I knew it was not going to be easy, but I knew that it will give people opportunities to learn. It will be a learning laboratory.” So, in 2009, I created the first production, called
“Arte y Pasion” and then I decided to have a company with that name.

Recently, she made the decision to uproot herself and move to Spain, where she continues to develop her skills with well-known pros. However, she returns to San Antonio every few months.

“What I have chosen to do at this point is explore the more personal side of life.,” she explains. “It’s been so peaceful, so great. I don’t feel like I am rushing so much. I am able to focus so much better. I sold my house and my vehicle. I sold almost everything I owned.” Although she has two grown children in the U.S., she plans to return to Spain to continue her studies.
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You can see Arte Y Pasion in performance, tonight: “Adventure Stories” Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Carver Community Cultural Center; Tickets are $34+fees; kids, military, seniors $25 +fees, at
box office and www.ticketmaster.com/