There is something captivating about flamenco. Every movement carries history, every step demands discipline, and every performance tells a story that transcends language and borders. Few artists embody that spirit as completely as Clara Ramona.
Born to a Filipino mother and an American father, Clara grew up in Davao City before her family moved to the United States when she was 12. Although the transition was difficult, her mother’s determination to keep her in dance classes laid the foundation for what would become an extraordinary international career.
Clara would go on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Boston Conservatory of Music and Dance at Berklee. She later joined its faculty and also taught at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Harvard University, Boston University, the Bates College Dance Festival and Denison University.
Her career flourished as principal dancer and choreographer of the Ramon de Los Reyes Spanish Dance Theatre. She later married Ramon de Los Reyes, her former flamenco professor, and together they raised two sons, Isaac and Nino de Los Reyes, who have both established themselves as respected dancers.
Along the way, Clara founded dance schools in Boston, Madrid, Manila, Hong Kong and China, dedicating herself to developing future generations of flamenco artists.
When Martin Lopez suggested that I interview Clara, I was intrigued by how a Filipina-born artist had built such an influential career in one of Spain’s most revered art forms. Our conversation explored her remarkable journey, her philosophy as a dancer and choreographer, her admiration for the legendary Carmen Amaya, and the challenges of bringing flamenco to audiences and students across Asia.
Clara shared that she studied both ballet and piano as a child. Moving to the United States was difficult because her family experienced years of culture shock, but her mother remained determined to keep her in ballet. After graduating from high school, Clara decided to pursue dance professionally and enrolled at the Boston Conservatory of Music and Dance at Berklee, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts. While studying there, she continued training in flamenco, which eventually became both her profession and her future.
Since Clara is a flamenco dancer, I asked her what she thought of Carmen Amaya, often called “the greatest flamenco dancer ever.”
I then invited Clara to describe her own approach to dance and choreography.
“My dance background included substantial immersion in ballet, jazz, contemporary dance and eventually Middle Eastern dance. Flamenco became yet another dance form for me to study extensively. While I believe in representing each dance form as authentically as possible, I eventually developed my own vocabulary for fusion flamenco, drawing from all of my dance studies and experiences. I have a strong propensity toward clásico español and jazz flamenco when the opportunity arises, but I return to traditional flamenco when necessary and appropriate.”
One question naturally followed: Had she ever considered blending Filipino folk dances with her choreography?
“As a young girl growing up in Davao, my mother made sure I learned traditional Filipino dances, which I later brought with me to America. However, I did not have many opportunities to showcase my heritage in America or Spain until almost 40 years later. After a full career in flamenco — spanning major productions and choreographies in the United States, Madrid and various world tours — I decided to trace my roots and return to the Philippines. I wanted to share my professional experiences, first as the artistic director of Fundación Centro Flamenco alongside Emma Estrada, and eventually by opening my own dance school, Clara Ramona Danza Flamenca.”
She went on to recall how that journey eventually inspired an independent film based partly on her own life.
“After running a successful school and staging five years of performances throughout the Philippines, including Asian tours with several of my students, a new opportunity presented itself. Director Will Fredo proposed an independent film partially based on my true story as a flamenco dancer, teacher, director and choreographer who returned from Spain to the Philippines to form a Flamenco-Filipiniana dance company. The challenge was to create a cohesive Filipino-flamenco fusion choreography, allowing me to combine my childhood studies of traditional Philippine dance with 40 years of flamenco expertise. The resulting film, In Nomine Matris, featuring Filipino personality Liza Dino, was well received and screened in New York City, Seville, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and throughout the Philippines.”
Speaking about the dance schools she established over the years, Clara was equally candid about the challenges behind the success.
“Over the years I established a school in Boston with Ramon de Los Reyes, studios in Madrid, a dance company that ran for 15 years (Ballet Español de Clara Ramona), a school in Manila for five years (Clara Ramona Centro de Danza Flamenca Inc.), and Clara Ramona Danza Flamenca Ltd. in Hong Kong for the past 16 years. I also opened a school in Xi’an, China — Clara’s Xi’an Flamenco —which thrived until the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, I have focused my efforts on my work in Hong Kong.”
As our conversation drew to a close, I asked Clara how she hoped people would remember her.
“I suppose I’ll be remembered in many ways: as tough and demanding, but also as a professional and an innovator. I pride myself on my dancing and teaching skills, but I truly love choreography and theatrical productions. My work has carried me through thick and thin, allowing me to reside in four different countries, not including my world tours. My greatest pride has always been my identity as a Philippine-American who succeeded in the mecca of Spanish dance, and being the mother of two outstanding artists, my sons Isaac de Los Reyes and Nino de Los Reyes.”