Meet Carlos Montúfar of Phoenix World Arts Collective

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Montúfar.

Carlos, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a transplant from El Paso, TX. I was born in Monterey Park, CA, but my mother brought us to Texas for a better life and safer environment. I was pushed in the direction of math and science growing up, but my passion was for the arts. I began drawing and painting at a very young age, winning community awards for my artwork as well as debuting my mural work at Americas High School, the school I attended before moving to Phoenix. Another one of my passions was Flamenco.

I saw it at a very early age, didn’t know how it would be possible, but knew that it was going to somehow be part of my life. In the summer of 2001, I was 17 years old when I moved to Phoenix, fresh out of high school with a new chapter of my life I felt I had to fulfill; I was absolutely scared out of my wits, going to a vocational school that was supposed to teach me drafting, dorming with people I would never consider friends and trying to make ends meet financially.

I knew I wasn’t happy and took a very large leap of faith-I discontinued the drafting program at Hi-Tech Institute and attended Glendale Community College. There I completed my general studies and got an associates degree. As I was in school, I began asking around if anyone knew where I could take a flamenco class. Most people had no idea of what it was or would confuse it for Mexican Folklorico until I was finally given the name of Laura Moya.

Laura Moya was my first Flamenco teacher. She was in her ’80s, frail, sweet and very encouraging. She taught me the very basics to what I know now and gave me my very first performance opportunity at 19 years old. Mind you, I had a late start in my dancing career, but Laura saw something in me. She never charged me for classes but asked me to stay after class to sweep the studio and wipe down the mirrors.I was diligent in my studies until Laura could no longer teach.

Little by little, I took a class with a few professional artists that made up the local Flamenco scene at that time and eventually was asked to be part of CALO FLAMENCO: Ballet de Martin Gaxiola. I danced with this company a few years until I decided to move to Albuquerque, NM, to study in the mecca of Flamenco in the United States. Joaquin Encinias offered me a scholarship to study at the National Institute of Flamenco and was also asked to dance in Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company.

Moving to Albuquerque was a huge turning point as a dancer, Flamenco officially became part of my life, dancing 6-8 hours a day, learning not only dance but communication-an essential part of Flamenco that had not been taught to me while living in Phoenix. I studied in Albuquerque for two years exactly, and in 2009, I got a call from CHARO herself, asking me to be a feature dancer in her show at the Riviera Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas, NV. Studying in NM was the best and most memorable experience in my life, but was the hardest when it came to survival.

Paying bills was a challenge, and even though I was working full time, the money coming was not enough. Taking the gig in Las Vegas would help me ease my financial burdens, so I took the risk and moved. I performed with CHARO for about five months. An injury she had canceled the show, and I moved back to Phoenix. All of my belongings were moved to Phoenix, and the stars just seemed to line up for me there. Back in Phoenix, I supported Angelina Ramirez and helped fortify the presence of Flamenco Por La Vida and became co-director, performed in weekly shows and taught dance classes, thus helping nourish her student company, as well as dancing Flamenco and supporting other local Flamenco dancers and their gigs.

I then began searching for a way to separate myself from belonging to any one company. I crossed paths with Christy Lynn (aka Pyrrha Sutra) as she was judging a variety show I was competing in. I wanted so desperately to create something for myself or to use my talents in a different way. Christ was director of Scandalesque, a high-end burlesque company in Phoenix at that time. She saw me performed and graciously asked me to be part of her company. Not only was I able to fuse my knowledge of Flamenco with what her company did, but added a flamenco flare to their choreographies and Christy herself taught me the art of fire blowing.

This was very new for me and something very new in the entertainment scene in Phoenix. Flamencos are very cautious not to fuse their art with other genres, in fear that it would water down the purity of its nature, but I was ready to experiment and try something new. I am truly appreciative of everything Christy has taught me and the many doors she opened for me in the arts scene. We are still very good friends to this day. Through her, I was able to start WorldDANCE- A world showcase of the world arts within our community. She was the voice of support for me, and a great reference to learning how to organize and produce events.

It was not until about 2014 that I finally threw my hands up!! I was over the Flamenco drama, politics, gossip and backbiting in our community. I began to feel that dancers were mainly a monkey on a stage; told when to dance, where to dance and what to wear- How you felt had nothing to do with BUSINESS and it was more about who was under who, who had the most gigs, and who had to grovel for work.-I understand that competition can be healthy and inspiring, but it was getting out of hand and mentally abusive. I began to fade as a creative person and turned into a robot.

My value as a dancer became dependent on whoever I was working with, pleasing everyone else besides me. I could no longer walk on eggshells and decided I was no longer going to belong to any company again. I never thought that fighting for my own name would create ripples, and finally realized that I was being drained of my power as a creator, performer, artist and human being. I knew I wasn’t the only one dealing with this, so I, as well as I, knew how took another leap of faith.

In 2016, I walked into the Corporate Commissions office and filed my paperwork for non-profit PHOENIX WORLD ARTS COLLECTIVE. I felt the arts were dying, not because our community was no longer supporting, but because the very environment in which we come together as artists were infected. Artists were forgetting why they were doing what they were doing. The BUSINESS was taking over, and everyone was fighting to become the bigger fish. Petty politics bans a performer from not only sharing their art but making money. I wanted to create a safe haven for dancers, a neutral ground they could come to and just create, perform and express. The love of the arts seems to be fading, but it is because the passion of the artist was fading.

