Board and Staff

Executive and Artistic Director

Bio

The passion of Flamenco dance became part of Ms. Vázquez’ life at a very young age.  She has studied and toured with some of the most well-known modern Spanish dance artists and she received her degree in Spanish Dance from the Conservatory of Dance in Seville. She danced with the company Ciudad de Sevilla, touring Europe for two years. After moving to Denver in 2002 she established Flamenco Denver, now a 501(c)(3) non profit organization gratefully supported by numerous groups and foundations such as SCFD, Bonfils Stanton, CCI, Colorado Gives and Alpine Bank. She continues to perform with contemporary Flamenco Artists such as Isaac Tovar, Antonio Granjero, Estafania Ramirez and Manuel Gutierrez.  In 2020, the Dance Archive organization of University of Denver honored Ms. Vázquez as a recipient of the 2020 Legends of Dance award. 

President

Bio

I have enjoyed a 35+ year career as a professional fundraiser for non-profit organizations including the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Colorado Children’s Chorale, and the University of Denver. I have a BA in Humanities from the University of Colorado and an MA in Professional Creative Writing from the University of Denver. I am currently engaged in short-term fundraising consulting projects and am writing non-fiction as well as a series of short stories.

First Exposure to Flamenco Denver

I first met Maria Vazquez through an introductory flamenco class she taught through Colorado Free University in 2005 (once a week for five weeks).. I hadn’t danced since injuring my knee in college decades earlier, and I was thrilled to find this dance form so accessible in our community! Maria and I realized our husbands had worked together on an exhibit at the Museo de las Americas, and she suggested I might be interested in joining her ongoing classes she had recently begun teaching.  I’ve been taking flamenco with her ever since! I joined the Flamenco Denver board in 2014 when the organization evolved  into a non-profit organization and have enjoyed the opportunity to be on both the artistic and the governance side. I’m a Denver native, but my beloved “flamenco family” comes from all over the world.

Vice President

Bio

Throughout my life travel, culture, education, and Spanish have been constants. Professionally I have done project management, marketing, and education support. Most of my volunteer work over the years has been supporting non-profits, especially schools. I am thrilled to be part of the Flamenco Denver board where all of these come together and I can use my organizational skills.

My first exposure to Flamenco Denver

In 2015 my family had the opportunity to live in Sevilla, Spain for half the year. We enrolled our children in school and throughout the months we met lots of incredible people. It wasn’t until our last night in Sevilla, when we bumped into one of our children’s classmates and her family, that we realized we both had a Denver connection. The classmate turned out to be the niece of Maria Vazquez, the owner and artistic director of Flamenco Denver. And the studio, while 5,000 thousand miles away from Sevilla, is just a few blocks away from our home! Shortly after our return to Denver I visited the studio and attended my first class with Maria. I was hooked and have been a student ever since. I joined the board in 2023 and I love the collaboration and vision that we work to create.

Secretary

Bio

Raised in the Skagit Valley of northwestern Washington State, I grew up with a deep love of mountains, water and natural beauty. I graduated from the University of Puget Sound after studying French and music, before moving to Denver in 1967. I have worked as a teacher, a customer support representative, a sales representative, my husband’s office manager, and a volunteer. My husband and I enjoy spending time with our three sons, our three grandchildren and their families; visiting and laughing with friends; reading; walking our dog; music (especially singing); and supporting Flamenco Denver.

My first contact with Flamenco 

was in spring of 2001. My husband and I visited Sevilla, where my son Whit studied art. He had recently met the love of his life, Maria Vazquez, and was learning the Flamenco art form from her. When they married two years later, Maria joined our family and my personal devotion to Flamenco began to take root. Over the past 20 years, I have deepened my appreciation of the art form and all the artists involved: the dancers who tirelessly perfect the choreography, the passion of the singers, the percussive undercurrent of the cajon and the fluid precision of the guitarists. This passion of mine led to working with Maria and the other members of the Board of Directors of Flamenco Denver, helping the organization grow from a small independent studio into the flourishing non-profit arts and education organization it is today. Flamenco led me and my husband to an appreciation and enjoyment of cooking Spanish cuisine and a deeper knowledge of the vast array of Spanish wines and cheeses. To me, the spirit of Flamenco is encapsulated in the Spanish word “Duende” – a quality that attracts, captivates and inspires. That is Flamenco.

