Francesca Canalizo

Francesca has been dancing Flamenco for the past fourteen years and has been privileged to study under many well respected Flamenco Artists including: Claudia Carolina, Claire Marchand, Kari Alba, Joselina de Leon and Oscar Nieto from Canada, Martin Gaxiola from the United States, Sabas Santos, Barbara Breton and Andrea Perez Cervantes from Mexico, as well as Alejandro Granados, Luna Fabiola and Christina Hall from Spain. Francesca has also had the opportunity to study in Spain at the well known Flamenco school "Amor de Dios" in Madrid with the great master El Guito.

Since its inception in 2001, Francesca has performed with Calgary flamenco group Salero Caló, which has played a large role in cultivating the local flamenco scene in Calgary. She has also performed in several productions in the city with many of her flamenco friends and collegues, such as, Flamenco After Hours, Ritmos y Sonidos, Encuentros, Raices, Flamenco!, Flamenco 2, Flamenco Forms, Fiesta Gitana, Ritmo!, Night on the Gypsy Caravan and Flamenco y Opera.

Further to her performance and training experience in flamenco, Francesca has been teaching in Calgary at the Freehouse Dance Plus studio since 2010.