TAMPA, Fla. — When it comes to Hispanic Heritage Month, there is one Ybor City restaurant that’s been celebrating the culture on a nightly basis for almost a century.
From the flowers to the dresses, to the eyelashes, Tampa Bay Flamenco Dance Company Director, Maria Esparza, makes sure every detail is perfect before her dancers take the stage.
“It’s not just a type of dance, it’s a work of art,” said Esparza.
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Maria grew up in Tampa, but her mother was originally from Spain, and where her Flamenco journey truly began.
“We would spend a lot of our summers going to Spain to see my family, my grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and my parents were huge aficionados of Flamenco and of bull fighting,” said Esparza.
So, you can only imagine the excitement when this young, promising dancer had the opportunity to carry on her Hispanic Heritage at the Columbia Restaurant, a place that has been hosting Flamenco shows since the 1930s.
“My first night was June 8, 1988,” said Esparza, who remembers it like it was yesterday. “If you would have told me that I would still be here I wouldn’t believe it. We’re fortunate that the Columbia Restaurant has held onto that tradition, that you can come see a Flamenco show six nights a week.”
In 2008, Maria became the dance director, a role she takes incredible pride in.
“You have to really have a passion for Flamenco, it’s not easy, it’s very demanding on the body, it’s a lifetime and you are still practicing and learning what Flamenco is,” said Esparza.
At any given time, Maria has between 10 and 14 dancers, all of them bringing something unique to the performance.
“I just don’t look for great talent, but I look for good people,” said Esparza.
Andrea Fernandez learned how to Flamenco dance growing up in Venezuela.
“I applied the things I learned over there and learned more things over here and just brought them together,” said Fernandez.
While dancer Gabryele Carter used to be an NFL cheerleader.
“I feel more at home here; it was great being in the NFL but being here with these people it’s like a big family it’s like a community,” said Carter, who is a native of Puerto Rico.
When these performers say family, they mean family, Maria’s sister Carolina is also part of the dance company.
“Just sharing in the community how beautiful it really is and bringing it in an authentic way,” said Carolina.
Maria said her favorite part of the show is seeing the faces in the audience.
“Maybe they are like midway with their forks and they like put it down or somebody at their table is talking too much and they say, ‘shhh, like dancers,”’ said Esparza.
Maria is thrilled to be a voice of the community, or in this case, the dance of the community.
‘We are looking for musicians and any other dancers anybody that would love to participate in being part of this amazing institution the Columbia Restaurant,” said Esparza.
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