Meet Kerensa DeMars | Flamenco Dancer, Choreographer, Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kerensa DeMars and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kerensa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think of risk taking as a necessary part of growth whether that growth is in a creative practice, relationships or your personal evolution.

At some point early on I realized that I was only truly accountable to myself and that if I didn’t give it my best shot, and embrace the risks involved, I wasn’t being true to myself.

There have been people at different times and in different places that told me my dreams were impossible. I’m so glad I didn’t listen to them!

I’ve risked so much to pursue my craft. Often times the greatest risks bring the greatest rewards and not necessarily right away. Some of the ‘failures’ I’ve experienced have paid off far more than the successes because of what I’ve learned from them – resilience, patience, humility.

Sometimes the risk is its own reward, the simple experience of summoning the courage to follow your heart is often more satisfying than the end result. I’ve stopped looking at success as a series of achievements. Today I define success as finding the joy of living in everything I do. It’s more about giving back than amassing accolades.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Flamenco is my passion and I’ve been fortunate to be able to make it my professional career and present my work both in the US and Europe. I lived Spain for nearly ten years, moving there to study flamenco. It was incredibly challenging to move to a foreign country alone before the advent of all the technology we now take for granted. The flamenco form itself is highly demanding and requires extreme dedication. There were many times when I wondered if I had what it took. I’m so glad I persevered. It is hard work, but it takes hard work to make your dreams come true!

The joy I feel working in flamenco today as a performer, choreographer and instructor is boundless. It makes all the struggles worth it. Dancing flamenco I feel complete. There is space for all the fierce, poetic, sensual, heartbreaking, reflective, chaotic and joyful parts of human experience in it. The gritty exuberance and unflinching honesty of flamenco are what inspire me both as an artist and as a teacher.

I am currently in production on a project I’m very excited about – The Flamenco Nutcracker. It’s a fun twist on the original story that weaves the original Tchaikovsky score with flamenco. It’s a fun way of introducing new audiences (and young people) to flamenco.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I recently relocated to Milwaukee from San Francisco and I’m thrilled to be a part of this new community. Milwaukee is an awesome city. There’s fantastic architecture, beautiful Lake Michigan and people really enjoy being out and doing things. In the summer months there are nonstop music festivals along the lakefront. The Milwaukee Art Museum with its stunning bridge designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava is definitely worth a visit. We have some great restaurants like Odd Duck and La Dama that are not to be missed. Milwaukee is of course famous for beer and there are amazing breweries and beer gardens around the city you can stop in at after kayaking down the Milwaukee River. The state of Wisconsin has amazing parks, lakes, waterfall hikes, glacial trails and campgrounds. Washington Island is a hidden gem you can reach via ferry after visiting the lovely small towns of Door County.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m grateful to friends and family who have encouraged and supported me on my path, especially through the ups and downs. I also feel deeply indebted to my mentors and friends in Spain. I am incredibly grateful to them for making me feel welcome and for showing me so much about Spanish culture, the art of flamenco and how to enjoy life!

Website: https://www.kerensademars.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerensademars/

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kerensa-demars-62a267182

Other: https://www.studiokflamenco.com/ https://www.flamenconutcracker.com/

Image Credits
Christine Fu Christal Wagner