By: Karen Evans

As a young child in her grandparents’ living room, Annette would dance to the rhythms of her grandfather Willie “El Curro” Champion’s Flamenco guitar. At the same time, her mother, Chayitos’s voice, accompanied the music, and her grandmother, Teresa Champion, guided her movements.  

Long before I discovered dance for myself, I was already a dancer. I began dancing with my grandmother at the age of 2 in our home and at Teresa Champion Dance Academy. In reality, I believe I started dancing in my mother’s womb!

My parents are Rosalinda Chayito Champion and Daniel Duran. I am proud to belong to two prominent families here in San Antonio. The Champion Family is known for their art form of Flamenco, and the Duran family’s legacy is also artistic. My grandfather Duran was a master carpenter, and my uncles Gilbert Duran and David Duran, whose artworks and sculptures are displayed internationally and throughout  San Antonio.

Flamenco is a way of life for my family. Flamenco is what provided shelter, food, and family bonding for us. For me, dance is a way of life. I have been able to make a living for myself performing as a professional dancer in San Antonio since the age of 15, working for my grandparents’ dance company, Los Flamencos de San Antonio, and teaching at Teresa Champion Dance Academy.

My dance studies include Flamenco, Mexican Folklorico, Ballet, Jazz, and Modern dance. I am studying with various instructors, including Teresa Champion, Vladimir Marek, Nancy Smith, Alonzo King, Sergio Martinez, Miguel Ponce, Amelia Hernandez, Tracie Stanfield, Yaniv Abraham, and many, many more.

I have my own project-based company, “Soul Fusion”. We have collaborated locally with San Antonio’s Inaugural Poet Laureate, Dr. Carmen Tafolla, to create poetry with dance throughout the city. I still perform with Los Flamencos de San Antonio at Toro Kitchen, Holam, and Carmen de la Calle.

Going to New York to study dance has been one of my best experiences. I love going to Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and Broadway Dance Center. 

I hold two degrees.  I have a Bachelor of Science in Dance from Texas State University with a minor in Exercise and Sports Science and a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography from Jacksonville University, making me a first-generation college graduate in the Champion Family. Professor George Ann Simpson opened up a desire to teach college-level dance at San Antonio College. She was out one day and left me to substitute for her classes, and it was that first day that I realized I needed to switch my major from psychology to dance.  After I graduated from Texas State, I was hired to teach Flamenco at San Antonio College. I taught ten tears before another educational adventure knocked on my door at KIPP Texas University Prep High School, teaching dance at an International Baccalaureate school. I have been at Uprep for six years and absolutely love my kiddos and the opportunities I have created for my dancers.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach at the American College Dance Conference, Texas Dance Educators, and to be called back to Texas State University to teach master classes.

I have always longed to open my own dance studio to keep my family legacy strong throughout San Antonio, and my dream is slowly becoming a reality in 2024.

I also love being a mommy of three and a grandmother of four. I have three kiddos! Janette, Jay Anthony, and Xochitil. My partner, Cibicue Perez, has been super supportive of my life as an artist and dancer. I am an avid fan of Disney and love to visit the park often because I am a Peter Pan and Never Want To Grow Up!

I am fundraising for the San Antonio Hospitality Foundation Scholarship Fund through the San Antonio River Walk and campaigning for Riverwalk Royalty. I have an event on February 5th at the Quarry Golf Course. If you would like to support my  campaign in any way, please send me an email at danz9601@yahoo.com

I want to finish with the fact that I am still a student of dance, especially alongside my family, where I continue to grow as an artist, performer, and dance educator. My grandfather El Curro always said, “There will always be someone better than you; learn from them. There will always be someone not as good as you. Teach them; this will make you a better artist…..OLE!!!!”