Former UNM flamenco instructor Pablo Rodarte is one of the most prestigious and experienced dancers alive.
As a talented ballet and flamenco dancer in Spain, he has studied extensively and toured all around the world. Some of his great achievements include Natividad Flamenca, Carmen’s Tango Bar and The Red Haired Carmen.
Rodarte is by nature outgoing, fiery and animated and willing to share his many experiences. The Daily Lobo was able to interview this renowned dancer.
Daily Lobo: Where do you come from?
Pablo Rodarte: I was born in Denver, Colo. That’s my hometown and that’s where I studied dance. I did ballet and jazz in the serious schools in Denver and then when I decided to become a flamenco dancer I started to make plans to leave for Spain in high school.
I left when I was 19 years old. I was going for one year and it turned into 24 years. It was the ‘60s and it was very common for the flower people. I started studying with great teachers and I became so fascinated once I got my fingers in there and got a hold on the language really well.
It took me about a year to get my bearings and then I said, “I think I can handle this.” I studied very hard and I have an incredible career. I was very fortunate as a young boy to have a dream and to do that. My parents were shocked.
DL: Especially as a male dancer, it must have been sort of scary.
PR: I hated it. I had a terrible time because I was a dancer. The discrimination at the time — oh, I couldn’t wait to get out of high school. When you’re out in the world being a male artist, you’re alone. From a young age you learn how to be on your own.
I had studied in New York and had been well-trained in ballet. I was very good. I had scholarships to the American Ballet Theater.
They told me to stay here, that I could study flamenco here because this was where my future was. I was torn, but I had set out to go to Spain, so I said, “I’m going to do this.”
I was so alone. I would call my mother in tears. But from that breakdown I became stronger.
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DL: This ended up being your life’s work?
PR: Absolutely, it was like going to college. I didn’t get a degree though, nothing on paper. That is why it is so hard here. If you don’t have that piece of paper they don’t care what you’ve done.
DL: Tell me about Spain.
PR: Being from Denver, all of my images of it were totally shattered. I arrived in Madrid and I looked at the people and went, “Where are the Spaniards?” None of them looked Spanish at all — you had blondes, you had redheads with freckles.
My image of it was what Hollywood had ingrained into me. And of course I had gone to study flamenco and they looked at me and said, “You’re a freak.” First of all, you didn’t want to mention the fact that you were there to be an artist then because it was Franco’s regime.
So the artistic world was all under the table. When I wanted to rent an apartment with other guys or artists we had a terrible time trying to find an apartment because they wouldn’t rent to artists. You especially didn’t want anyone knowing that you were a flamenco dancer.
Flamenco was from the south of Spain and they lost the war. They were considered the blacks of Spain. Plus, I had so much experience in other forms of dance that I was able to do other things besides Spanish dance and flamenco. I would have starved.
DL: What was UNM like for you?
PR: UNM is where I really learned how to teach. I had all of this knowledge that I didn’t know was there. I’ve always had real love and passion for dance. I studied with wonderfully incredible teachers and an incredible base.
I have this knowledge to pass on. I have a lot to give. That is what keeps me going. But it’s difficult teaching in an American system where you have to pacify everyone and give it to them academically. I’m trying to generate my own income now, because UNM didn’t take care of me. But you have to be so strong to work in this environment.
Rodarte now resides in Albuquerque’s west side where he teaches privately and directs his own company, Dance Espa§a. The company performed an exciting and passionate show at the Outpost performance space last weekend.
