Courtesy of Marisel Salascruz
More than anything, flamenco dancing is about passion. Depending on the song, the dancer can express strength, devotion or loss through intricate and rhythmic movements that involve hand clapping and stomping. It’s a fusion of different cultures—gypsy, Moorish, Christian and Jewish—that used to live together in the Andalusian region of Spain before the Inquisition. It’s also a symbol of cultural solidarity for the people of Andalusia who suffered under the Castilian crown of Madrid.
Flamenco embodies the anguish the Andalusians experienced and consequently, isn’t an easy dance to pick up. But anyone with a lot passion and a lot of patience can learn it, says Marisel Salascruz, who founded the St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society in 1984. A native of Granada, Salascruz and her family fled Spain after the Spanish Civil War; she grew up in Costa Rica. A dancer all her life, she learned flamenco through family members and various dance schools. Though she initially came to the United States to earn a nursing degree, she eventually found her way back to her cultural roots.
St. Louis Magazine: Why flamenco?
Marisel Salascruz: Obviously, I’m from Spain and I’m from Andalusia. That’s my way of life…It’s something that’s part of me, it’s my inheritance from my country to me.
SLM: On your website, you describe flamenco as “a philosophy about the being, about life and death.” What do you mean by that?
MS: There was a time in Spain, when because of your different religions and different races, you had to leave…you know, that was their daily life, was just between death and life. And they reflect that through all their chants and all their songs, and that is how the dance reflects what the people of Spain were living through at that time. It’s something that inspired them.
SLM: Have you always wanted to be a dancer?
MS: Yes…it was a tradition in the family. I learn all the songs, traditional songs in Spain, because of my aunts. You know, when they were washing, when they were pressing, when they were sweeping the floors, they were singing. At that time, we didn’t have hardly a radio, we didn’t have a television. Anything that we have today, at that time didn’t exist. So the people just, I guess, just entertained each other, sing all these songs that were popular at that time.
SLM: You came to St. Louis in 1972. How has the dance scene changed since then?
MS: When I came, there was nobody dancing here. Really, people didn’t have too much idea of flamenco. In the 27 years of performing and teaching, I’ve seen the door open.
SLM: How did you get the idea to start your own dance company?
MS: When I come over here, I went to festivals and I never saw Spain represented. And some people knew, because when you go to parties, they say, “Can you dance for us?” And I say, “Yeah!” And they call the people at the festival and say, “Hey, you know we have a person that is a very good flamenco dancer. So can you invite her so everybody can see her?” So they invited me, little by little. I really didn’t want to be the star of the show. I wanted other people to do it, and other people started asking me, “Can you teach my daughter? Can I learn from you?” And I said, “OK. You know that is the case, let’s make a group, and we form our own group and you come and [if] you really have the interest, I will very gladly teach you how to dance.” And then, [our] little ambition went a little bigger, and I says, OK, we will do some events, we will bring guest artists, we will bring choreographers that are updated with what is going on in Spain, and you will be trained from me and from very good qualified people.
SLM: What makes flamenco different from other forms of Spanish and Latin dances?
MS: We call [it] duende. It’s something that possesses you and your dance. You take all your emotions out and transmit that to the public. Other people…when they dance, they do routine. Some of them are very good dancers, but [when] you see them, they don’t transmit [to] you any… feelings.
SLM: So what does flamenco mean the people of Andalusia?
MS: Oh, everything. See, flamenco for the people of Andalusia is a way of life. It means everything, because flamenco go hand by hand with the culture, with our culture. So it’s everything to us.
SLM: What can people learn from flamenco?
MS: Well, they can learn it’s a way of life. You know, flamenco is not only playing [music], singing or dancing; flamenco is everything in life of the Andalusian people. [It] can really contribute to the well-being of the person, you know?
SLM: How long does it take to prepare for a performance?
MS: It depends on the dances. Sometimes the dance has very complicated techniques. So you know, dancers learn that technique and they can be probably rehearsing for a year, six months, depending on the difficulties of the choreography of the dance, the movements.
SLM: What do you hope people will take away from a performance?
MS: Well, people always like that sense that flamenco has. When the people say, “Oh my God, when I saw that dancer, how do you say, my hair on my skin stood up.” Because I feel like he transmits that feeling, that emotion, and you feel like you are transmitting something to the public. When you dance, you transport yourself. And you hear the singer talking about things that are really true, [that] happen to you in life. You get transported and it just elevates your spirit.
For more information, go to stlculturalflamencosociety.org. The company’s next performance, Portraits of the Spanish Dance, takes place at 8 p.m. on November 13 at Clayton High School Theatre, No. 1 Mark Twain Circle. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Call Salascruz for tickets, 314-781-1537.
