Flamenco Dancer · Choreographer · Educator

Drea Pacot brings more than two decades of flamenco experience to her work as a performer, choreographer and teacher. A native Californian, she began in ballet before exploring contemporary dance at the University of California, Davis, where she performed and choreographed with the university’s modern dance troupe and the Nexxus Modern Dance Collective.

A touring performance by María Benítez’s company redirected her attention toward flamenco. Pacot went on to study extensively in the United States and Spain through classes, workshops and private instruction. Among her strongest influences are Yaelisa of Caminos Flamencos and Pilar Andújar, alongside study with artists including José Galván, Concha Vargas, Concha Jareño, Olga Pericet, Alfonso Losa and Vanessa Paloma.

In California, Pacot taught in Sacramento and Nevada City. She received support from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission to present her students on a theater stage and bring prominent flamenco artists to the region. With guitarist Gopal Slavonic, she formed Flamenco del Oro, which performed throughout Northern California.

After moving to Austin in 2011, Pacot became part of the city’s growing flamenco community, working with Pilar Andújar and Genevieve Guinn. She performed as a company dancer in Guinn’s 2018 production Forasteros at the Long Center and has appeared as a soloist in intimate Austin tablaos, including Esquina Tango, Barlata and El Raval. She now teaches through Austin Flamenco Academy.

Pacot’s work also crosses the distance between Austin and San Antonio. She performs with artists from both cities, participates in workshops and shared tablaos, and joined Genevieve Obregón and Matthew Guerra for Sol y Sombra. Those appearances make regional exchange visible: artists do not belong to isolated city scenes but to a wider Texas network built through repeated collaboration.

Her dancing is known for emotional directness and an improvisational response to the musicians and the room. As a teacher and collaborator, she carries that same openness into the studio. Her contribution is connective—moving between cities, generations and artistic circles while helping students understand flamenco as a living performance practice.

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