Do you practice as much as you’d like to? What about simply showing up for class? How do you make time for flamenco in your life?

The following interview with Jackie Pasciak, flamenco dancer from Portland, Oregon, is packed full of gems and a must-listen for students.

Jackie and I did this interview as we navigate shelter in place life during the height of the Coronavirus.

Jackie talks about everything from how she makes time in her life for flamenco to the sense of accomplishment to be gained from doing a performance to how flamenco has helped her memory to a new way of looking at progress to excuses to the value of just showing up. She even speaks on what quarantine flamenco has looked like for her.

“The best thing about setting aside time for flamenco is you just show up to class then you are…and not to worry about what you can do compared to other people. Don’t even worry about it. This community is not like that at all.”
— Jackie Pasciak

Enjoy the full interview here and check out the breakdown below:

Here's a topic beakdown:

To Begin: How she became interested in flamenco

1:15 What keeps her in flamenco

1:45 How flamenco has served her in her life outside of the studio

3:15 What she finds most challenging about flamenco

4:00 How long she plans to dance flamenco

4:50 Dedicating time to flamenco

5:30 How she’s able to make time in her life for flamenco

6:20 Advice for other students

7:20 Her experience with shelter in place flamenco

8:00 Jackie’s kitty cat, Maya, makes an appearance

Some thoughts from Jackie

On progress:

“Think of the progress you would like to see. It could be subtle and small, but that’s still progress.”

On the sense of accomplishment that comes with doing a performance:

“The ability to see a performance or a choreography come to fruition as a performance can help you with a lot of goals in life too.”

On how long she’ll continue dancing:

Jackie plans to dance flamenco as long as she can. She’s learned that if you don’t use it you loose it. 

On taking breaks from flamenco and skipping class:

“There are so many little excuses that can go through your head…well I didn’t go last week, oh I missed it, so… I don’t want those things. A lot of it is mental but there’s the physical too, so you lose the muscle so just being able to balance on one foot and spin around.”

On practice:

“I don’t practice as much as I’d like to, but I just show up for class. Sometimes practice can mean that I’m running through something in my head and not even actually dancing… or just focusing on my posture and breath in the office, that’s practice too.”

On making time for flamenco:

It’s sort of this mental commitment that you just have to say this is what I’m going to do and just keep showing up and making incremental progress and not worry about comparing yourself to anybody else in class.

On the value of being in class:

It’s about the whole class. I just can never push myself hard enough as when I’m in class.

On setting aside time for flamenco:

The best thing about setting aside time for flamenco is you just show up to class then you are…as a reasonable expectation for adult life you know that’s a pretty good way to start and not to worry about what you can do compared to other people. Don’t even worry about it. This community is not like that at all.

On quarantine flamenco:

“I’m doing it because if I wait till the dance studio is open again I could be losing a lot of muscle memory and it’s just not worth it.” 

For Jackie, and for myself as well, the fact that we all still get to see each other and have some semblance of normalcy is the best part about it.

Thank you, Jackie, for sharing your story!

Now tell us, how do you show up for flamenco?

Let us know in the comments below!

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*Cover photo by Salim Sanchez

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