Originally published in the San Antonio Current. You don’t have to look far to see Frida Kahlo’s signature brows stitched across a tote bag, dangling from earrings or painted on a prayer candle like the Virgin De Guadalupe. These days, it seems that there is something pressingly important about the commercial urgency to reproduce her…
Citywide ‘We Flamenco Fest’ Kicks Off with Fashion Show
The origins of the modern flamenco dress trace back nearly two centuries to Seville’s Feria de Abril, where gypsy women wore inexpensive calico dresses accentuated by layers of ruffles. As flamenco moved from the original gypsy communities and into Spain’s cafés cantantes in the second half of the 19th century, its costumes became more extravagant. Today, flamenco…
Local Exhibitions Celebrate Diversity, Emphasize Humanity
In the wake of Kathy Griffin’s recent photo scandal, involving the fake severed head of President Donald Trump, artists around the country continue to speak out against the anti-immigrant and non-inclusive policies of the president’s administration. While most can agree that Griffin’s staged photo of a beheading crosses the line of decency, it no doubt…
Nascent|Nation Explores the Minority Experience in America
Nascent|Nation, an exhibition of visual and performance art, was presented with spectacular results on April 8 at Brick at Blue Star. The project was curated by dancer Tamara Adira and violinist Darian Thomas who are members of the local flamenco troupe Arte y Pasión. Thematically, the installations consisted of works which explore the realities of living…
The Omnipresence of Darian Thomas
So, first off, your hustle is crazy. Oh, thank you. It’s cool watching queer people in the music scene continue to work … to represent and do it well. I try [laughs]! Are you from here? Yeah, I was born and raised in San Antonio … I started at Clark and then my family moved,…
Arte y Pasión Bring Back ‘Flower in the Crossroads’
Premiered last November at Luminaria, Arte y Pasión’s original production Una Flor en el Cruce (A Flower in the Crossroads) returns with a trio of performances hosted by three distinct venues. Artistic director Tamara Adira leads an ever-evolving cast of dancers and musicians in a multidisciplinary performance juxtaposing flamenco with classical and modern dance. Since…
Perello Flamenco Fashion Show to Feature First Transgender Model
If you’ve ever experienced a flamenco show in San Antonio, chances are you’ve seen the work of Lisa Perello, who designs costumes and dresses for nearly every flamenco dancer in the city. Her clients include Arte y Pasión and the dance studio Raices de Arte Español among others. In 2012, she presented the first all…
Arte y Pasión’s ‘Algoritmos’ Lands at Jump-Start
There will be an unlikely meeting of minds this weekend when Arte y Pasión presents Algoritmos, a multidisciplinary, collaborative project that “juxtaposes” flamenco with modern dance, and yes, opera. In this latest work, artistic director Tamara Adira leads an ever-evolving cast of dancers, musicians and vocalists as they stretch the boundaries of an ancient genre while attempting to…
Arte y Pasión comes full circle
In the year since Arte y Pasión premiered Angel of Gravity, an experimental project that paired modern dance, flamenco, and classical Spanish dance, the collective has continued to embrace multidisciplinary collaborations and performances. Out In SA spoke with dancer and artistic director Tamara Adira as she reflected on their upcoming production, Algoritmos. “Everybody gets criticism…