Meet the Artists

Sol Flamenco brings a cast of artists who have lived and trained in Spain, the birthplace of flamenco. The group has been working together for many years and it shows in the dancer’s precision footwork, the guitarist’s bold accompaniment and the company’s strong stage presence.  Click on an individual artist photo to learn more.

Joelle Gonçalves began her flamenco dance journey with a local school in Santa Rosa, CA. and quickly developed as a promising dancer while she was taking classes and earning her degree in Art History. In 2003 she traveled to Sevilla, Spain, to study with Jose Galvan and has returned to Spain several times since then to study with world famous artists such as Manuel Betanzos, Paky del Rio, and Pilar Ortega. She has also studied at The Institute for Spanish Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with visiting Spanish artists such as Antonio Granjeros and Angel Munoz, among others. Joelle is a founding member of Sol Flamenco and currently continues as the company’s Artistic Director. In addition to managing shows with some of the Bay Area’s finest artists, she has performed as a soloist with local dance companies, including Mi Alma Flamenca, Aguilar Flamenco, and the "Flamenco Room" at Thirsty Bear among others. She has received awards from the Sonoma Arts Council and in 2009 she received a personal letter from Cirque du Soleil talent scout, Guilio Scatola, requesting her audition (after seeing her perform at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts) for the production of Ka. Most recently she performed at the Yerbabuena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at an awards ceremony sponsored by KQED honoring important members of the Latino community. During this time she was also featured in a commercial honoring the life of Betty Rodriguez, sponsored by KQED and Union Bank. Joelle also teaches flamenco dance. See the “classes” link for more information.

Hilit Maniv began her dance career as a modern/contemporary dancer with various companies in Israel. After discovering flamenco Hilit studied with Silvia Baro and Neta Sheyzaf, 2 of the leading dancers in Israel at the time. Hilit advanced quickly and began performing as a soloist and choreographer with the Ethnic Flamenco group "Shunar". Concurrently she danced with "Haifa's Dance Association Company" where she worked with some of the best modern choreographers from Israel and abroad. After several years of dancing Flamenco she traveled to Spain to polish her dance skills and style. She studied in the best academies with some of the best teachers, including: Paco Romero, Eli "La Truco", Antonio Reyes, La tacha and others at the "Amor De Dios" Academy - Madrid, Manolo Marin, Juana Amaya, Alicia Marquez at Seville, and many more... In 2003, upon her return to Israel, she started teaching Flamenco at “The Jerusalem Dance Theatre”, joined the “Kibbutzim College of Education” where she completed her first degree in Education and Dance Instruction. While studying she established the "Cinco Palmas Flamenco ensemble" and performed as a leading dancer and choreographer. In 2007, Hilit joined Shiri Vild's company "Ritmo" for the successful show "Entre Alegria y Pena" which performed across Israel. Hilit's flamenco classes around Haifa extended into "Solo Flamenco Dance School", which became one of the largest schools in northern Israel.

Classical and Flamenco guitarist Mark Taylor is an international recording artist, performer and teacher. His combined experience in classical and flamenco music makes him a strong and dynamic interpreter of the classical repertoire with an approach to flamenco that is rhythmically vibrant, passionate and true to the essence of the many styles he performs. Taylor began his study of classical guitar in 1980 at the Santa Rosa Junior College earning a music degree and was awarded the first Julia Harp Scholarship for music performance at Sonoma State University. He received private instruction with Kirby Wilkerson, and Phillip Roshegar, and master classes with Vladimir Mikulka, and Deborah Marrioti. He has performed in many renaissance and baroque chamber ensembles yet it was his love of Spanish music that inspired him to travel to Spain. Mark was already a professional classical guitarist when he first began traveling to Spain in 1987. He returned to Spain frequently over a period of 15 years learning the art of solo guitar as well as accompaniment of song and dance styles. Taylor studied flamenco guitar in Granada, Sevilla and Jerez de la Frontera and Madrid with such great artists and teachers as Mario Escudero, Carlos Heredia (Seville), “El Carbonero” (Jerez), Roman Martin, and at the famous Amor de Dios dance studio (Madrid). He returned to the United States to form the Aire Flamenco Dance Company and The Mark Taylor Flamenco Quartet. He has performed as a soloist in Spain and the United States and appears regularly as featured artist with the Sol Flamenco Dance Company and The San Francisco Bay area’s Potaje ensemble, directed by Chus Alonso. He has also collaborated with Francisco Gaona’s stage productions of Romanceros Gitanos, Cante Jondo and Cantares by Federico García Lorca. Radio and television credits include interviews by Jose Maria Velasquez on Spanish National Radio in Madrid, Spain, Radio Onda Ribera in Navarra, Spain and Michael Krazny’s Forum on KQED Public Radio in San Francisco. Mark’s music is featured on television on the Discovery Channel program Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, in the “Spain” and “Morocco” episodes. Concert venues: include the Cowell Theater (San Francisco), La Peña Cultural Center (Berkeley), The Crest Theater (Sacramento), the Kuumbwa Jazz Center (Santa Cruz), the Jarvis Conservatory (Napa), the Sinatra Theater (Lake Tahoe), the Hults Center (Eugene, OR) and the Portland Theater (Portland, OR). Festivals: include the Santa Barbara Flamenco Festival with La Tania Flamenco Dance Company, the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival with La Fibi Flamenco Dance Company, the Portland Flamenco Festival with Solo Flamenco, the Gloria Ferrer Catalan Festival with Sol Flamenco, the Healdsburg Guitar Festival with Aire Flamenco, the Petaluma Summer Music Festival, the Las Vegas Guitar Society, the Stony Point Concert Series and the Pistol River Concert Series.

Dancer, Aldo Ruiz, started flamenco and classical Spanish dance with Patricia Nader Capitola in CA. Soon after his first performances with the Flamenco Society of San Jose in early 90’s, he performed classical pieces with Tulare County Symphony and Cupertino Symphony. He has been studying Flamenco further mainly from his professional performances with various companies, such as Theatre Flamenco, Navidad Flamenca, San Francisco Opera (La Traviata in 1995, 2001, and 2014 seasons) and Sol Flamenco.

Azriel Goldschmidt 'El Moreno' began studying flamenco dance in New Mexico with Rafael Martos during the Maria Benitez's Santa Fe Flamenco Festival. Soon after, he was introduced to the flamenco cante (singing) by guitarist Ives Lucero. Under the artistic direction of Ramona Garduno, Azriel began performing as a singer and dancer with group Aire Flamenco in 1998. He studied with many renowned Spanish artists such as dancers Joaquin Hidalgo, Joaquin Ruiz, Javier Latorre, Antonio Granjero, Domingo Ortega, Manuel Betanzos, Rafael Campallo and Andres Marin and singers Silverio Heredia, Cristo Cortez, Jose Anillo and Juan Suarez. In 1999 he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and has since been singing with most of the area's flamenco dancers and guitarists. Hilit Maniv, Holly Shaw, Virginia Iglesias, Phoebe Vernier, Kerensa de Mars, Melissa Cruz and Carola Zertuche are among the dancers Azriel sang for over the years in the context of the annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival.