El Faro de Mara Torres | Sara Baras | 20/04/2023

Juan Díaz de Solís School. A group of girls, some of the lucky ones who stayed for lunch at school, took flamenco lessons with Concha Baras while waiting for their classmates who were at home. The Solís School is on Avenida de la Armada in Cádiz and was a military school, which she attended as the daughter of Cayetano Pereyra, a colonel in the Marine Infantry. From him, she learned responsibility and discipline, two essential qualities for winning the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts and the National Dance Award, among many others. But, in addition, this man, who always dressed to the nines and smelled clean, was the reason for Sara Baras's love of boleros: "My father was always singing and whistling." And between songs, she also busied herself gathering all her press clippings, show brochures, and dedication cards: "He kept everything since I was a child and gave me a tremendous gift. Like any true family member, he kept everything super organized and bound it. For example, the cards they sent with a bouquet of flowers to the dressing room and even the theater programs written in Japanese, where you can't even understand what Sara Baras says." She has danced in the best and most prestigious theaters in the world: London, New York, Miami, Paris, Tokyo, Dubai... And she assures that each audience gives its all in its own way: "The reaction of the people is incredibly beautiful, and in each country they applaud differently." Her current show, Alma, is dedicated to him and combines flamenco with boleros. A year ago, while she was in the middle of a tour, her father passed away, and she decided to fulfill his request: "Promise me that you won't cancel a performance for me," he told her. "It was one of the most important decisions of my life. I thought it was important to do it because it was what he wanted me to do. I finished and went to the funeral home," the flamenco dancer said. "Has your mother gone to see Alma? Has she asked me to?