Only male Junior Spirit of Fiesta hopes to inspire more boys to learn to dance

In 1998, 11-year-old Ryan Zermeño became the first male Junior Spirit of Fiesta. There hasn’t been a boy Junior Spirit since. Now 31, the professional dancer hopes to change that.

He returned home to the Santa Barbara area as a favor to his sister Daniela who may give birth to her first child, a girl, during Old Spanish Days.

Ryan, who is also a father to a little girl, said he has enjoyed mentoring the Zermeño Dance Academy students. He has inspired them to dance to live music whenever possible.

“Being able to give these girls that opportunity brings a lot of joy to my heart,” said Zermeño.

The group based in Goleta performed at La Fiesta Pequeña on Wednesday night in blue dresses designed by his sister.

They will be performing all week, but if Ryan had his way they would only dance to live musicians.

“Every time you dance live with these musicians it is completely different.” He said the emotions and feeling are genuine.

Now that he has returned to the area he hopes to inspire more boys and men to dance.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to see men dancing here in Santa Barbara, everything was to these tapes and pretty women in their dresses and because I won Junior Spirit, that whole thing, I was invited to a Gypsy camp and I was introduced to real Flamenco and my journey started.”

He believes boys exposed to Flamenco dancers like him will enjoy seeing their strength, masculinity and rhythm. He has already gotten to know his local students.

“Their growth in Flamenco and dance mirrors their growth in their personal lives.”

Zermeño will be dancing to live music in the El Paseo on Thursday afternoon at at 4:30 pm and at the Collective Winery in the Funk Zone on Saturday at 1p.m.and 5:45p.m.

For more information visit https://zermenodance.com