Gloria de Jerez

Gloria Galdon Chapman, artistically known as Gloria de Jerez, was born and raised in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain; the artistic and cultural capital of Flamenco. Internationally acclaimed as a performer, choreographer, and director, Gloria de Jerez is recognized as one of the finest proponents in her field. As a child, Gloria watched her mother and others perform the music and dance that has become her life's passion.

Gloria de Jerez has studied with some of the most prestigious masters of Flamenco from Jerez, Sevilla, Cadiz, and Madrid:

Angelita Gomez	Matilde Coral	Ana Maria Lopez
Manolo Marin	El Guito	La Tani
El Ciro	Antonio Canales	Charo Cruz

In addition to her flamenco training, Gloria de Jerez studied contemporary and modern dance (Graham, Cunningham, and Limon techniques) and classical ballet in Barcelona with:

Cesc Gelabert

Angels Margarit

Ramon Olle

Francesc Bravo

Alicia Alonso

Gloria de Jerez has traveled around the world, teaching, performing and setting choreographies in important and prestigious schools and performing venues. Her career emcompasses both live and broadcast performances. In 1987, in Madrid, Spain, Gloria collaborated with Pepe Maya and Pepe de Utrera -- two of Spain's best Flamenco guitarists and singers --on a jazz/Flamenco fusion performance piece.

Gloria de Jerez has performed with some of Spain's most renowned and internationally esteemed Flamenco companies of Christina Hoyos, Mario Maya, El Mistela, Eva La Yerbabuena, and Jose Mendez. In 1997, Gloria performed in New York with Jorge Navarro, Amparo Heredia (the daughter of the world famous Repompa), Manolo de Cordoba, La Conja, and Arturo Martinez.

In Tokyo, Gloria worked in the studios of Amor de Dios and Triana, and in the prestigious tablao El Flamenco; in Berlin, in the El Cafe-Teatro; in London at the tablao Sevilla Mia, and the British Theatre; in Athens in the Performing Arts School and the Festival Internacional; In Spain, among many other venues, she has performed in Seville's Lope de Vega Theatre, Malaga's Cuevas de Nerja Teatro, and the tablao Viernes Flamenco in Jerez. In New York City, Gloria taught at Fazil studios, and performed at the Queens Theatre, Meson Flamenco, S.O.B., and the Festival Internacional. In Chicago, Gloria was a guest artist at the Northeastern Illinois University, and taught master classes at the Irish American Heritage Center, the Old Town School of Folk Music, and created choreographies for Teresa y Los Preferidos and the Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theatre; In Wasshington D.C., Gloria held master classes and created choreographies for the Oxford Academy of the Arts and the Spanish Dance Society.


In Virginia, Gloria has given bilingual lectures and master calsses on the ancient art form of Flamenco at Old Dominion University, Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk Statet University, Regent University, and the Governor's School of the Arts in Norfolk. Gloria has worked with two of the most respected Flamenco figures in the United States: Flamenco singer Manolo Leiva and Flamenco guitarist/singer Marija Temo.

In 2001, Gloria de Jerez formed her own Flamenco dance company, Flamenco Vision, as well as, a non-profit organization, Flamenco Arts Cultural Development, Inc., both based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Gloria de Jerez hopes to bring Flamenco arts and educational programs of the highest quality to diverse audiences throughout the United States and to build bridges of awareness among all Americans.