Meet Reyes Barrios | Teacher, Choreographer & Artist

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

Hi Reyes, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
Dance with your Heart and your feet will follow. Love the Life you live and you will live the life you Love And if you Live the life you love you will Love the life you live.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been a teacher/artist in San Diego for the past 20 years. I am also a Flamenco Singer. Understanding the nuances of the “Cante” (singing) in Flamenco is one of the most difficult things. Teaching students how to dance is easy, but to train their ear and be able to teach them to  understand the nuances of the singing and how to be able to improvise to the singing is the most difficult thing because we usually never know what the singer is going to sing. The lessons that I have learned for Flamenco are the same ones I pass on to my students. Listen to a lot of Flamenco Singing. I love to teach and watch students on their journey when they join my classes.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

First we would go to Costa Brava Restaurant in Pacific Beach for the most authentic Spanish food and experience. All the employees and the owner,Javier Gonzales are top of the line. Impeccable food and service.

From there we are a walk away from the beach and local stores. Maybe even a cool roller coaster ride in Mission Beach. On another day across the bridge to beautiful Coronado. Many things to eat and to do out there in and out of the water. Then take them to Barrios Logan to see all of the great things happening there. Maybe have amazing hot dogs at Barrio Dog or some tacos at Salud Tacos. Ten just check out all the art they have there and check out their community. Next to Cafe Bar Europa between La Jolla and Pacific Beach. Great food, drinks and live music.

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 would like to dedicate my Shoutout to all the pioneers that kept Flamenco going like Juanita Franco and Juana de Alva in San Diego. Because of the road they paved many of us still get to perform. They kept Flamenco alive in its purest form Also to my amazing teacher/friend Cihtli Ocampo who taught me the importance of remaining faithful and strong during my journey. And to keep moving.

Website: www.costabravasd.com
Instagram: costabrava