Calzados Artefyl offers this self-portrait of:

“Wherever I am, no matter what happens, I want to keep dancing”

by Manuel Moraga

Most definitely flamenco
When I was small I used to listen to flamenco in my hometown, Jerez. My father was a great flamenco fan, and my brother was dancing from the age of eight. I did classical ballet and flamenco, but one day my father asked me if I really wanted to pursue this art, and that set me off on my path. I was thirteen. It was a difficult time, because I was at school, and after a year I heard the dance teacher say “this girl has a chance to make it”, so I had to decide whether to leave school or continue dancing, because there was no way to do both things at once. I began sacrificing certain things. I left classic ballet and tried to combine school with flamenco, but when I started getting work, the studies began to fall by the wayside and all that was left was flamenco.

Jerez, Seville and Japan
I haven’t had many teachers, only when I was starting out. My real learning took place on stage, everyone together, working with other artists. I was only a short time studying before going on stage. My first salary as a dancer was when I was sixteen, in the tablao of Parrilla de Jerez. I started working there until finally I packed my bags and went to Seville to continue studying because at that time there wasn’t a real school of dance in Jerez. Seville was always famous for dance, while Jerez is more for cante. Now Jerez is beginning to be an interesting place for dance, but at that time, no. I went to Seville and it was a powerful experience because there were thousands of dancers, I couldn’t believe it. I saw things I’d never seen before, like the bata de cola or how they worked at tablaos, the different types of dance and the different forms they do there. It was in Seville I really devoted my heart and soul to dance, putting everything else aside.

Soraya Clavijo in Corral de la Moreria (photo: Rafael Manjavacas)

Another important step was when I went to Japan the first time. I don’t know whether it was the country, or being along, but it gave me impetus. I gave everything to dancing, rehearsed every day. In that country everyone works so hard, you sort of feel pushed to work and study more.

Improvisation, risks and evolution
The thing I’m proudest of is the Córdoba prize. I’m very spontaneous on stage, and improvise a lot. I don’t use choreographies, but that dance was set because they’re very demanding there, as far as the length....and I was very nervous, I didn’t want to risk improvising. That dance I did is the kind of thing that makes you feel good and you say “ole!”

My dancing is spontaneous if nothing else, and it develops with time. I won’t let myself get into a rut so people say “that’s how Soraya dances”. Soraya dances one way now, and later on she’ll dance another way. I dance according to how I feel and depending on things that come to me along the way of life. There are times when I feel more insecure and others when it’s solid, and it has to do with the circumstances of my life and how I feel.

Ups and downs
The worst thing is having to start working at a place you’re not familiar with, especially in tablaos, you don’t know anyone and on top of everything else, there’s a lot of envy. That’s when I really have a hard time. I also suffered with the Córdoba contest, lots of butterflies, so many people. Terrible. But the worst moment of my life was when I got to Altea to dance in a festival and they told me my father had just died. The people had their tickets, the place was packed and I didn’t want to stand them up. That was the most bitter dance I ever did, and of course, the most terrible thing I ever had to face.

The best moments are when I’m dancing well and having a good time. When I feel like I’ve done as much as I could on stage, because dance is like everything: it depends on the moment. I compare it to bullfighting, and moreso if you’re improvising. When you see that it comes out right, and the audience responds, I feel at peace with myself.

Always dancing
My only goal is to dance. I don’t want to set my sights on what I want to achieve because all I want is to dance always. Wherever I am, no matter what happens, I want to keep dancing. Life will take care of putting me where I belong. The most important thing is to be healthy and strong to keep dancing.

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