SAN ANTONIO – She helped break down barriers for Flamenco dance in San Antonio. Local icon Teresa Champion continues to inspire young dancers who walk into her South Side studio on S. Flores Street. Its dedication and passion for the arts that Champion has shared with the Alamo City for decades.
“I had the dream to become a dance teacher since I was six years old,” said Champion.
The longtime Flamenco dancer helped pave the way for other women pursuing the same dream, like her granddaughter, Annette Champion Flores.
“I’m very proud of her accomplishments. The barriers that she broke down for Flamenco in San Antonio. She came into the city at a time when Flamenco was not recognized,” said Flores.
Champion and her husband, Flamenco guitarist Willie, also known as “El Curro,” founded the dance studio in the 1970s. The studio has built five generations of talent.
“I’m going to leave them something they can keep on and on. My granddaughters dance, my daughter’s dance, my granddaughters dance. My great-granddaughters dance,” added Champion.
The Flamenco legend and her husband have performed across the country and Europe.
“I did that. I performed at the White House. I went to New York, Chicago, and California,” added Champion.
As Champion reflects on her career, she remembers the little girl she once was, dreaming of becoming a dance teacher one day. It’s what she saw in a window, leaving a mark on her heart.
“There was this lady playing the castanets. I just stayed there. When I saw that lady dancing, I said, ‘That’s what I want to be!’ It stayed in my mind forever, and it’s here,” said Champion.
Her dream is now a family tradition.
“My great grandfather working three jobs, for her to see through her dream is a possibility for any student that walks through this door,” said Flores.
Champion and her husband were both in the 1960 John Wayne film, “The Alamo.”
“That was the breaking point for me,” said Champion.
In the famous scene, she dances on a table, and Willie plays the guitar.
Her talent and passion for the arts lives on in the Alamo City.
“During her time period, there were a lot of male instructors, I mean, all over the place. But she came up and did the thing she stood; she stood her ground and said, I am Teresa Champion,” added Flores.
A little girl’s dream inspires the next generation of dancers to dream big.
“She empowers a lot of young girls also to have those dreams,” said Flores.
For Champion, there is no stopping anytime soon.
“If somebody is going to know when to stop – it’s going to be. Right now, I feel like I can keep going. I will be 85 next month.”
Campion’s 85th birthday celebration gala will be on Saturday, October 21st, at Progreso Hallon Guadalupe St. Proceeds from the event will help support the San Antonio Hospitality Foundation Scholarship Fund.
For more information about the Teresa Champion Dance Academy, click HERE.
