Spanish choreographer Antonio Vargas, 86, is redefining flamenco by integrating contemporary themes such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and society’s growing dependence on mobile phones in his latest production, *Tierra Rota, Alma Viva* (Broken Earth, Living Soul). The performance, part of the FlamencAsian 2026 festival, will be staged at the Esplanade Theatre Studio in Singapore on October 3 and 4. It is presented by Flamenco Sin Fronteras, the Singapore-based company Vargas co-founded with his wife, Singaporean dancer Daphne Huang.
*Tierra Rota, Alma Viva* blends traditional flamenco dance with contemporary movement, featuring both flamenco and contemporary dancers to explore new physical vocabularies and expressions. The work reflects Vargas’s belief that flamenco, a folk dance originating from Andalusia and a hallmark of Spanish culture, must evolve by embracing modern issues and diverse influences.
The festival's second program, *Fragmentos de Manana* (Fragments of Tomorrow), involves a multinational ensemble of artists, dancers, and musicians from Singapore, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand, alongside invited Spanish performers. This production presents a series of performance fragments responding to themes like AI, environmental uncertainty, shifting identity, and the search for human connection.
Vargas said his work aims to confront changes in how people interact, lamenting the loss of direct communication as mobile phones dominate social settings. “You’re sitting at the table having dinner with friends, and they’re all looking at cellphone. What kind of dinner is that without the conversation going?” he said, highlighting the tension between tradition and technological influence.
Having first arrived in Singapore in 2005 for a workshop, Vargas settled there after marrying Huang. Together, they launched Flamenco Sin Fronteras in 2011, where Huang acts as director and producer, and Vargas serves as artistic director. He noted the growth of the local flamenco scene over the past two decades—from an initial 10 students to upwards of 80—and greater regional exchanges among Asian flamenco practitioners.
The collaborative nature of *Fragmentos de Manana* reflects this trend. Vargas described the effort to include dancers from across Asia as a way to “make new friends” and emphasize that flamenco “is not only just Spanish people” but a global art form evolving through diverse contributions.
The festival also features artists from Seville, flamenco’s birthplace, including dancer Macarena Lopez and pianist-singer Perez Vera, supported by Spain’s tourism and cultural offices. Vargas emphasized the educational value of this international exchange for his company, noting that “we haven’t finished learning yet.”
Despite his openness to innovation, Vargas maintains that flamenco must retain its core identity. “Once you go outside the range, it becomes another form,” he said. He described performing flamenco as a “liberating feeling” that releases tension and frustration while fostering confidence—a testament to the deep passion he continues to bring to a dance form he has dedicated over 60 years to mastering.