Biography
Clara Rodriguez is artistic director and founder of AguaClara Flamenco, based in Oakland, CA. She has been training and working professionally in the flamenco world for nearly 30 years, and has since been a featured soloist in productions throughout the United States, Spain, Portugal and India.
At an early age in her native Santa Barbara, California, she began training with Roberto Amaral, Linda Vega and Kathy Cota in Flamenco and Spanish Classical dance, attending workshops with visiting artists from Spain including Eva La Yerbabuena, Belen Maya, Domingo Ortega and Andres Marin.
After completing her B.A. in Ethnomusicology at UCLA, Clara began working in the local tablaos or flamenco dance venues in Los Angeles. During this period she performed with Soniquete Flamenco directed by Jose Tanaka, España Clásica directed by Roberto Amaral, and was featured soloist in multiple “Forever Flamenco” productions at the Fountain Theatre. In the Los Angeles area she has performed at the Greek Theater, Kodak Theater, Segerstrom Hall, Irvine Barclay and Alex Theater. In 2005 she joined guitarist Benise as a flamenco soloist in a PBS Special and twenty-city US tour “Nights of Fire". She was invited to India along with the company to perform at Jaipur Palace. In 2007 she was featured in the music video Boy with a Coin by artist Iron and Wine.
During the three years she resided in southern Spain, Clara performed regularly at such venues as Tablao Albayzin, Venta el Gallo, Eshavira, and Zoraya de los Jardines in Granada alongside such noted artists as Rafalín Habichuela, Emilio Maya, Ana Calí and Juan Angel Tirado amongst others. She has studied extensively in Sevilla, Granada and Madrid with master teachers Juana Amaya, Concha Vargas, Andrés Marín, Isabel Bayón, Andres Peña, Úrsula Lopez, Ana Calí, Patricia Guerrero and a host of others. During this time she also studied flamenco singing with Inés Bacán of Lebrija.
In 2010 she relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and established the company AguaClara Flamenco in 2011. The company presented “Somos Tierra: A Flamenco Landscape” in 2012 and "Diálogos" in 2015 at the Cowell Theater in San Francisco, produced by the Azahar Dance Foundation. In 2016 the company presented “Martinete” at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, and was commissioned by the festival in 2018 to present a piece in the 40th anniversary performance at the War Memorial Opera House. AguaClara Flamenco has presented in the 2016-2018 San Francisco International Arts Festival. The company holds a monthly performance cycle at the beloved local jazz club The Sound Room in downtown Oakland.
In addition to her company, Rodriguez is frequently featured as soloist with the leading flamenco companies of the region including Yaelisa Caminos Flamencos, La Tania Baile Flamenco, and Theatre Flamenco. She performs regularly on the local flamenco circuit, with appearances at Thirsty Bear, The Sound Room, Yoshi’s, Rhythmix Cultural Works, The New Parish, La Peña Cultural Center, Ashkenaz and others. She has appeared on the stages of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, War Memorial Opera House, Palace of Fine Arts, deYoung Museum, and the Paramount Theatre of Oakland. She performed as vocalist in the production of Yatra with the legendary Chitresh Das and Antonio Hidalgo of Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana. As a company member of Caminos Flamencos “Nuevas Tendencias”, the group was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for “Best Company” in 2015. In February 2019 she was featured flamenco vocalist and dancer in Adam del Monte's flamenco opera Llantos 1492 premiering in the Desert Song Festival in Tucson, AZ.
In 2018 she became Adjunct Faculty at UC Berkeley teaching flamenco dance. She currently holds regular dance classes in Oakland and also offers workshops outside the Bay Area. She has been working for the past 3 years with the flamenco guitar program at Central High School in Fresno, CA. A lifelong musician in addition to her dance career, Clara is a classically trained pianist and holds a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA in Ethnomusicology.
