Drea Pacot is a native Californian who has always had the love of dance in her heart. She holds the belief that dance, overall, is an expression of emotion. During her first years of study Drea studied ballet until her college years. While at UCDavis she began to explore contemporary dance dancing and performing with the university’s modern dance troupe as well as Nexxus Modern Dance Collective. In both troupes she choreographed numerous dances. It was during her senior year when Maria Benitez’s Flamenco group toured the campus. From there her focus in dance flipped and the journey into Flamenco began.
Over the twenty plus years of her journey in Flamenco Drea has studied with many artists, both in the U.S. and in Spain, from group classes, workshops and privates. But there are two significant women artists that particularly inspire her dancing. Those amazing women are Yaelisa, director of Caminos Flamencos (California) and Pilar Andujar (Austin). Other notable artists include Jose Galvan, Concha Vargas, Concha Jareno, Olga Piercet, Alonso Losa, and Vanessa Paloma.
In California Drea taught in Sacramento and Nevada City, CA. She received a grant from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission to showcase her students on the theater stage as well as invite prominent flamenco artists to the region. Along with flamenco guitarist Gopal Slavonic she formed the group Flamenco del Oro that performed throughout Northern California.
Drea moved to Austin in 2011 to attend the acupuncture school AOMA. She began working with Pilar Andujar and Genieveve Guinn, director of Flamenco Dance Academy. In 2018 Drea performed as a company dancer in Guinn’s production of Fosteros at the Long Center. Drea also performed in flamenco events as a soloist at Esquina Tango, Barlata and El Raval restaurants. Audience members enjoy her emotional expression and impromptu nature in a tablao setting.
Her mission is to bring her joy, expression and depth of flamenco dance to blossoming students in flamenco. Currently she teaches this art at the Austin Flamenco Dance Academy.