Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Adira.
Hi Tamara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started my dancing at age 4 and studied ballet for the first 30 years of my life. Flamenco came into my life as an early adult.
While studying architecture at undergraduate MIT, my early performances and projects were featured in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) through the MIT Media Lab and Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS). In my junior year, I did a residency under composer and performance artist John Cage and performed at Harvard University. My work at the MIT Media Lab, CAVS, and under John Cage would provide the groundwork for my experimental efforts in flamenco.
I joined the Air Force and traveled all over the world and then separated as a captain.
I went to graduate school in New Orleans, and it was there that I first was introduced to flamenco. I saw the most unforgettable performance I have ever seen, and it changed my life. Then I came to San Antonio, where I settled in and continued to study flamenco. Eventually, I started putting together performances, and it was then that my company Arte y Pasion came to be, in 2010.
My company Arte y Pasion is now a Texas Nonprofit, and we are applying for our national status now. I have had the honor of working with such old-school masters as Teo Morca, Timo Lozano, and today now Belen Maya, who has been called “one of the most important flamenco dancers of this century.” I have also worked with young masters such as Daniel Caballero, Grammy award winner Nino de los Reyes, and Triana Maciel.
I work with people in Spain and get to bring them to the United States to share their knowledge with Americans, and in turn, to help Americans learn flamenco. It is fulfilling to bring flamenco artists and students together, as I see how rewarding it is for all of them, as it is a cultural and learning experience that is wonderful for all of us.
On the homefront, I have two beautiful teens, a son and a daughter; and three goofy cats.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was not a smooth road. When I first came to San Antonio, I did not fit in as a flamenco dancer because I was not born and raised here taking classes with people who were; and while it’s getting better, the flamenco dance community is still very insular here.
But I learned that trying to fit in was never really in the cards for me. Being the best version of myself turned out to be the best thing, and so after a few years of failing miserably at fitting in, I just turned around and walked in my own direction. This has turned out to be the best thing for me in all respects.
I am also a survivor of domestic violence. Other than my children, flamenco is what kept me alive.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Arte y Pasión is a Texas based nonprofit company whose mission is to share, promote and develop the authentic art of flamenco as a vehicle of healing and restoration, and the promotion of human rights and equality.
Arte y Pasión, led by dancer and artistic director, Tamara Adira, is a company known for pushing the boundaries of flamenco and Spanish dance, and one of the most contemporary Spanish dance companies in the United States.
Arte y Pasión’s mission is to share, promote and develop the authentic art of flamenco as a vehicle of healing and restoration, and the promotion of human rights and equality. While the company is comprised of flamenco dance, guitar and flamenco singing, Arte y Pasión is known for having weaved into its artistic vocabulary disciplines such as modern dance, violin, cello, opera, spoken word, fine and performance art to generate juxtapositions and contrasts. The company engages regularly with acclaimed flamenco artists from Spain, France and around the world, exploring artistic evolution and specific subject matter to elevate the purity of flamenco to an electrifying theatrical event.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Using my cat Misty as a pillow. Him letting me.
Contact Info:
- Email: tamara.s.adira@gmail.com
- Website: www.arte-y-pasion.com
- Instagram: tamara.adira
- Facebook: tamara.adira
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOYRdlEtDb9A19UCGlV1lQA
Image Credits
Nicole Marie Moore
Timo Nuñez
Oscar Moreno
Alexis Escarfully