Treasurer

Bio

I am a Venezuelan-born immigrant, child of Spanish parents. After obtaining a degree in Public Accounting at the Andres Bello Catholic University in Caracas, and pursuing a career as an auditor in Caracas and Denver, I ventured into family entrepreneurship with my husband in the areas of marketing, printing, publishing, food service and community building. As a family, we have founded and managed multiple businesses, including bilingual print shop Image Impressions, bilingual publications El Comercio de Colorado and Casa Magazine, Taco Bron Mexican Restaurant, and the Westminster Latino Festival, where I have applied my project management, marketing, finance, writing and graphic design skills. I am excited to offer all my experience and tools as a board member at Flamenco Denver, to further its educational goals, which I firmly believe in.

My first exposure to Flamenco Denver

I have known Maria for many years, and I have closely followed her artistic work. Back in the day when I was involved in organizing cultural community events, she was a key player, always willing and ready to bring her art to our audiences. With time, we grew closer, and I became a member of Flamenco Denver board. Having danced before and being the child of Spaniards, it was almost a natural next step for me to enroll in flamenco lessons three years ago, after she invited me to try one class. I cherish that day. Flamenco has changed my habits, my discipline, my health, and the way I see myself as a person. I cannot picture my life without studying dance and singing and being part of this great flamenco family.

 Events Coordinator  

Bio

As a first-generation Portuguese-American raised in the DC metro area, I discovered my passion for dance early on through ballet, drawn to its holistic connection of mind, body, and soul. After earning a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, I embarked on a dynamic career journey as a business intelligence consultant, progressing from developer to project and delivery manager roles. Currently serving as an event coordinator for Flamenco Denver, I leverage my extensive management and organizational skills to contribute to grant writing and fundraising initiatives. 

My first exposure to Flamenco Denver. Following a pause in my career to focus on motherhood, I yearned to reconnect with my personal interests. Flamenco, with its deep cultural roots and expressive artistry, resonated with me—particularly due to my Iberian heritage. Joining Flamenco Denver marked a pivotal moment, where I not only found a challenging personal pursuit after a 20-year hiatus from dance but also discovered a vibrant community that welcomes individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Over the past three years of immersing myself in Flamenco, I have found a lifelong passion that continually challenges and inspires me.

Instructor and Company Dancer

Carmen S. Diaz was born and raised in Maracay, Venezuela. She began dancing the Venezuelan traditional dance, “Joropo" , at the age of five.  Diaz moved to Caracas at the age of 19 to study engineering at Universidad Central de Venezuela. In 2009 flamenco caught her attention and she began to study at “Adagio y Buleria” dance school, directed by Carlos Mezza “El Torbellino". In 2015 Diaz moved to Pittsburgh, PA to pursue her Masters degree and continued dancing flamenco with Carolina Loyola as well as Flor Isava and Maria Nuñez, participating in the annual Fiesta Flamenca event for three years in a row as well as numerous tablaos with the Alba Flamenca Ensemble. In 2017 Diaz moved to Denver and began dancing with Maria Vázquez at Flamenco Denver where she has evolved from the core dance group to performing solo roles. 

Instructor and Company Dancer

Erika Sandre is originally from Ontario, Canada. She is a classically trained ballet dancer with accreditation through ADCSC was accepted into the full CICB (Cecchetti), A.I.S.T.D. (National Dance), NBS (Diploma), and time professional training program at the Quinte Ballet School and attended the Teacher Training Program at the National Ballet School of Canada. She has taught throughout Canada as well as Anchorage, Alaska, where she served as School Director at Alaska Dance Theatre and adjunct faculty member at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Sandre relocated to Denver several years ago where she has been fortunate to continue her flamenco studies and perform with Maria Vazquez and Flamenco Denver and as a faculty member at Colorado Ballet.