Valeria Scannura had been performing and teaching flamenco and Spanish dance for ten years prior to founding her own company and school, Ritmo Flamenco in 1995. Valeria graduated from the National Ballet School's prestigious teacher training program and taught ballet exclusively for five years before flamenco became her main love. Her desire to integrate the art forms of flamenco with contemporary dance and ballet have made her company stand out as being innovative and technically advanced . In this aspect, her school is unique in it's development and nurturing of up and coming young artists. Presently, she has established an ongoing relationship with teachers and schools in Jerez, Spain where she brings her dancers yearly. This desire to integrate her students with Spain has influenced the international stature of her school and increases her standards of performance.

Valeria herself has studied with many renowned flamenco artists in Spain such has: La Tati, Carmen Cortes, Domingo Ortega, Cristobal Reyes, Paco Romero, Merche Esmeralda, Carmela Creco, Timo Lozano, Ciro, Alejandro Granados, La China, Maria Magdalena, Yolanda Heredia, Belen Maya, El Guito (Madrid). In Seville with Farruquito and in Jerez with Mercedes Ruiz, Rafaela Carrasco , Soriya Clavijo and Marcos Flores.

Valeria has also established herself as a choreographer of critical acclaim. In 1999 she worked with Gizella Witkowsky, former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada to create a flamenco/ballet based work. 'Dance in the Blood' a fusion of classical ballet and flamenco was performed at Ffida1991 and the Wellspring Dance Gala.

Susan Walker from the Toronto Star wrote:
"...Witkowsky in pointe and hard shoes elevates the Spanish dance to a true theatrical art form."

Ritmo Flamenco Music and Dance Ensemble
The company of dancers and musicians led by music director Roger Scannura have been creating works together in concert and have toured Canada, the US and Europe. They have received critical acclaim by several prominent arts critics in North America and Europe.

Reviews

Paula Citron from the Globe and Mail for 'Sueno de Jerez'. (Toronto 2002)
"The heart of Ritmo Flamenco is innovative choreographer Valeria Scannura and her husband Roger Scannura"

"Flamenco concerts can sometimes be formulaic, but Ritmo Flamenco refuses to fall into that trap".

"Sueno de Jerez, their new work is an ambitious flamenco dreamscape....rivetting".

"The talented dancers rivet the eye with their commitment, Valeria, as always is a compelling performer".

The Malta Times, 2001

"the agile and fiery Valeria...wonderfully synchronized, balanced and full of disdainfull, detached hauteur which barely masked the passion and complete absorption in her various sequences."

William Littler for the Toronto Star for her first solo piece debuted in Ffida 1996.

"Valeria Scannura's Alegrias, a fine Spanish dancer's celebration of flamenco footwork".

Deirdre Kelly from the Globe and Mail (Ffida 1996)
"...a bravura performance of a solo piece in which blistering footwork and graceful arm and upper body movement dominate."

Recent Achievements

Valeria recently danced in the Bravofact dance video titled 'Triple Booked', a dance collaboration with flamenco, modern, danced by Brenda Little from TDT and break dance by Peggy Lau, produced by Andrea Burridge and Jocelyn Snowdon. The video was premiered at the Festival of Moving Pictures in the fall of 2004 and is currently showing on Bravo!