Sara Baras: a Spanish flamenco dancer

Sara Baras is a Spanish flamenco dancer who was born in Cadiz.  She began studying her profession at the age of 8 in a dance school owned by her mother, Concha Baras.  Sara formed part of the dance troupe  “Los Niños de la Terulia Flamenca” with which she traveled a lot and also had the opportunity to perform in front of the Queen of Spain, Doña Sofia. At the age of 18, Sara Baras won a competition called “Gente Joven” on Spanish National Television.

In 1989, Sara Baras performed in Granada in the Alhambra 89 Flamenco Theatre Festival with Manuel Morao's dance company and again in 1991 for a two month stint at the Eduard VII theatre in Paris.  1992 would see the flamenco dancer perform at the Universal Exhibition in Seville. As it is known, flamenco in Seville is almost a religion. Later, she danced flamenco in New York, achieving an absolute sucess.

Growing in fame, Sara Baras was awarded the “Madrono Flamenco” prize in 1993 in the town of Montellano.  The prize is awarded to the most outstanding flamenco artist of the year.

The flamenco dancer appeared again in 1994 at Caja de Avila Flamenco Week where she danced alongside Enrique Morente. The same year Sara Baras joined Paco Pena’s Dance Company and spent two months touring Europe.

In the 1994 23^rd Festival of Andalusian Song and Dance in the city of Jerez de la Frontera Sara Baras performed alongside other world renowned flamenco artists. She embarked on a tour of Asia later tha year and had the opportunity to perform in cities like Taipei and Seoul.  The dancer’s next adventure lasted a year long, from 1996-1997, when she performed as a guest artist in “Gitano” with Antonio Canales.  The production was later presented at the Seville Biennal Festival and later in the Madrid Autumn Festival before making its way to the Champs Elysées Theatre in Paris.

In 1997 the flamenco artist debuted her own dance troupe at the 37^th Cante de las Minas National Flamenco Festival and earned critical and public acclaim. By 1998, her new company formed by 7 dancers and 7 musicians launched the production “Sensaciones” which explored various different forms of flamenco. She would later appear in Juana la Loca (2001) and Mariana Pineda (2002). 

Sara Baras continued to grow in fame and now one of the most famous flamenco dancers. As her face became more and more known, the artist began appearing in all types of media including television, film and fashion.  In 1998, Sara Baras was selected to present the Spanish television program Something more than Flamenco. The flamenco performer appeared on the big screen a scene for the filme Mission Impossible II that was filmed in 1999 in Seville. She has also worked as a model, appearing in Amaya Arzuaga shows during London Fashion Week or with Francis Montesinos in Madrid and Lisbon.  The flamenco artist continues to be a main staple on the flamenco scene and there are no ends in sight to her long and successful professional flamenco career.