If you go any day of the year to The Passage TabancoIn the heart of Jerez, it's very likely you'll find the maestro enjoying a beer in a tall glass. Juan Parra (1945). At the age of twelve, he began to dance thanks to his father, who gave him some castanets that he had bought at the refinery of Mariquilla Piñero from Empedrada Street. And his own mother was surprised: “How can you give that to the child?” It wasn't very common then for children to be interested in an art form always associated with degenerate connotations. Since then he hasn't stopped dancing and has been more than fifty years teaching mastery in his Jerez studioalthough he has also toured European countries such as Belgium, Switzerland or Germany with his teachings and performances.
He's discreet: “I've never valued myself or my dancing. I've felt inferior to everyone else, and I still find it hard to acknowledge what I've achieved.” But anyone who knows who the most influential figures in this field have been over the last half-century can't help but mention Juan. He still receives numerous “friends” at his school on Castellanos Street, in the Carmen neighborhood, every week, especially when the festival arrives. Jerez Festival“They come to remember some movement, some little step or choreography, and I’m delighted because I’m at home and Instead of sitting on the couch, I'm dancing”, he acknowledges for ExpoFlamenco.
On Saturday, March 7, he received recognition from the Peña Flamenca Good people within the IV Pataíta FestivalThis activity, which these fans from the San Mateo neighborhood have been celebrating to close the Festival as a kind of finale, takes the opportunity to recognize the career of some illustrious figure in dance. Angelita Gomez She was the first to receive it, then Anna Maria Lopez and in the last edition the contribution of the Uncle José de Paula's grandparents to the short bulería of Jerez.
"People from Jerez know how to dance very well, without making mistakes. When you dance bulerías, you can tell when that Jerez style is there and when it isn't. And I'm telling you this as someone who's had a reputation for elegance when dancing, not that strong, raw style of bulerías. I think you have to reach that point of improvisation that experience gives you, so you can break away from the choreography at just the right moment. That's where the magic lies."
Juan says, “I feel very happy about this recognition,” adding, “They say no one is a prophet in their own land, and although I don't feel like a prophet of anything, I do feel very loved.” He went to Madrid as a waiter and left his contact information at God's Love And they called him soon after. From there to Barcelona, then tours of European countries until returning to Jerez. “Life is very good here, and the dancing is very special.” So what’s the secret of Jerez dancing? “I think it’s the little something extra, because they know how to dance very well, without mistakes, but when they dance bulerías, you can tell when that Jerez style is there and when it isn’t. And I say this as someone who has had a reputation for elegance when dancing, not that strong, raw style of bulerías, but I think you have to…” to reach that point of improvisation "It gives you the experience to be able to break out of the choreography at just the right moment. That's where the little pinch is," he emphasizes.
Among the most outstanding students of her academy are names like Ana María López herself, in the early years, Chiqui de Jerez, Susana Chacón, Fernando Galán, Leonor Leal…, among others. “I have always advised my students, telling them to be clear about whether they want to dance a little flamenco or some sevillanas, or if they want to be professionals. If they want to dedicate themselves to this, they have to leave Jerez to continue their training, get to ballet, and learn all kinds of techniques and movements.”
The party on Saturday is free to enter, starting at 10:30 p.m., after the curtain has fallen on the Jerez Festival, bidding farewell to the 30th edition of the event and already anticipating the date of the 31st. Many of Juan's friends will be there. "Others will be working, but I know many will come because they're telling me, like..." José Gálvez, Iván de la Manuela, Israel López, David de la Jeroma, María Peña and Sandra Rincón“They’ll all be leading the party, and anyone who wants to can join in.” Just as he finishes speaking, another regular at the Pasaje says to him, “What’s up, Juan, another tribute?” And the maestro replies: ""And wouldn't it be better to receive it while I'm still alive?" That's the key to all of this: recognizing someone who has given so much. flamenco while he is fully capable of enjoying it. ♦
→ Juan Parra: "When you go on stage, the most important thing is to take care of your image"
