Our Board Brings diversity to our projects
Flamenco Fever has gathered an incredible team to take our mission to the next level. Experts in marketing, event management and the flamenco arts make spreading flamenco fever to the masses a priority!
The mission of Flamenco Fever is to diversify DFWs cultural landscape, while preserving the Hispanic heritage of Oak Cliff through the promotion of authentic flamenco performances.
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement
charles johnson - acting chairman
knows what it takes to build a successful business. His extensive background in finance and investing has enabled him to direct projects from clubs to restaurants to real estate portfolios. Working with companies like Power Design, JE Dunn and KBI, he has developed a full comprehension of the construction business. His company, Upcycle Design, takes on commercial and resdential remodels as well ground up new builds. Previous endeavors as a restaurateur have enabled him to provide guidance in the hospitality food/beverage service at events, and his experience as a sound engineer and flamenco percussionist is crucial to all concerts and presentations. He also dances and plays guitar.
CHARMAINE WOOD - CHAIR EMERITA
Charmaine Wood holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and has 30 years of experience working for Mead Johnson Nutrition, an infant formula manufacturer. Her current title is Hospital Nutrition Business Manager in which she has responsibility for 16 hospitals in North Texas. She is a patron of the Arts and enjoys international travel. Charmaine has been a member of the Flamenco community in Dallas and Fort Worth since 2012 and has organized volunteers to support and facilitate programs and performances for Flamenco Fever for the past several years. She looks forward to joining the Board of Directors as Director of Volunteer Services.
kevin acosta - equity and inclusion
Kevin brings over 20 years of multi-disciplinary experience in local government, communications, community engagement, business development, and consensus building. He has leadership in navigating multicultural environments, augmented by lived experience overseas, and multilingual ability (fluent in Spanish and Japanese). Kevin provides facilitation skills, technical assistance, and training to internal and external audiences with the primary goal of closing disparity gaps. Mr. Acosta is a member of the Employee Resource Group (ERG) advisory committee and a co-founder of the Diversity Celebration Committee. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Japanese Studies from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.
Melodia Sadjadi
Melodia is a long-time Flamenco enthusiast and supporter of international music and artists in the metroplex. She speaks several languages and is an advocate for international human rights, orphans, and stopping child executions through different organizations, including Amnesty International.
She regularly cares after the sick in Dallas using both traditional medicine and the power of prayer. After many years following Flamenco Fever's activities as a fan, she aspires to grow as an artist and to spread awareness of international artists in the metroplex by getting involved on a deeper level in 2023.
Julia Alcantara - artistic and EXECUTIVE Director
Julia Alcantara is the driving force behind Flamenco Fever. With over 25 years of production experience, she contributed from a young age, to the cultural landscape of Dallas as a teacher, fundraiser and magic maker. Key to the Project is recruiting and coordinating a team of experts that enable her to focus on the quality of the performances.
Flamenco Fever is the nonprofit branch of Alcantara Arts and Entertainment, which has been bringing the best of flamenco music and dance to North Texas since 1998. Founder Julia Alcantara has produced quality entertainment for DIFFA, the Margarita Ball, a 30-day run at the State Fair of Texas , and was production manager for 12 years for the Dragons Halloween Ball, as featured in the Dallas Morning News, Observer, DMagazine, the Advocate, and on Univision, Telemundo, Good Morning Texas, and Discovery Channel.
Jay (Jairo) Carvajal - TREASURER
is a citizen of Venezuela that came to the US to pursue his master degree at the University of Dallas in Corporate Finance. An accomplished, self-motivated, multilingual finance professional with two MBA’s in Corporate Finance & International Finance. In additon Jay is a musician and humanitarian at heart. He has been involved in several volunteer endeavors with the Salvation Army and Saint Jude. As a genealogy enthusiast Jay found out that he is related by blood to Luis de Carvajal de la Cueva who was the first governor of the Spanish province of Nuevo León in present-day Mexico, he was the first Spanish subject known to have entered Texas from Mexico across the lower Rio Grande.
MARK ELLIS - COMMUNITY LIASON
Mark is an accomplished technology leader with over 20 years of experience in operations-based program management leveraging digital technologies to enhance customer experiences, optimize operations, driving innovation in products and services. His collaborative approach to problem-solving, coupled with a proactive attitude make him a proven resourceful and driven professional. When Mark isn't helping mid to large market clients customer and technology needs, he loves spending time rollerblading at nearby Dallas parks, watching anything on Bravo and listening a wide range of vocal music. Mark’s love of music started at an early age and in high school, he sang the part of bass in Joel E. Ferris' Symphonic choir. His love for volunteerism and the arts will help Flamenco Fever continue to flourish in the coming seasons.