About Floreo Flamenco Dance Group

Holly  (Alessandra) began studying flamenco in San Francisco, where she studied with Yaelisa. Since then, she has studied in many places, including Granada, Spain.

She was a Founding Member of the group, Companeros de Flamenco, with whom she danced for over ten years. She has danced with several flamenco groups, including the fusion group, Al Flamenco, and the rock band, Domingo Flamenco.

Holly attended Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied piano, and received her BA in English and her MFA in Dance. She has taught extensively, including at Michigan State University, Eastern Michigan University, University of Toledo, Pacific Northwest Ballet, as well as private studios and schools. She is a certified 500-hr yoga instructor, and teaches yoga in Royal Oak. She is also a private piano instructor in Grosse Pointe. She studies flamenco with David Cordoba in Granada, Spain.

In 2018, she presented an academic paper on Capoeira for the Annual Dance Studies Association Conference in Malta.

Other interests include tango, metalsmithing, and weaving.

La Rubia  has been dancing since the age of 3, performing in many  shows in Sydney, Australia, including  the Sydney Opera House, before connecting with Alessandra/Holly, (her current teacher and partner) and rediscovering her passion for flamenco several years ago. Her flamenco teachers in Australia were Rubi Cassidei, Antonio Vargas and Diana Reyes, and she was invited to audition for the film 'Strictly Ballroom' by the choreographer John 'Cha Cha'  O'Connell.

Performance highlights include: playing Adela in a dance drama of Lorca's "La Casa  de Bernarda Alba", in Sydney and Canberra, Australia, and recently Dancing in the Streets Festival of Ann Arbor, Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Tio‘s restaurant, the Power Center, and the Arthur Miller Theater in Ann Arbor. Flamenco provides a platform of arte and technical challenge that no other dance form approaches.  She looks forward to many more collaborations with Alesasandra y Floreo Flamenco!  Oleeee