Julia Chacon, Biography, Flamenco Santa Fe Inspiracion Flamenca




		A performer, choreographer and teacher, Julia Chacón has performed in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. She has danced in the companies of renowned flamenco artists María Benítez’ (Santa Fe), Omayra Amaya (Boston), and Carlota Santana (New York), with whom she still tours. She has shared the bill with Inmaculada Ortega, Antonio Hidalgo, Antonio Granjero, Miguel Angel Rojas, Eva Yerbabuena, and many others. Julia directs her own troupe, Inspiración Flamenca and was a featured presenter at the National Dance Education Organization annual conference in 2010. She has been on the Travel Channel in “Samantha Brown’s Passport to Great Weekends,” and was featured in Dance Studio Life Magazine. Julia was the principal female dancer in, “Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow,” a retrospective exploring the career of flamenco icon Maria Benitez, for which she was described as having "...in-your-face duende, deep backward torso spirals, and crisp footwork." by Dance Magazine. Other performance highlights include Bucaramanga, Colombia’s Festival, “Abrapalabra;” Festival Flamenco’s “Fiesta Flamenca;” and Arizona Opera’s “Carmen.” An accomplished director, Julia’s choreography was performed in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Shanghai Opera House in China in 2006. Her work has been showcased in “Louder than Words” in Santa Fe, “Savor y Ritmo” in Los Angeles, and in Yaelisa’s “Emerging Choreographers Showcase” in San Francisco. She created three pieces for award winning, Moving Company out of Scottsdale, and her self-produced concerts, “Baile del Corazón,” in New Mexico and, “Flamenco; A Celebration of Life,” in Arizona met with sold out acclaim. Julia studied ballet extensively at the Phoenix School of Ballet, where she also studied Spanish dance under Lydia Torea. By age 16 Julia was performing with Torea’s troupe Artes Bellas. Later, Julia attended the University of New Mexico where she trained in flamenco with Eva Encinias- Sandoval and in modern dance with Bill Evans. In New Mexico she discovered Albuquerque’s Festival Flamenco (the largest flamenco intensive outside of Spain), and Santa Fe’s, Instituto del Arte Español, where she would later teach. Through these festivals she was introduced to and studied with master artists Mario Maya, Javier Latorre, Antonio Canales, Manolete, Eva “Yerbabuena,” La Familia Farruco, Manuela Carrasco, and Rocio Molina. Julia earned her BFA in dance, magna cum laude and BS in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico. She moved to Madrid, Spain to continue her flamenco studies at Amor de Dios: Centro de Arte Flamenco y Danza Española. While there she trained under maestros El Ciro, Manuel Reyes, Rafaela Carrasco, and Belen Maya, among others. Julia’s teaching credentials are varied and include the dance program of Scottsdale, Arizona’s New School for the Arts- a visual and performing arts high school; Harvard University’s dance program in Cambridge, MA; NDEO’s annual conference in Tempe, AZ; the Institute for Spanish Arts, and Moving People Dance – both in Santa Fe, NM. Updated March, 2011 Directed by Omayra Amaya
		`CURRICULUM VITAE`PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE Professional Companies • Inspiracón Flamenca, NM, AZ, GA. 2008-2011. • Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company, NC, NY, AK, MD. 2006, 2008-2011. • María Benítez’ Teatro Flamenco, Santa Fe Lodge, Santa Fe, NM. 2006/07, 2001/02. • Mosaico Flamenco, Hyatt Resort Hotel at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ. 1998-2007. • ’Zona Flamenca, Pepin’s Tablao Flamenco, Scottsdale, AZ. 1999-2001. • María Benítez’, Nuevo Flamenco, Santa Fe, NM. 1998. • Amaya, Flamenco Sín Límites, Boston, MA. 1995-1996. • Artes Bellas, Phoenix, AZ. 1990-1992. Special Appearances (Selected) • Abrapalabra, Bucaramanga, Colombia. Oct., 2009. • Dancing On, UNM Alumni Choreographers, UNM, Albuq., NM. Oct., 2009. • Plaza Hotel, San Carlos, Mexico. Jan., 2009. • Tifton Arts Festival, Tifton, GA. Jan., 2008. • Santa Fe Dance Festival, Santa Fe, NM. Jun., 2007. • Coming Home, an Alumni Dance Concert, UNM, Albuq., NM. May, 2006. • LMU 2nd Annual Guitar Festival, Los Angeles, CA. Mar., 2006. • Dance Telluride!, Telluride, CO. Feb., 2006. • La Taberna del Alabadero, Washington, DC. Sept., 2005. • Justice for Children, Scottsdale Center for the Arts, AZ. May, 2005. • Alma Latina, Scottsdale, AZ. July, 2004. • Orpheum Theater, Phoenix, AZ. Nov., 2003. • Alegría, Long Beach, California. Apr., 2003. • Viva la Juventud: A Showcase of Emerging Choreographers. ODC Theater, San Francisco, California. Apr., 2002. • Maria Morena Grand opening. Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain. Nov., 2000. • Federico, Albuquerque, NM. June, 1998. • Festival Flamenco, “Como Corre el Agua,” Albuquerque, NM. June, 1997. • El Fil, Expo de Libros de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico. Nov.,1994. Artistic Direction / Choreography (Selected) • Inspiriación Flamenca, GA, NM, Mexico. 2007-2011. • The Torn Veil, Albuquerque, NM. March, 2010. • Celebrando Nuevo Mexico, Flamenco segment, The Lensic, Santa Fe, NM. Sept. 2008. • Alas y Raices, Benitez Cabaret, Santa Fe, NM. Feb., 2008 • Nights of Sevilla, Various venues. Santa Fe, NM. Apr.-June 2007. • Danza del Molinero, Shanghai Opera House 50 Year Anniversary, China. 2006. Performed by company alumni Lydia Xie. • Cantada Mundi; Moving Company, Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, AZ. 2003. • Celebrate Flamenco, The Stagebrush Theater, Scottsdale, AZ. Mar., 2003. • Intentalo Encontrar; Moving Company, Scottsdale Community College, AZ. Spring, 2001. • Savor y Ritmo, The Century Club, Los Angeles, California. May, 1999. • Flamenco! Baile del Corazón. The Experimental Theater, UNM, Albuq., NM. April, 1998. • Flamenco Festival for Funds, New School for the Arts, Scottsdale, AZ. Nov., 1998. TEACHING EXPERIENCE • Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana-Project Olé, Children’s classes & performance. NC. 2007-2011. • Private Sector instruction, . Various studios. Santa Fe, NM 2006-2011. • Arts in Education, Capital High School, Santa Fe, NM 2010-2011. • National Dance Education Organization. Intensive Instruction. Tempe, AZ. Oct., 2010. • Moving People Dance, Adult classes, Santa Fe, NM. 2006-2008. • Institute for Spanish Arts, Advanced Chldren, 2007-2008; Adult Flamenco, 2003-2004, Santa Fe, NM. • Arts in Education, Children’s classes, Cimmeron, NM. November, 2006. • Maria Benítez Summer Institute, Adult Flamenco, 2006; Classical Spanish, 2002; Children’s Classes, 2001. Santa Fe, NM. • Alma Latina Studio, Workshops, Scottsdale AZ. 2004, 2005. • Torea Dance Studio, Adult Classes, Phoenix, AZ. 2001-2003 • Forever Young Dance Studio, Adult classes, Scottsdale, AZ. 1998-2000. • Amaya, Flamenco Sin Límites, Adult classes, Boston, MA. 1996. • Harvard University, Adult Flamenco (directed by Omayra Amaya). 1996. DANCE EDUCATION Flamenco and Spanish Dance • Amor de Dios: Centro de Arte Flamenco y Danza Espanola: Madrid, Spain. 1999-2000. • UNM: Albuquerque, NM. BFA Dance, Flamenco / Modern Emphasis, magna cum laude awarded May, 1998. • Instituto del Arte Español María Benítez Teatro Flamenco: Santa Fe, NM. Summer, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2007. • Festival Flamenco: Albuquerque, NM. Summer, 1994-1998, 2006, 2008. • Omayra Amaya: Boston, MA. 1996. • Lydia Torea: Phoenix, AZ. 1987-1992. Ballet • Phoenix School of Ballet: Paul Koverman. Phoenix, AZ 1988-1991. • Anne Snyman: Phoenix, AZ. 1984-1988. • Various instructors: Phoenix, AZ. 1976-1984. Modern Dance • UNM: Albuquerque, NM. BFA in Dance, Flamenco / Modern Emphasis, magna cum laude awarded May, 1998. University Affiliated Dance Companies • University of New Mexico Contemporary Dance Company, Albuq., NM. 1994, 1997. • Alma Flamenca, University of New Mexico, Albuq., NM. 1994-1998. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Selected Publications and Television Appearances • Dance Studio Life Magazine. Jan. 2010 Vol. 1- Issue 1. Fire and Passion, by Michael Wade Simpson. pp. 91-95. • Local Flavor Magazine. March-April, 2008. Hear the Heartbeat by Gail Snyder. pp. 30-31. • The Collector’s Guide. 2009-2010 Vol. 23-No. 1. Flamenco, Romancing the Dance, by Mary Montaño. pp. 212-225. • The Travel Channel: Samantha Brown’s Guide to Santa Fe, Passport to Great Weekends. First aired: Sep., 2008. Professional Affiliations • Member: National Dance Education Organization. 2010-2011. • Member: DanceUSA. 2009-2011. • Member: International Dance Council. Athens, Greece. 2007-2009 Honors and Recognition • Barbara Kiker Award for Excellence in Dance: University of New Mexico. May, 1998. • Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, Biology Minor. Focus: Human Evolutionary Ecology. UNM. May, 1998. • Summer Research Opportunity Project: Psychology & Art, University of New Mexico. 1994. • Hispanic Dance Scholarship Recipient: University of New Mexico, 1993. • Amigo Scholarship Recipient: University of New Mexico. 1992-1996. Ancillary Experience • Residency Manager: Flamenco Vivo Project Ole Arts Education Program. NC. 2007-2011. • Staff writer for Flamenco USA Publication 2. 2. 2002. “Flamenco Sites in Madrid.” • Taught English as a Second Language at Atlas Language School in Madrid, Spain. July-December, 2000. • Studied and resided in Madrid, Spain 1999 - 2000. • Proficient in the Spanish language. • Model for painters and sculptors interested in the flamenco idiom. Selected Artists: Cyrus Afsary, Ramon Kelly, Sheri Blanchard Stewart, Scott Harding. (References are available on request. Updated March, 2011)