María Benítez is an American dancer, choreographer and director in Spanish dance and

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

. Born of a mother of Chippewa, Algonquian, Oneida and Iroquois parentage and a Puerto Rican father, Benítez is best known for the work of the company she and her husband Cecilio founded and direct, Teatro Flamenco.

Early career

After initial ballet training in the U.S., Benítez traveled to Spain to study and perform. Her basic training was with Mercedes and Albano and Victoria Eugenia in Madrid. During her tenure abroad she performed in Spain, North Africa, Portugal and South America. She also performed on Spanish television. After returning to the U.S., Maria and her husband Cecilio established homes in New York and Santa Fe. In 1972, she and Cecilio founded their own Flamenco group.

Choreography for opera

Benítez has regularly performed in and choreographed for opera. Her first opera experience was performing and choreographing The Santa Fe Opera production of La Vida Breve. With the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

of New York, she choreographed their production of Carmen in 1987; La Forza del Destino (directed by Giancarlo del Monaco) in 1996; in 1996 the Met's new production of Carmen (directed by

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

) and in 1998 the Met's new production of La Traviata also directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The Met's Carmen was televised by PBS's

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...

in the spring of 1997 and Benítez performed in this production in 1997 and 1998 in New York. She has also choreographed and/or performed with other opera companies, such as the Boston Lyric, Virginia, St. Louis and Austin opera companies and in 1997 choreographed and performed in the Santa Fe Opera production of La Traviata. As a solo artist, Benítez has performed with the Orchestra of Santa Fe, the New Mexico and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras.

Additional appearances

Benítez was featured nationally in her choreography of

El amor brujo ''El amor brujo'' (, "The sorcerer love") is a ballet by Manuel de Falla to a libretto by María de la O Lejárraga García, although for years it was attributed to her husband Gregorio Martínez Sierra. It exists in three versions as well as a p ...

on PBS's "Evening at POPS" with the Boston POPS, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and mezzo-soprano

Denyce Graves Denyce Graves (born March 7, 1964) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. Early life Graves was born on March 7, 1964, in Washington, D.C., to Charles Graves and Dorothy (Middleton) Graves-Kenner. She is the middle of three children and ...

. Benítez reunited with Graves at the Dallas Opera, choreographing and performing in ''El amor brujo'' and ''La vida breve'' by Spanish composer

Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was an Andalusian Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first ...

.Mary Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts website
/ref> Benitez has also performed at numerous dance festivals, such as the

American Dance Festival The American Dance Festival (ADF) under the direction of Executive Director Jodee Nimerichter hosts its main summer dance courses including Summer Dance Intensive, Pre-Professional Dance Intensive, and the Dance Professional Workshops. It also ho ...

and

Jacob's Pillow Jacob's Pillow is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for a Summer dance festival. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive archives a ...

Institute for Spanish Arts

Maria Benítez is Director of the Institute for Spanish Arts which she founded in 1970 along with husband, Cecilio Benítez. The Institute, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a not-for-profit, educational and cultural organization established to present programs of the artistic heritage of Spain. The institute's mission is to preserve, strengthen and disseminate the rich and artistic Spanish heritage as expressed through music, dance, visual arts and other art forms. Projects include adult and children's Spanish arts workshops and Flamenco's Next Generation Estampa Española performances.

Awards and recognitions

*New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Field of Dance *The City of Santa Fe Mayor's Arts Award *The Classical Spanish Dance Award from the Institute of Puerto Rico in New York City *Nominated for the National Medal of Arts, supported by a joint resolution of the New Mexico House and Senate.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Benitez, Maria Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American women choreographers American choreographers American female dancers American dancers Flamenco dancers People from Taos, New Mexico