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. He was raised with the Gypsies in the caves of Almeria, Spain.

When he was a young man, he moved to Morocco where he worked, met, & married my grandmother in 1919.

A year later, my grandparents crossed the Straits of Gibraltar & moved to Seville, Spain.

My father was born a month later & became a most respected artist years later when he immigrated to Canada.

Please visit his site:

Manuel Ruiz

By Manuel Ruiz (1950s).

During my yearly travels to my homeland of Spain, I converted my research on Flamenco and Moorish history into two books:

Vibrant Andalusia" and "Medina Mayrit; the Origins of Madrid" by Algora Publishing (NY).

I also wrote, "Zambra Mora; An In-depth Study" about the Moorish and Gypsy history of Spanish dances:

In my Flamenco classes, we cover palmas (rhythmic clapping), floreos (hand movements), braceos (arm movements), & how to use the skirt.

We also do combos as well as fun and empowering choreographies!

In 2002, I discovered Danza Flamenco Oriental in Spain taking classes and workshops all over the country with such teachers as

Patricia Alvarez, Miriam Gala, Cristiane Azem, Patricia Passo, & Evelyn Rio.

Not long after, I began teaching it throughout the West Island of Montreal at  Karmel Pilates, Kyra Wellness Center,

Bo-Geste Dance School, & the West Island Women's Center.

Oriental Flamenco at the Djinn Show in Montreal, 2002:

Photo by Lucie Lamontage:

At my Belly Dance Flamenco Fusion Workshop in Verdun, Quebec in 2009:

Backstage just before performing Flamenco Oriental at Place des Arts in Montreal that very same day in 2009:

Performing Flamenco Oriental in a play at Le Festivale International de la Poesie de Montreal; Place des Arts, June 2009: 

At the Hip Hop House annual recital in 2011:

Rehearsing Belly Dance Flamenco fusion just before the YMCA class:

Private workshop in 2011 at my home for professional Gypsy Belly dancer, Estrela Andrade from Brazil:

Photo by drNdrfn