Meet this year's Featured Artists

La Emi began her flamenco journey at the age of four and has emerged as a teacher and performer acclaimed for her artistry and craft.
La Emi started studying flamenco with the María Benítez Institute for Spanish Arts (ISA) when she was four years old and began working with the Institute’s youth company, Flamenco’s Next Generation at the age of 10. Just two years later – when she was only 12 – she started teaching within the Northern New Mexico public school system. She began teaching for Moving Arts Española in 2005 and ISA in 2006.
As a performer, La Emi has danced on stages from New Mexico to Spain, appearing in the production of “El Pintor” at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque (2010), Entreflamenco, the company of Antonio Granjero and Estefania Ramirez, at the Lodge at Santa Fe (2011, 2012 and 2015), Juan Siddi Flamenco Santa Fe (2013, 2014 and 2016) and Compañia Chuscales y Mina Fajardo (2010-2014). She also danced with the National Institute of Flamenco in their Summer Season at the Lodge at Santa Fe in 2017.
In 2011, La Emi was nominated and selected as one of the 12 young and emerging artists in Pasatiempo.

​In 2012, she received the Santa Fe Mayor’s Melissa Engestrom Youth Artist Award for Excellence in the Arts. 
La Emi studied intensively in Spain with Gala Vivancos, Carmela Greco, La Popi, José Galván, Juana Amaya, Yolanda Heredia, Iván Vargas Heredia, Torombo, Rocio Alcaide Ruiz, Monica Fernandez and many others. She has performed under the direction of Carmela Greco, José Galván, and Torombo and at major venues including the Carmela Greco Seminario de Flamenco y Danza Española and Café de Chinitas in Madrid; Cuevas Los Tarantos in the Sacramonte of Granada and the Teatro Alameda Festival Flamenco in Sevilla.
La Emi founded her non-profit EmiArteFlamenco Academy in 2019 where she continues to teach and is the director. She also performs in many venues throughout the country.
La Emi began her professional career with Heritage Hotels & Resorts in partnership with the National Institute of Flamenco in the summer of 2018 and produced with them a second summer season in 2019. In the fall of 2019, La Emi launched her independent company, with a series of performances at The Lodge at Santa Fe.
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Meet this year's Featured Artists

From Dixon/Embudo, NM, Vicente is devoted to Cante Flamenco. In 1999, toured internationally with José Greco II and mentored by Alfonso Gabarri, “El Veneno”. Griego is a pupil of guitarist (Jose Valle, Chuscales) and singer, José Fernández. Griego performs with Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company, and EmiArteFlamenco. He is lead singer in the Rumba Flamenca band, ReVoZo. Griego’s a faculty member in the department of Theatre and Dance at the University of New Mexico

“EL CARTUCHO”

Singer / Co-director

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Fabian Esquipula Sisneros began his formal training  through the National Institute of Flamenco in Alburquerque, NM. He danced with Yjastros, the American Flamenco Repertory Company, under the direction of Joaquin Encinias for seven years, which he credits as the seminal learning experience of his Flamenco career.  Fabian is a graduate of the University of New Mexico, majoring in English and Flamenco; he now teaches at the Public Academy for Performing Arts, leading the Flamenco dance program and teaching AP English literature. As an active member of the Flamenco community, Fabian performs regularly and serves as a strong advocate for the arts in education. He lives with his wife, Katrina, a dancer and educator, in the South Valley in Albuquerque with their three children. 

Meet this year's Featured Artists

Briseyda Zárate is a professional Flamenco dancer, choreographer, and singer. She began singing at the age of 5 in the Mexican tradition with her first teachers being her father and uncles, guitarists, and her mother and grandmother, singers. Her Flamenco studies began at age 18. She quickly became enamored with the art and learned Flamenco Cante via the Baile and listening closely to the great singers who've accompanied her throughout her 25 years as a flamenco dancer. 
Briseyda has sang for dancers in Southern California for well over a decade at venues such as Cafe Sevilla, El Cid, Alegrías, the Fountain Theater and the Lobero Theater amongst many others. Performance highlights include both dancing and singing in her show “Mestizaje Puro” at the Festival Flamenco in Albuquerque NM, and her Tablao series in LA, “Noches de Tablao”.  She’s accompanied the Linda Vega Studio and the Puro Flamenco Studio for the Santa Barbara Fiestas and most recently performed at the Kimo Theater in Albuquerque, NM for Jesus Muñoz and company after spending 1 month in residence singing for his organization, Flamenco Works.  Briseyda has just completed studying Cante intensively in Sevilla at the Fundación de Flamenco Cristina Heeren and is very excited to debut in Santa Fe with Emi Arte Flamenco.

