Flamenco de Barrio en Barrio

In 2021 Clinard Dance collaborated on a music and dance exchange between Chicago, Madrid, and Valencia. We created new works of music and choreography with song lyrics inspired by interviews with elders from our Pilsen community and elders and youth in Madrid, including two iconic flamenco figures, renowned songwriter Juan Antonio Salazar; and the director of Amor de Dios, Joaquin San Juan.

A week in Chicago — During the week of December 6 -10, the Chicago and Spanish participants came together at Clinard Dance Studio for the first time for an unforgettable one-week residency. We created new compositions and choreography that reflect Chicago-inspired musical arrangements influenced by our local musical styles.

On the evening of December 6, we held a public event featuring ethnomusicologists and jazz musician Mike Allemana, who mediated a conversation about the history of Blues and Jazz in Chicago and how it connects to and departs from the Flamenco art form.  

On December 11, we shared our week-long music and dance collaboration with a work-in-progress performance at Citlain Gallery in Pilsen.

Participating artists from Chicago:

  • Jazz vocalist Joan Collazo.

  • Blues singer Billy Branch.

  • Blues guitarist Dan Carelli

  • Rap and spoken word artist King Mossa (Brian Harrington)

  • Jazz violinist Steve Gibons

  • Flamenco dancer and project director Wendy Clinard


Participating artists from Spain:

  • Flamenco singer Jose Diaz Cachito

  • Flamenco guitarist Jose Luis de la Paz

  • Percussionist Diego Alvarez

  • Composer Juan Antonio Salazar

  • Flamenco dancer & Spanish artists laison Nino de los Reyes

Jesus Rojas, a Pilsen neighborhood elder, was interviewed for this project. We shared Jesus' life story with renowned flamenco composer Juan Antonio Salazar, who worked on the song for Jesus from his home in Madrid. The song is called Sueños e Ilusiones. To watch Sueños e Ilusiones in the making, click the link below.

Jesus Rojas at his home in the Mexican neighborhood,Pilsen, in Chicago

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Gitano youth from the neighborhood el Cabanyal in Valencia, Spain, were interviewed for this project. We shared their stories with Chicago pianist and composer from the Pilsen neighborhood, Cole Degenova who composed an awesome song for the kids. The song is called El Cabanyal. Click below to listen.

I told my sister, “I want to move to Chicago”. My brother was visiting us and thankfully he was already a resident. I told him, “I want you to take me back with you to Chicago”. He told me I was crazy, “Why would you want to go there!” I said, “Well, to work.”

—Araceli Antonino, interviewed for our international exchange project in Chicago.