Our Story

We are Rhode Island's first and only flamenco dance school. Led by Mariana Paes, we offer immersive programs, workshops, and performances celebrating flamenco's multicultural heritage. But how did the journey started?

Mariana moved from Boston to Providence in 2021 and kept going back to Cambridge, MA, for her flamenco training and rehearsals. She continuously looked for a local flamenco community but noticed there was no class offered anywhere across the state. So creating a flamenco community in RI became her mission!

In July 2024, she started Flamenco Rhode Island, offering classes in Pawtucket and performances throughout the state, thanks to the support of the incredible Rhode Island Latino Artists organization. By November 2025, the group moved to heir official home at Hope Artiste Village.

Close-up of a wooden desk with a black pen, a blank notebook, a white vase, and a glass container with sticks inside.
Interior scene with a table featuring a white vase with two calla lilies, a smaller white sculpture, a hanging lamp, a glass of water, a laptop, and a person taking notes with another person working on a laptop, against a background of wooden and curtain panels.
A woman with curly hair wearing a beige sleeveless sweater and tan pants sitting on a bench in a room with wooden panel walls, illuminated by sunlight casting a shadow on the wall.

Meet the Founder

Mariana Paes is an artist, educator, social impact professional, and event producer whose work centers community transformation through art, cultural integrity, and collective care. Rooted in her Brazilian upbringing and informed by her Spanish, Lebanese, Indigenous, and Black heritage, her artistic practice is shaped by a lifelong engagement with movement, music, and storytelling.

With training in ballet, jazz, belly dance, flamenco, and music, Mariana brings a multidisciplinary and culturally conscious perspective to her work. She has been practicing flamenco for over 15 years, studying with renowned maestras such as Symone Coelho, Trini, Ale Kalaf, Nino de los Reyes, Clara Ramona, Concha Jareno, La China, Carmen Talegona, Omara Amaya, Laura Sanchez, and Belén Maya—continuing a lifelong commitment to learning and artistic growth.

Beyond the studio, Mariana is a social impact and inclusion & belonging specialist in corporations, where she advances diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts through strategic community engagement. Across all her work, she is dedicated to creating spaces where art becomes a tool for connection, healing, and belonging.