Honors and Recognition
HELENA MODJESKA AWARD
VISIONARY ARTIST • 2023
In October 2023, Claudia de la Cruz was honored as a Visionary Artist at the 23rd Orange County Arts Awards. This distinguished recognition celebrated her lasting contributions to Flamenco, arts education
and the cultural life of Orange County.
SELECTED CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
A career shaped by performance, collaboration, choreography and cultural leadership.
DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE • 2025
Producer and director of Flamenco Navidad for the Festival of Holidays, bringing Flamenco and Spanish culture to one of Southern California’s most celebrated stages.
LA OPERA, SAMUELI THEATER & THE PARNASSUS SOCIETY • 2013–2023
Performed in Carmen at LA Opera’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, conducted by Plácido Domingo. Claudia later choreographed for The Parnassus Society and appeared in Carmen alongside renowned mezzo-soprano Milena Kitic, with whom she also performed at an exclusive events at Samueli Theater.
TABLAOS & LIVE FLAMENCO EXPERIENCE
Throughout her career, Claudia has performed extensively in cafés cantantes, tablaos, theaters, museums and cultural productions. These experiences have allowed her to live Flamenco in its most immediate form, listening, responding and communicating onstage while sharing the work with artists from within and beyond the Flamenco world.
FLAMENCO COLLABORATIONS
Highlights include performing with Iván Vargas of Granada, Spain, and years of involvement with Flamenco Abierto at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Through the program, Claudia performed with renowned Flamenco musicians at exclusive events for theater patrons and guests, participated in traditional juergas flamencas and presented her own Flamenco boutique. Her students were also invited to perform during literary readings presented as part of the program.
COMMUNITY ARTS & EDUCATION
Claudia has led large-scale public Flamenco classes at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, inviting audiences to experience the rhythm, movement and expressive traditions of Flamenco through direct participation.
THEATER, CULTURAL PERFORMANCE & MEDIA
Claudia’s theatrical work includes productions of Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba and Yerma, works deeply rooted in Andalusian culture, emotional expression and the powerful language of the body.
She has also performed in connection with the Los Caprichos exhibition honoring Francisco Goya at Cal State Fullerton, participated in the Festival Internacional Cervantino and was featured on the cover of OC Life Magazine.
BEYOND THE TECHNIQUE
The Whole Dancer Approach
Claudia’s teaching extends beyond steps and choreography. Her approach recognizes that breath, body awareness, focused listening, confidence and emotional presence all influence how a dancer learns, moves and communicates through Flamenco.
Her complementary training as a Certified Spiritual Life Coach and Certified Sound Healing Coach informs the mindful and supportive way she guides her students. These disciplines do not replace the technique, structure or traditions of Flamenco; they deepen each dancer’s ability to feel grounded, present,
musical and expressive.
This philosophy gave rise to Holistic Flamenco and became the foundation of Flamenco Lab, a space where dancers develop their technique while building trust in their bodies, connecting more deeply with the music and discovering an authentic artistic voice.
A FLAMENCO LEGACY IN ORANGE COUNTY
Founded in 1999, Claudia de la Cruz Flamenco Institute has become a longstanding home for Flamenco education in Orange County, encompassing training, performance and cultural engagement under Claudia’s artistic direction.
Every class and program is personally shaped and guided by her.
In 2003, Claudia expanded the Institute’s artistic vision by founding Tierra Flamenca Dance Company, its performance ensemble, bringing original choreography and live music to the stage while creating a pathway from studio training to performance. In 2004, that vision grew to include Tierrita Flamenca, the Institute’s youth ensemble, whose legacy continues to inform the family-centered productions
and cultural programs Claudia creates today.
Together, the Institute’s educational programs, Tierra Flamenca Dance Company and Tierrita Flamenca share one artistic legacy representing more than 25 years of Flamenco artistry, education and community,
recognized twice by OC Weekly, with honors for Best Flamenco School and Best Dance Company in Orange County.
Vision & Mission
With all of my heart...
I believe deeply in the human need to grow, to heal and to reconnect with ourselves, and after nearly three decades of teaching, I have found no language that does this quite like Flamenco.
In its rhythm and its silence, in the discipline of technique and the freedom of expression, dancers find something words alone cannot give them: a way back to themselves, to their bodies,
their voices and their strength.
This is the heart of everything I teach. I have witnessed Flamenco become a source of healing, renewal and purpose
for the dancers I’ve had the honor to guide, and my life’s work is to share that possibility with every student
who walks through our doors.
In our school, everyone is welcome.
