Andrea Hernández Gonzales - dancer . dance teacher

Andrea Hernández Gonzales began her studies of flamenco and of ballet folklórico in her native San Antonio, Texas, at age three with Teresa Champion. She later added ballet, jazz, and tap to her dance repertoire.

She graduated from the North East School of the Arts, a magnet-school program for talented and gifted arts students in the North East ISD in Bexar County, north of San Antonio. During her senior year, she participated in the American Ballet Theater Summer Intensive in Austin and received a scholarship from the National Foundation of Advancement of Art. As a finalist in their Arts Recognition and Talent Search, she was able to study with Rosa Mercedes, artistic director of Duende Ballet Español of Miami, Florida.

Ms. Gonzales attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque as a dance major, where she studied West African dance with drum and dance master, Abdulrahman Laryea Addy, and performed with his troupe, Gbotsui Afrikan Dance Troupe. She also studied modern dance and performed with the Blythe Eden Dance Company, including Eden’s original works, Unveil, Twine, and Ein Soph Or in New York and San Francisco.

While at UNM, Ms. Gonzales also studied flamenco with Eva Encinias-Sandoval and performed with Ballet Repertory Theater of New Mexico in Carmen & Other Spanish Celebrations. She also attended workshops in Albuquerque as part of the International Flamenco Festival given by guest artists Adela Campallo, Israel Galván, Pastora Galván, Isabel Bayón, and Karime Amaya. After graduation in 2008, she returned to San Antonio and continued her flamenco studies with husband-and-wife Antonio Granjero and Stephanie Ramírez of Entreflamenco and with Pilar Andújar in Austin.

In summer, 2012, Ms. Gonzales made her first trip to Spain and studied flamenco with Alfonso Losa, Nuria Truco, and “La Truco.” She taught flamenco, ballet, and ballet folklórico at San Antonio Dance Academy for four-and-a-half years before moving to Midland, Texas, where she is currently the Flamenco Ballet instructor at the Hispanic Cultural Center of Midland.

Ms. Gonzales continues to perform around the U.S. and has shared the stage with international and local artists, such as: Olivia Chacon, Isai Chacon, Francisco “Yiyi” Orozco, Steve Arispe, Jessica Ahr, Claudia Trevino, Jackie Rodriguez-Navar, Chayito Champion, Luisma Ramos, Julia Alcántara, Luis Linares, and Ileana Gómez.