Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
One of Canada’s foremost elder statesmen of flamenco reflects on his brilliant career in a new music-and-dance-tinged talk for the Aga Khan Museum's Duende Festival 2020.
Indulge in a colourful conversation with Vancouver’s Oscar Nieto. Drawing on his five-plus decades as a performer, choreographer, teacher, and student of dance, he paints a vibrant and personal portrait of flamenco’s impressive flourishing in North America. Nieto’s talk illuminates the tradition’s pluralistic origins and how they have endured and developed through political and social change.
To learn more about the Duende Festival 2020: agakhanmuseum.org/programs/duende-festival-2020
BIO
Oscar Nieto is one of the original pioneers of flamenco in Vancouver, where he has performed, taught, and promoted the art for more than 40 years.
Nieto emerged as one of North America’s most acclaimed flamenco dancers after the launch of his professional career at the Chicago Lyric Opera House in 1969. Since his debut performance, he has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments, including performing and choreographing for the Boston Ballet, the Boston Flamenco Ballet, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver Opera. A charismatic and consummate performer, Nieto has been called “a flamenco Fred Astaire” by the Los Angeles Times.
The recipient of numerous grants in support of his work, Nieto has dedicated much of his life to the study of the evolution of Spanish dance and flamenco. His productions have combined his vast knowledge of the traditions of Spanish dance arts with his unstoppable innovative spirit, including multi-media elements, non-traditional instrumentation, and contemporary choreographic fusions.
The Museum's Duende Festival 2020 was made possible by the Government of Canada, the Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Toronto, with support from the Cultural Office of the Spanish Embassy in Canada.
One of Canada’s foremost elder statesmen of flamenco reflects on his brilliant career in a new music-and-dance-tinged talk for the Aga Khan Museum's Duende Festival 2020.
Indulge in a colourful conversation with Vancouver’s Oscar Nieto. Drawing on his five-plus decades as a performer, choreographer, teacher, and student of dance, he paints a vibrant and personal portrait of flamenco’s impressive flourishing in North America. Nieto’s talk illuminates the tradition’s pluralistic origins and how they have endured and developed through political and social change.
To learn more about the Duende Festival 2020: agakhanmuseum.org/programs/duende-festival-2020
BIO
Oscar Nieto is one of the original pioneers of flamenco in Vancouver, where he has performed, taught, and promoted the art for more than 40 years.
Nieto emerged as one of North America’s most acclaimed flamenco dancers after the launch of his professional career at the Chicago Lyric Opera House in 1969. Since his debut performance, he has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments, including performing and choreographing for the Boston Ballet, the Boston Flamenco Ballet, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver Opera. A charismatic and consummate performer, Nieto has been called “a flamenco Fred Astaire” by the Los Angeles Times.
The recipient of numerous grants in support of his work, Nieto has dedicated much of his life to the study of the evolution of Spanish dance and flamenco. His productions have combined his vast knowledge of the traditions of Spanish dance arts with his unstoppable innovative spirit, including multi-media elements, non-traditional instrumentation, and contemporary choreographic fusions.
The Museum's Duende Festival 2020 was made possible by the Government of Canada, the Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Toronto, with support from the Cultural Office of the Spanish Embassy in Canada.
