St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society kicks off its 40th season with a tribute to its founder

Nestled behind a quaint single-family home off Hampton and Scanlan avenues in south St. Louis sits a white two-car garage that Marisel Salascruz turned into a flamenco dance studio in 1992.

“I started giving classes in my dining room, because I didn't have a place,” Salascruz said. “I started looking at my dining room floor getting white … and I said ‘I have to do something’.”

Salascruz insulated the garage, painted the walls and placed a brown wood dance floor on one side and a mini-closet for her dancers' flamenco dresses on the other. The discolored dance floor tells the story of hundreds of dancers who have put dedication, passion and time into learning how to flamenco dance through the St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society.

The dance company is celebrating its 40th season Saturday at Bayless High School with “Dreams of Lost Memories,” a fiery showcase that captures the life and journey of Salascruz, the society’s artistic director. The performance is directed by Maria del Mar Villaú of Spain and Salascruz. The 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows also will highlight the realities of Alzheimer’s disease. Salascruz is dedicating the performance to her friends and family who are living with the disease or have succumbed to it.