Theater Flamenco of San Francisco
Ser y Estar
Ser y Estar takes its title from two Spanish verbs that both mean “to be”: ser, which describes an essential quality or identity, and estar, which describes a state or condition. Through expressive movement and dynamic flamenco footwork, Carola Zertuche’s choreography explores the boundaries of gender, culture, nationality, and identity, asking: What does it mean to be?
Carola Zertuche - Artistic Director, Choreographer & Dancer
A native of Torreón, Mexico, Carola Zertuche is the Artistic Director of Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco. Her work bridges traditional flamenco and contemporary expression, bringing together local and international artists in productions that explore new artistic possibilities.
She trained in Mexico and Spain with renowned artists including Pilar Rioja, Belén Maya, Andrés Marín, and Israel Galván. She has toured internationally, performed at the Joyce Theatre and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and made her San Francisco Opera debut as choreographer for La Traviata. Her work has earned two Isadora Duncan Award nominations and recognition from San Francisco Magazine and SF Weekly.
Her recent projects include Tríptico (2025), a collaboration with dancers Nol Simonse and Nevarez Encinias and electronic musician Pascual Martinez, and De Ayer a Hoy, celebrating Theatre Flamenco’s 60th anniversary, which will premiere on October 17, 2026, at San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre. She also shares her passion for flamenco through classes for adults and children at the Theatre Flamenco Dance School.
Nol Simonse is from Washington D.C., and trained at the Boston Conservatory of Music. He moved to San Francisco in 1997, and helped form the punk rock ballet company, Kunst-Stoff. Nol has worked extensively in the Bay Area, most notably with Christy Funsch, Kara Davis, Janice Garrett, Charles Moulton, Carey Perloff, Val Caniparoli, and Sean Dorsey. Nol teaches modern technique at the Smuin Dance Center, Shawl-Anderson Dance Center, and ODC. He teaches performance, repertory, technique, and choreography workshops for adults and teens. Nol has been awarded an Izzy, a Goldie, Lunadance Institute’s Choreofund prize, a CHIME mentorship with Margaret Jenkins, and various residencies. He has made dances for West Wave, Robert Moses’ Kin, Diablo Ballet, and the Queering Dance Festival, and is a member of the choreographic collective, The Straw Dogs.