About Us
Ana Otero
Ana began Flamenco at the tender age of 5 with her first official lesson taken at the age of 7 in Sevilla, Spain. She is of Spanish origin and has been an exponent of Flamenco for the past 20 years. She is widely recognized as one of the best Flamenco dancers and choreographers in Australia.
During her teens she was a part of the original Illawarra Spanish Artistic Society and was a resident dancer with the Antonio Vargas Flamenco Dance Theatre from the ages of 14 - 19.
She was offered a grant from the Australia Council to continue her full-time studies in Spain and whilst there undertook classes conducted by Carmen Cortes, Paco Romero, El Güito, Manolete, La Tati, Timo Lozano, Maria Magdalena and Ciro.
Upon her return to Australia, she became the principal dancer for Diana Reyes Flamenco for 8 years - working with the likes of Luis de Luis (ex Paco Peña), Joaquin Ruíz, Andres Peña, Mariano Cruchetta and Antonio Vargas.
Because of her extensive knowledge and very distinctive style, Ana began a tour of most states in Australia to update Flamenco skills through workshops and advanced master classes in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
She has taught for and continues to teach for some the most recognized schools of flamenco in Australia - amongst them: Diana Reyes Flamenco, The Spanish School of Dance (Sydney) and the Spanish Dance Institute in Perth, to which she contributed the Flamenco repertoire of their syllabus.
One of the most influential components in Ana’s teaching is the need to express a true sense of what Flamenco is and to dismiss the myth that only Spaniards have ‘salero’ (spunk).
She is a co-producer with Daniela Gillis of Flamenco Women Productions with the hope of giving opportunity to the many talented Flamenco artists in Australia and to keep the traditional elements of Flamenco alive through dance and theatrical productions.