This is the 39th and, sadly, final season of Pilar Rioja’s flamenco dance programs at Repertorio Español.

Pilar is known worldwide as the Queen of Spanish Dance. She is an idolized dancer, renowned teacher and an inspiration to artists in various mediums. 

She was born in Torreón, México to Spanish parents who hailed from the Rioja region of Spain. From the time she could walk, her parents encouraged Pilar to dance. It was in Spain where she combined her modern, ballet and classical dance training with traditional Spanish dance forms and then became one of the world’s greatest teachers of Spanish dance.

For many years, she had an academy in Mexico City where she worked hard to keep Spanish Dance alive. Pilar has taught in such far away countries as Armenia, and the dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. She is such a beloved figure in Moscow, that a statue of her by David Narodnisky was erected in a town square. Other statues of Pilar have been erected in the cities of Torreón and Morelia. Pilar has been an inspiration for many artists’ work including a sculpted bust by Arnold Taylor, drawings and paintings by Hector Javier, paintings by Spanish artist Antonio Peyri, a collection of songs and poetry by Luis Ríus, poetry by Juan Duch and Alfonso Simone and recently an audiovisual production by Neil Goldberg in New York.