La Morenita Flamenca Dance Troupe at Folk of the Wood Ceilidh

La Morenita Flamenca

La Morenita Flamenca (Michelle Carrier) is a professional flamenco dancer currently based in London, UK where she has been a soloist and a major creative force behind the popular flamenco group Sumaya Flamenco for the past five years. She has lived and trained in Jerez, Spain which is considered to be the birthplace of flamenco, and studied intensively with Jerez based artists Mercedes Ruiz, Chiqui de Jerez, Manuela Carpio and Andres Peña, amongst others. Other reknowned flamenco artists she has studied with include Eva la Yerbabuena, Rafaela Carrasco, Belen Maya, Javier La Torre, Israel Galvan, Farruquito, La Truco, Pilar Ogalla, Manuela Rios, Manolo Linan and Marco Flores. With a strong background in ballet and contemporary dance she began performing flamenco in 1996. She has since performed around the UK in art centres, theatres, festivals including at Glastonbury, Latitude and Musicport and in 2009 she opened as a soloist with Sumaya for Carmen Linares at the Barbican Blaze series. Her performances in Spain have included important venues in Jerez and Cadiz such as La Peña de Bulerias, La Peña de Cernicalos, La Peña Flamenca Perla de Cadiz and in recent years has performed as a soloist in the Sala de Compania in Jerez on the invitation of Manuela Carpio. She continues to return to Jerez regularly to continue her studies and further develop her art.

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