Belly Dance and Flamenco Fusion
I was born in Spain & have been dancing since the age of three. I remember as a young child, entertaining my family in Madrid with some sort of dance for them in their living room. "Baila un poco, Anita!", they'd say & off I went!
My grandfather was born in Andalusia, birthplace of Flamenco. It is said in our family that he was raised with the Gypsies of the caves in Almeria. When he was a young man, he moved to Morocco where he worked, met, and married my grandmother in 1919. A year later they traveled the Straits of Gibraltar and moved to Seville with my father who was born a month later and became a most talented and respected artist years later when he immigrated to Canada.
Visit his page at: http://manuel.ruiz.artist.angelfire.com
Visit his page at: http://manuel.ruiz.artist.angelfire.com
During my annual travels to my homeland of Spain, I converted my research on Flamenco and the Moorish history of the country into two of my books: Vibrant Andalusia and Medina Mayrit.
Both available through Algora Publishing in New York or at amazon.com
In 1998, I began taking classes in Flamenco, but about a year later, I discovered Belly Dance. I decided to pursue this dance instead putting Flamenco temporarily on hold and have been teaching Belly Dance for about 15 years. However, in 2002, I "re-discovered" Flamenco. It was during this time that I began studying Flamenco Oriental in Madrid & throughout Andalusia, or southern Spain with such teachers as Patricia Alvarez, Miriam Gala,
Cristiane Azem, Patricia Passo, & Evelyn Rio.
Afterwards, I began incorporating Flamenco dance it into my classes which led to Flamenco Oriental classes & workshops at places such as Karmel Pilates, Kyra Wellness Center, Bo-Geste Dance School,
and the West Island Women's Center.
Both available through Algora Publishing in New York or at amazon.com
In 1998, I began taking classes in Flamenco, but about a year later, I discovered Belly Dance. I decided to pursue this dance instead putting Flamenco temporarily on hold and have been teaching Belly Dance for about 15 years. However, in 2002, I "re-discovered" Flamenco. It was during this time that I began studying Flamenco Oriental in Madrid & throughout Andalusia, or southern Spain with such teachers as Patricia Alvarez, Miriam Gala,
Cristiane Azem, Patricia Passo, & Evelyn Rio.
Afterwards, I began incorporating Flamenco dance it into my classes which led to Flamenco Oriental classes & workshops at places such as Karmel Pilates, Kyra Wellness Center, Bo-Geste Dance School,
and the West Island Women's Center.
Performing Oriental Flamenco in a play at Le Festivale International de la Poesie de Montreal;
Place des Arts, June 2009:
Place des Arts, June 2009:
Flamenco Oriental at the Djinn Show in Montreal, 2002
Photo by Lucie Lamontagne:
Photo by Lucie Lamontagne:
At the Hip Hop House annual recital in 2011:
Rehearsing Belly Dance Flamenco fusion just before the YMCA class.
My book, "The Ancient Art of Belly Dance"
is available through Amazon.com:
www.amazon.com/dp/B088B4MVSK
My book about the Moorish & Gypsy
dance history of Spain:
"Zambra Mora: An In Depth Study"
Visit: www.amazon.com/Zambra-Mora-Depth-Ana-Ruiz-ebook/dp/B07B65RDJD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520102757&sr=8-1&keywords=zambra+mora
dance history of Spain:
"Zambra Mora: An In Depth Study"
Visit: www.amazon.com/Zambra-Mora-Depth-Ana-Ruiz-ebook/dp/B07B65RDJD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520102757&sr=8-1&keywords=zambra+mora