Our Instructors

Meet The DanzArts Instructors

Patricia Astorga

Artistic Director/Founder/Choreographer

Throughout her artistic career, Mrs. Astorga has undertaken various dance disciplines including classical ballet, tap, modern dance, Folklore Mexicano and Flamenco. She began her training at the early age of 7yrs old at the world-renowned school of Amalia Hernández (Ballet Folklórico de México), for 5 consecutive summers. She was one of the founding members of Ballet Folklórico de Pacifico in Los Angeles, CA.

In 2005, she moved to Houston, Texas and formed “Sabor Mexico Theatrical Dance Co. “(Folklórico Mexicano). In Houston, she presented her work at the most respected theaters, including Hobby Center (Zilka Hall), Verizon Wireless Theater and Houston’s Museums. In 2006, developed a Non-Profit organization (Danzarts)www.danzarts.org . Which mission is to provides a creative and relevant space for artistic and cultural expression, as well as preserving and raising cultural awareness of Mexico and Spain by giving back to the community through dance and music.

As a flamenco dancer, she has appeared professionally at the famous El Cid Flamenco Tablao in Los Angeles. Patricia performed at the Grand Opening of the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. She has studied extensively in Spain with Flamenco Masters such as Juana Amaya, Jesus Carmona, Ursula Lopez to name a few. In August 2006, she formed her own Flamenco dance company, “La Esencia Flamenca.” Collaborating with local musicians from Texas and California. As a result of her ongoing efforts, she developed a wonderful collaborative relationship with the Mexican Consulate in Houston, Mexican Tourism Board, Consulado de Espana, The Museum of Fine Arts, MECA and numerous other Hispanic organizations. On December 8, 2007, Mayor Bill White of Houston, Patricia was given a formal proclamation.

Patricia currently resides in sunny San Diego, CA as of 2009. She has continued to teach both Folklore Mexicano and Flamenco. Within one year her two dance companies in San Diego (Sabor Mexico Theatrical Dance Co. of SD & La Esencia Flamenca Dance Company of SD) combined has grown to 30 dancers and musicians. Recently, Danzarts – Sabor Mexico was chosen out of 320 applicants to work with the San Diego Symphony by Bill Conti (composer of the theme song “Rocky”) production “Your Song, Your Story”. Had the privilege of Performing at Symphony Hall, Joan Kroc Theater, Embarcadero accompanied by San Diego Symphony and Mariachi Garibaldi. For 8 consecutive years, Patricia has choreographed shows for Mariachi Sol De Mexico de Jose Hernandez for their “Merry-Achi” productions each year. Also has choreographed for Lila Downs -Dia de los Muertos show in 2023.. As a profession, Patricia is a Registered Nurse for over 30 years and has worked in Health Care Administration (Quality Management, Case Management ) for the last 15 years.

To learn more about Patricia, click here. To email Patricia, click here.

Vanessa Albalos

Flamenco Dancer • Choreographer • Educator

Born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Vanessa’s journey began in childhood when her mother introduced her to the beauty and passion of flamenco. Raised in a home filled with music, she developed an early appreciation for cante, compás, and the emotional depth that makes flamenco one of the world’s most expressive art forms. Those early experiences ignited a lifelong dedication to preserving and sharing its traditions.

At the age of 13, Vanessa began her formal training in El Paso, Texas, under Rita Vega de Triana and Curro Niebla. After relocating to Southern California, she continued her artistic development with respected flamenco artists including Gabriela Garza, guitarist José Tanaka, singer Jesús Montoya, and Manuel Gutiérrez. Committed to lifelong learning, she continues to study with renowned artists from Spain, deepening both her artistry and her understanding of flamenco’s evolving traditions.

Her career has taken her to stages throughout the United States and internationally. Vanessa toured Mexico as part of the prestigious Festival Internacional Cervantino and Japan with José Tanaka’s Soniquete Flamenco, where she also recorded palmas for his guitar album Lluvia. She has appeared in MTV’s Boy With a Coin music video for Iron & Wine and in Mater TV’s Caminos Flamencos with Yaelisa’s acclaimed San Francisco-based company.

Her performance credits include the Los Angeles Flamenco Festival, New World Flamenco Festival, Irvine Barclay Theatre’s Forever Flamenco Series, Houston Flamenco Festival with the Jesús Montoya Company, Albuquerque Flamenco Festival, and numerous theaters, tablaos, festivals, and cultural events throughout Southern California.
As an educator, Vanessa is passionate about sharing not only the technique of flamenco but also its history, musicality, and cultural significance. She is dedicated to helping students build confidence, discipline, and artistry while honoring the traditions that have shaped the dance for generations.

Today, Vanessa continues to perform, choreograph, and teach throughout Southern California, bringing authenticity, passion, and integrity to every stage and classroom she enters.

For Vanessa, flamenco is more than a performance—it is a lifelong journey of honoring tradition, celebrating culture, and creating meaningful connections through music, movement, and the shared human experience.

Catherine Kellaway

Flamenco Instructor & Esencia Flamenca Bailaora

Tatiana Maldonado

Instructor

Tatiana Maldonado began her dance journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, when at 11 years old she began training with DanzArts.

Now 17 and a senior in high school, she has been a dedicated member of DanzArts’ company, Sabor México, for nearly four years.

Through ballet folklórico, Tatiana has found a powerful way to express herself, honor her culture, and stay deeply connected to her heritage. She values the strong sense of community that dance creates and believes in its ability to unite, uplift, and tell the meaningful stories of resilience.

Tatiana is excited to join DanzArts as a Ballet Folklórico Instructor and Assistant Creative Director to Patricia Astorga-Casey, where she looks forward to mentoring dancers of all ages and continuing to grow as both an artist and leader.”

Roxanne Rojas De Blanco

Instructor

Roxanne Rojas de Blanco is founding member of Omo Aché Afro-Cuban Music & Dance Company and a curious life-long learner of dance.  She is driven by a deep respect for the embodied wisdom of Indigenous and African people as expressed through cultural dances of the Americas and brings 30+ years of experience and study under primary source artists from Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru. She currently performs with the cultural groups DanzArts, Peru in Motion, Sabor Mexico, SambAmerica and creates her own original choreographies that blend cultural practices with personal narrative.

Roxanne has a bachelor’s degree Third Word Developmental Studies with a focus on Latin America from UC San Diego and a Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language Acquisition Development Certificate from San Diego State University.  Her educational experiences have

served to help her understand the deep connections humans share in the need to express and communicate collectively through dance.

She has taught dance education in schools throughout San Diego for over 30 years through organizations such as City Moves!, Young Audiences, Arts for Learning, and Bocon Community Arts. As a dance educator, her passion has been to inspire her students to explore their imagination through embodied collective practices that nurture community while honoring history and culture.  She currently teaches creative and cultural dance at the youth development organization, A Step Beyond, at the California Center for the Arts Escondido.