It is horrible to feel there are people with enough power who can crush an artists soul and discourage their growth, and even ban them-label them an outcast. I want to help bring that passion back, create a loving environment and welcome the community into a scene that is GENUINELY charismatic and honest. Under the PWAC umbrella, I organized shows WorldDANCE and Cafe Flamenco. I pull outside artists to work with locals, and everyone learns something new and leave with a new experience. I don’t like hearing Phoenix lacks culture. There is so much of it, but what people don’t realize are the lines drawn in the sand. No one goes out of their to search for it, and I have made it my duty to find and expose it to parts of our home that would have never dreamed to experience something so beautiful.

I love my art and know that I cannot dance forever. My body is changing, and I have accepted the fact that I started late in my career and I will continue to get older. Being an artist was never about building my name, but about trying something new and using the arts as a tool to express the parts of me that are undefined by words. My organization brings me back to the basics. We love what we do, we share what we do, we inspire, and we pave the way for artistic excellence. I look back and would do it all over again. The hardships made it worth celebrating the amazing moments in my career. I would not be the person I am today if I didn’t take the chance to throw my arms up and want to give up.

Giving up only means there needs to be changed, and I am extremely proud of myself for creating the ripples necessary. I’ve never worked so hard in my life, but I know things are being done correctly- with respect to artists and community. I am overjoyed to create such a platform for ALL artists. I also work in special education. I have worked in the field for about 17 years, just as long as I have been dancing. I am currently hired through Carlota Santana’s Flamenco Vivo, teaching Flamenco dancing and communication to youth in residencies through North Carolina and New York.

Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve had to learn that if I wanted things done, I had to do them myself. I asked for help, but friends don’t respect deadlines, favors were usually paid back triple, and trying to explain to people that being a dancer was not my hobby, but my career. I knew that by running a nonprofit, the best thing to do for myself was to link up with directors of other organizations. In return, I was seen as a threat or competition. I had to accept the fact that there are fans, and then there are supporters.

Fans only go to a show, but a supporter sees you dragging floorboards, witnesses you running back and forth trying to keep your event afloat and asks what they can do to lighten the load. I confided in people to follow through with very important things, and in the end, left me hanging. I don’t allow that to happen anymore. I know being a brand new organization will require a lot of work on my part, work I am ready to plow myself into, because I know one day I will look back and remember how much was required, and how much I wanted it to happen.

I have learned to separate my friendships and business and can identify when someone cares and when someone is curious. A huge struggle of mine is just not knowing. Little by little, as my events and classes grow, I learn a new process, a new form to fill out, and a new contact. Another struggle of mine was letting go of who I used to be. I have always been a mild tempered, go with the flow and live in the moment type of person. Running an organization takes urgency, creativity, and deadlines.

I used to take things very personally when I was mistreated as a performer. I know my worth now and giving my focus to situations like those only wastes my time. I have too many people looking up to me, waiting for the next opportunity to perform, to teach and help. I’ve had to learn to trust myself during situations I felt I didn’t know enough to manifest the next desire, but it only took me a moment to look around and ask the people in my circle to figure things out. I could not be who I am without those very special people who spoke life into me. They helped me push through the hardships.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Phoenix World Arts Collective story. Tell us more about the business.
I am the CEO of Phoenix World Arts Collective. My organization has a focus on artists as well as educate the community on the world arts. Being that I am a Flamenco dancer, there is a special focus on Flamenco, but the opportunity is endless. It showcases all talents and promotes artists. This is not an organization that absorbs talent and stamps them under another name, but protects the work of the artists and upholds their very own name.

PWAC provides opportunities for artists to teach workshops, perform and engage in arts that are new to them. I love when an artist is part of an event and is in awe of all of the talent. What I do is not about me, but about everyone. I have worked with many dance companies, and it is a joy to have all of them engage together for the very first time. It broadens the learning curve and inspires artists. New contacts are made, and professional relationships are created, all within a caring environment.

I feel that when an artist expresses within a trusting environment, with the support of fellow artists and community, what comes out of them is surreal!! Many events are loaded with drama and backstories. This is a neutral ground. People meet for the first time and do not rely on gossip or stereotypes with this first-hand encounter.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I would love for my events to search deeper and go outside of our community, to pull more exotic and entertaining experiences. I would love to bring Kabuki Theatre here and eventually have a world festival! I would love to bring the outside world to Phoenix.

I haven’t been to Japan, Thailand, Morocco-and I’m sure many others haven’t, but why limit their life experience when it can be brought to them? I would love to open an office/studio/performance venue in the near future and write for grants that would help make this happen. I would love to write the curriculum and work with artists that would cater to children and adults with special needs.

Pricing:

• Children’s Flamenco class: $15 walk in/ $50 class card (5 classes)
• Adult’s Flamenco class: $20 walk in/ $65 class card (5 classes)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://phxworldarts.org
• Phone: 602.369.1753
• Email: phxworldarts@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phxworldarts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phxworldarts/

Image Credit:
Paulo Cesar Contreras

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