USA Projects

Carlota Santana  has been designated "The Keeper Of Flamenco" by Dance Magazine in recognition of her commitment to creating new works and developing young artists. She has been Artistic Director of FLAMENCO VIVO CARLOTA SANTANA since 1987 after founding the Company in 1983 with Roberto Lorca who was an early victim of the AIDS epidemic and died in 1987. Ms. Santana continually expands the Company's repertoire by presenting new music, dramatic works, and a mix of various dance vocabularies, as well as by integrating Hispanic-American influences. Under her  artistic direction the Company has performed in many venues across the United States and in Colombia, South America and in Spain.

Ms Santana is on the faculty of Duke University, has taught at Long Island and New York Universities, and has served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the North Carolina Arts Council and is a member of NYS DanceForce.  Ms. Santana has been honored during Women's History Month by the office of the Manhattan Borough President for her "outstanding efforts in keeping alive the great tradition of Flamenco." She is a recent recipient of a Choreography Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council and a member of the NYSCA Dance Panel.

Ms Santana created the Company's innovative Arts Education program, integrating Spanish dance and culture with the school curriculum. She travels widely implementing this program while training teachers to integrate the program into the elementary and high school curriculum. She leads Master Classes and Panel discussions at universities and educational institutions across the U.S. Through her New Works Series she develops the art form of Flamenco by commissioning new choreography and music and premiering and touring new pieces annually.