Singer 

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Gabriel Lautaro Osuna, was born in northern New Mexico and began playing guitar and singing in church at a young age. His first guitar teacher was local legend Cipriano Vigil. He later pursued the study and performance of flamenco guitar in Spain and abroad. Osuna has performed extensively in theaters and in tablaos, including a season at the gypsy caves in Granada. He participates regularly in the “Festival Flamenco Internacionál” in Albuquerque New Mexico. Gabriel is featured on Dezeo, a Ladino album by Consuelo Luz. He has played at the “World Expo” in Hannover, Germany, and at the “Saint-Florent-le-Vieil Les Orientales” Festival in France as well as at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.  He performed with Placido Domingo at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles and at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. In Los Angeles Gabriel performed extensively with local bands and flamenco groups and was a regular participant in the “Subsuelo” hip hop crew. Presently Gabriel is working on recording projects with several artists. He plays guitar in “Revozo” with Vicente Griego and accompanies “Emi Arte Flamenco” dance company based in Santa Fe. Most recently he helped form “Rio Vista” a local Latin Jazz trio. His genres include Flamenco, Latin Jazz, World Music, Blues and Rock.

guitarest

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Janira started dancing at the age of 5 with Baile Español, a Folklorico group in Santa Fe. Soon thereafter she discovered Flamenco and began studying under María Benítez at the Institute for Spanish Arts. By the time she was 8, Janira was asked to join the group Flamenco’s Next Generation (FNG), a youth company formed in 2002 through the Institute of Spanish Arts. As she continued to perform and cultivate her passion for Flamenco, Janira had the privilege to further her dance and study under well-known Flamenco artists, such as Gala Vivancos, Adela Clara, Juan Siddi, Jose Junco, Antonio Granjero, Ileana Gomez and many others. Janira also performed and studied under Mina Fajardo and Chuscales in Santa Fe. Janira has taught at EmiArteFlamenco Academy and holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Arizona State University. Janira continues to cultivate her passion and study Flamenco.

dancer

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Cienna is a dancer, artist, and performer at heart. Born and raised in Albuquerque, Chavez stated dancing at Tierra Adentro of New Mexico and The National Institute of Flamenco, where she learned Flamenco was her calling. She has been a part of groups such as Niños and Teeños Flamencos and Young Flamenco Philanthropists. In these groups, she performed for the community and raised money for young dancers to study Flamenco. She has worked with dozens of artists; the one that influenced her the most was Hugo López with his ability to dance freely and genderless, aspects which Cienna desires to incorporate into her art. 

Photo Credit: Joel Wigelsworth

dancer

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Aislin Garica Robertson was 8 years old when she started studying Flamenco at the Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts.  There she met Emi, who was her teacher for many years. Later Aislin followed Emi to her own academy, (EmiArteFlamenco academy). Aislin has been studying Flamenco under La Emi for almost 11 years. At age 16, Aislin was offered the privilege to apprentice in La Emi’s professional company. There, she realized the deep love she had for this art form and made it her goal to perform professionally. After a long journey, Aislin was invited to dance as a core member of EmiArteFlamenco as of December 2023. She performs regularly throughout northern New Mexico doing her best to keep this art form alive within herself, as well as her within her community. Aislin also works with the performing group; Flamenco Youth de Santa Fe and has taught at EmiArteFlamenco academy for almost three years. She continues to do her best to share this gift with her community and next generation of artists.

dancer

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Kyra Murzyn received her BFA in Technical Design and Production with a specialization in Lighting Design from the Santa Fe University of Art and Design in 2018. After completion of her degree, she attended a One-Year Technical Internship at Yale School of Drama, joining the Electrics Department Staff in the MFA program’s 2019-2020 season. Kyra has worked extensively in the Santa Fe Theater community since her arrival in 2014 at venues including the Santa Fe Playhouse, The Lensic Performing Arts Center, and the Santa Fe Opera. In her time on the East Coast, she worked as an Electrician at Longwharf Theater, Hartford Stage, Yale Music Hall, Yale University Theater, and Yale Repertory Theater. Kyra has also worked as Lighting Programmer at Houston Stages as well as the Kranzberg Art Center in St. Louis, MO. Upon returning to Santa Fe in 2020, Kyra was the Technical Director for the National Dance Institute of New Mexico at the Dance Barns. In 2022, she switched roles to her current position as Stage Manager and Internship Program Supervisor at the Lensic Performing Arts Center.

LIGHTING AND SET BUILD

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Sydney Elliot is a recent graduate of New Mexico School for the Arts and will be attending Boston University in the Fall in the Design, Production, and Management core. She is from Raton, New Mexico, and currently lives in Albuquerque. She has been a part of many shows in Santa Fe as a performer, technician, run crew, and stage manager. In her spare time, she collects records, embroiders, and watches tons of movies.

Board operator

Meet this year's Featured Artists

Gabriela Pery is a junior at Mandela, an international baccalaureate school in Santa Fe. Gaby is interested in a STEM career in the future, more specifically in sports medicine. She is a volunteer at the children’s museum and also enjoys playing volleyball, going on runs, and the outdoors. Being half Venezuelan, Gaby is also passionate about the rich Hispanic culture; its music, dance, traditions, and of course, food. Starting new this season, Gabriela is excited to be part of this incredible flamenco experience.

box office manager