Biography (Brief)

Anna (Arias) Rubio began her training in dance in ballet and modern dance. In the early 1980s she moved to San Francisco continuing her dance training, and began Flamenco with Rosa Montoya and with the late Maestro Cruz Luna. By 1986 she was a member of Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco, performing throughout the Bay Area. In 1991 she returned to Philadelphia and danced with the Flamenco Olé company for six years. Anna continues her studies in New York with Nelida Tirado and in Spain with La Chiqui de Jerez, Juan Polvillo, Pastora Galvan among others, and recently with Inmaculada Ortega. Anna was awarded an Artistic Fellowship for Flamenco Dance for the year 2001 from the Independence Foundation and a Leeway Foundation grant for 2004.

Anna currently is actively performing with Flamenco del Encuentro and the Herencia Arabe project under the direction of her husband Tito Rubio. She also teaches privately in her studio at home in addition to offering weekly workshops at the Mid-East and Spanish Arts Center in South Philadelphia. Anna is also the flamenco editor for online dance magazine, the Dance Insider.

Biography (full)

Anna Rubio began her training in dance and music at age four. After training in ballet at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, she started studying modern dance in her early teens with Joan Kerr and Susan Hess. Anna moved to San Francisco in 1982, continuing her modern training with several teachers, including Lucas Hoving and Ed Mock, and commencing her flamenco studies with Rosa Montoya (of the important Montoya Gypsy clan) and with the late Maestro Cruz Luna. By 1986 she was a member of Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco under the direction of Miguel Santos and Adela Clara, performing throughout the Bay Area. In 1991 she returned to Philadelphia and became a member of the Flamenco Ole company under the direction of Julia Lopez and Carlos Rubio (no relation), performing, teaching and giving lecture demonstrations around the country. Anna and her husband, flamenco guitarist Tito Rubio, spent two years in Spain before returning to Philadelphia, where they now teach at the University of the Arts and perform throughout the area with their group Flamenco del Encuentro and their Flamenco and Middle-Eastern fusion group Herencia Arabe. Anna was awarded an Artistic Fellowship for the year 2001 from the Independence Foundation and a Leeway Grant for 2004. Anna and Tito recently returned from a long summer in Spain, where Anna continued her studies with La Chiqui de Jerez, Javier Latorre, Juan Polvillo and Israel and Pastora Galvan. Anna is also Flamenco Editor and critic of the online dance magazine, the Dance Insider.

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Anna Rubio performing at the 2004 Feria de Sevilla in Philadelphia.

Photos by Joy Gant. All rights reserved.