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Siblings compete this afternoon for Spirit of Fiesta, Junior Spirit KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESSSkyler Harwood and his older brother Jack are at the Santa Barbara Mission, where they hope to perform in August as the Junior Spirit and Spirit of Fiesta. They’re both competing this afternoon for those titles.
For Jack Harwood, becoming the Spirit of Fiesta means stepping outside of one’s comfort zone — no matter how old.
Jack, 17, is competing this afternoon at the Lobero Theatre in his fourth Spirit of Fiesta audition for the upcoming Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara. And this time, he’ll be joined by his 10-year-old brother, Skyler Harwood.
Event organizers say this is the first time two brothers have competed for the titles of Spirit and Junior Spirit simultaneously.
Both brothers began flamenco dancing at the age of 4, taking lessons at Linda Vega Dance Studio, now the Maria Bermudez Flamenco Performing Arts Studio.
This was Jack Harwood at age 4, when he was participating in a Fiesta parade. That was the year he started his dancing studies.Their parents, Riley and Dacia Harwood, are deeply ingrained in the Santa Barbara community. (Father Riley is retired from the Santa Barbara Police Department, where he worked special events; mother Dacia is the executive director of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.) The pair knew they wanted their kids to be involved in the arts — and both of their sons took off with flamenco dancing.
Throughout the years, Jack, a senior at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, has trained in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Spain. And now he’s competing for a title he’s envisioned since he was his younger brother’s age.
“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, ever since I first saw the auditions when I was 10 years old,” Jack told the News-Press. “For me, it would be more about using that role as a way to inspire men of all ages, not just little kids and not just adults, to step out of their comfort zones and give things a try.”
Skyler Harwood, then 4, joins his brother Jack in the Fiesta fun.“Flamenco has been such a positive influence on my life. I hope to inspire other young men to push themselves to break down societal barriers and to not be afraid of expressing themselves through dance,” he added.
Jack has already influenced at least one person to try flamenco. His brother Skyler, a fourth-grader at Isla Vista Elementary, said he is excited about competing today and enjoys performing to make other people happy.
“I’ve always looked up to my brother and am excited to share the stage with him at the auditions,” Skyler said.
The Spirit of Fiesta competition is about more than just dance, although that’s a major part of it, Riley explained.
Jack Harwood adjusts his younger brother Skyler’s necktie at the Santa Barbara Mission. “I’ve always looked up to my brother and am excited to share the stage with him at the auditions,” Skyler said.“The people who become Junior Spirits and Spirits have spent years preparing in terms of their flamenco training,” Riley said. “In addition to the dancing, to be Spirit, you’re representing Old Spanish Days and the city of Santa Barbara. There’s an interview … because they’re looking at people who are going to be poised and have the communication skills to represent Santa Barbara and Old Spanish Days.”
“You have to be a really phenomenal dancer, but you also have to be a good representative of Santa Barbara and Old Spanish Days,” Riley said.
The Spirit is a “visual representation of Fiesta, a goodwill ambassador to local residents and visitors alike,” according to the event’s website. The Junior Spirit “embodies the gaiety and vitality of Santa Barbara’s annual summer festival.”
Old Spanish Days is scheduled for Aug. 3-7.
email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
FYI
For more about Old Spanish Days, see www.sbfiesta.org.
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