Maria del Mar Moreno is an uncommonly gifted teacher. She has her own academy in Jerez and is in great demand internationally with her “Jerez Puro” workshop series.

Del Mar Moreno began dancing professionally at the age of 10 and throughout her early years on stage, she was surrounded by some of flamenco’s greatest figures of all time: Manuel Morao, La Paquera, Ana Parrilla, Moraíto, Agujetas, Juana la del Pipa, El Torta, Manuel Moneo, El Mono, and others. Training initially with Angelita Gómez, she went on to study with such giants as Matilde Coral, Rafael “El Negro” and Mario Maya. Still in her teens she became the lead dancer in Manuel Morao y sus Gitanos de Jerez partnering with Antonio el Pipa and for the next 10 years she toured all over the world representing the particular style of flamenco cultivated in her hometown of Jerez de la Frontera. In 1999 she was awarded the Copa de Jerez for Dance by the Cátedra de Flamencología de Jerez and soon after founded her own company in 2001, performing throughout Spain, Europe and the Americas. At the same time she got her BA in literature and a masters in business.

Carrying the torch for traditional flamenco, del Mar Moreno sees the art as a living culture. Her performances are the very incarnation of this philosophy, bringing the art into the 21st century as she challenges existing taboos and mores from within. Her deep understanding of flamenco song as a vessel for transmitting cultural memory, lends a gravitas to her dance which is in constant dialogue with the singer.