WeFlamenco Fest · Online Exhibition

San Antonio Flamenco: A Visual History

San Antonio’s flamenco history, told through the artists and photographs that remain.

Daniela Riojas in a fantastical flamenco-inspired portrait photographed by Nicole Marie Moore — Daniela Riojas. Photograph © Nicole Marie Moore. More photographs.

01 / The first stages

From classroom to festival

Berta Almaguer, founder of the San Antonio municipal dance program — Berta Almaguer. Date and photographer unverified.

In 1934, Berta Almaguer began teaching in San Antonio’s municipal dance program. Spanish dance and Mexican folklórico became part of a public program that generations of local students passed through.

Teresa Champion and dancers of her company at the Texas Folklife Festival in 1972 — Teresa Champion’s company · Texas Folklife Festival, 1972. Company archive.

By the 1970s, Teresa Champion and Los Flamencos de San Antonio were performing at public festivals and developing dancers through her academy.

Teresa Champion performing flamenco with raised arms at the 1976 Texas Folklife Festival — Teresa Champion · 1976. Archival record.

Teresa Champion performing at the Texas Folklife Festival in 1976 — Teresa Champion · 1976. Archival record.

Willie El Curro Champion performing flamenco guitar in 1976 — Willie “El Curro” Champion · 1976. Archival record.

Teresa Champion and Willie “El Curro” Champion at the Texas Folklife Festival in 1976. Their work joined stage performance, guitar and teaching.

Teresa Champion and Manolo Valente of Los Flamencos de San Antonio in 1972 — Teresa Champion and Manolo Valente · 1972. Archival record.

Portrait of Teresa Champion and Willie El Curro Champion by Al Rendon — Teresa and Willie “El Curro” Champion. Photograph © Al Rendon.

Teresa with Manolo Valente in 1972; Teresa and Willie photographed by Al Rendon. The full Los Flamencos archive includes additional images and identifications.

02 / The people in the photographs

The festival record

The Texas Folklife Festival presented flamenco alongside Spanish dance and Mexican folklórico. The 1974 image below shows La Negra, a Mexican folk dance—not flamenco.

Ballet Folklórico de San Antonio performers dancing La Negra in 1974 — Terry Narvaiez, Edna Perez, Lulu Chavez and Boni Ramos in *La Negra* (Mexican folklórico), 1974. Archival record.

Young dancers with tambourines at the Texas Folklife Festival 1975 — Ballet Folklórico de San Antonio students performing flamenco · 1975. Archival record.

Ballet Folklórico de San Antonio ensemble dancing flamenco in 1976 — Joyce Rodriguez, Cindy Ramos, Cathy Gonzalez, Edna Perez and Josie Champion · 1976. Archival record.

Oscar Trevino performing with Rosalinda Chayo Champion in the background 1976 — Oscar Trevino; Rosalinda “Chayo” Champion in the background · 1976. Archival record.

Priscilla La Presy Treviño Lozano performing flamenco — Priscilla “La Presy” Treviño Lozano. Date and photographer unverified.

Archival portrait of San Antonio flamenco dancer Timo Lozano — Timo Lozano. Date and photographer unverified.

Priscilla “La Presy” Treviño Lozano later taught in Granada. Timo Lozano performed with José Greco’s company. Their careers carried flamenco beyond San Antonio.

03 / 2010 onward

A festival, many stages

The Red Shoes, A’lante Flamenco production photograph from 2012 — A’lante Flamenco, *The Red Shoes* · Cameo Theatre, 2012. Photographer unverified.

In 2012, Austin’s A’lante Flamenco brought Olivia Chacón’s The Red Shoes to the Cameo Theatre. The production was part of a festival that welcomed independent companies alongside San Antonio performers.

Isabella Longoria performing in FlamencOlé for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation dance program — Isabella Longoria in *FlamencOlé*. Photograph: Matt Bynum. Date unverified.

San Antonio Parks & Recreation’s FlamencOlé, photographed by Matt Bynum. Isabella Longoria carries the city’s teaching tradition onto the stage.

Raíces de Arte Español dancers performing on the blue-lit stage, photographed by Matt Bynum in 2018 — Raíces de Arte Español · 2018. Photograph: Matt Bynum. Festival history.

Raíces de Arte Español, photographed by Bynum in 2018. The uncropped image preserves the full stage and the blue lighting.

04 / The living stage

Experiment and return

Tamara Adira and Stephan Gaeth performing Angel of Gravity with long-train costumes — Tamara Adira and Stephan Gaeth, *Angel of Gravity* · 2014. Photograph © Nicole Marie Moore. 2014 feature.

Arte y Pasión’s Angel of Gravity (2014) combined flamenco, contemporary movement and theater. Eleven years later, Sonidos de Libertad brought Celia Corrales and other artists to the Carver Community Cultural Center.

Celia Corrales performing in Sonidos de Libertad in San Antonio, 2025 — Celia Corrales, *Sonidos de Libertad* · 2025. Production exhibition. Photograph © Nicole Marie Moore.

“You learn from the ones before you, and you teach the ones behind you.”
Willie “El Curro” Champion, recalled by Teresa Champion

Research and curation: Marco Aquino · WeFlamenco Fest. This exhibition draws on photographs from UTSA Libraries Special Collections via The Portal to Texas History, historical reporting, festival records and interviews. Photographer credits and source records appear with the images.

Explore the research: Oral histories and interviews · Historical research · Festival history · Los Flamencos archive · Nicole Moore photographs · Corrections