Our Company

Malita Belloso, Artistic Director, Choreographer

Malita Belloso was a school teacher for 10 years before she decided to follow her passion - dance! She is the Director of Caló Gitano Flamenco Dance Company, a small performing group of dancers and musicians. She is also the owner of Caló Dance Studio, where she teaches children and adult flamenco classes of all levels.  Malita first began her training in flamenco dance at the age of 6. She studied both tap and flamenco in her native Venezuela. She has also trained in a variety of Latin dance disciplines, and has worked as a professional salsa dancer in Atlanta, including SalsAtlanta. Malita loves singing and dancing, and she has a wonderful family!

Mary Beth Morrison, Stage Director

Mary Beth started out in theatre - first venturing into acting eight years ago with the Pacific Okinawa Players, while living in Japan . She has been performing ever since – as an actor, musician, music director, dancer, and director.    She began studying flamenco with Malita shortly after moving to Atlana in 2008.   She is currently studying acting with Sandra Dorsey, at Dorsey Studios, and voice with Sharon Blackwood. Recent roles include: Lady Thiang in "The King and I", Natalie Ludwig in "Cabaret" and Abigail Adams in “1776".  She has also danced in Calo Gitano's flamenco show, "Raices".

Jerry Fields, Music Director

Known as a total percussionist, Jerry Fields performs regularly in Atlanta and throughout the southeast on drumset, timpani, marimba and various world percussion instruments.  A Summit Jazz recording artist (Ted Howe Trio), Mr. Fields is featured on the group’s critically acclaimed recording Ellington as well as Elton Exposed. A passion for Latin jazz led to the formation of Vecinos del Mundo  (Neighbors of The World) with Fields serving as music director.

A world percussionist at heart, Jerry has performed with a growing number of flamenco artists.

As a teacher, Jerry serves as director of percussion at the Dunwoody School for the Arts. His expertise in a myriad of musical genres has made Jerry a popular clinician at local and regional high schools and colleges. Classes in Absolute Flamenco Rhythm are currently offered in Marietta and Dunwoody. These empowering classes are a must for all seeking to clear the “fog” away from their flamenco experience.

Kevin Wilson, Singer, Percussionist

Kevin Wilson was born in Lansing, Michigan, on March 17, 1972, and has been singing with Caló Gitano since 2004. As a performer and director of musicals and other theatrical productions, and as the lead vocalist of various bands ever since he was a teenager, Kevin has enjoyed performing and singing practically his entire life. However, he only developed a love for flamenco singing after Marianela “Malita” Belloso introduced him to the wonderful art form in 2001. Now, outside of his day job as an attorney, Kevin keeps his creative side alive by performing with Caló Gitano, and by teaching and dancing salsa with Malita and Salsatlanta, a professional salsa dancing troupe, on a regular basis.

Carolina "Cara" Belloso-Wheeler, Assistant Choreographer

Born in Caracas,Venezuela, Cara has been a dancer for most of her life. She started her training with the Siudy Quintero Flamenco Dance Academy at the age of 5, becoming a tap dancer and professional flamenco dancer by the time she moved to the United States in 1994. Since then, she has become a flamenco instructor, teaching students alongside her sister, Malita. She is also the Director of the Alpharetta branch of Caló Gitano, where she teaches kids and adults of all ages. In 2012 she was cast as one of the dancers with the Atlanta Opera's production of "Carmen," during which she also played the role of "Manuelita".
She is intensely passionate about choreographing for Caló Theater Company, where she can utilize her creativity as a graphic designer and apply it to her dancing. She is also extremely proud of Malita and Caló Gitano, and is excited to share her amazing experiences in Caló Gitano with the the city she loves, her students, friends, and above all, her family.

 Luciana Araujo, Corps de Danse

Born in Salta, Argentina, she began learning flamenco at age 8 with Virginia Miller at "Estudio Liliana Rinaldi".She quickly develop a passion for dance,wich led her to other disciplines such as ballet,jazz and Argentinian folk.At age 18 she earned a diploma in Dance instruction,specializing in Flamenco.Luciana also participated in several dance competitions troughout Argentina.She also studied Law at Universidad Catolica de Salta.

In 2002 she was awarded a scholarship to participate in the Summer Dance at Point Park College in Pittsburgh,PA.She married in 2003 and moved to Miami,FL.She took a hiatus from dance to raise two children.She moved to Atlanta in 2008 and started dancing with Calo Gitano in Februaty 2013.She debuted as part of "Raices"  in May 2013..

 

Izabel Blankenship, Corps de Danse

 Izabel "Bela" Blankenship was born in Recife, Brazil, where she participated in folkloric and modern dance groups and also performed in two theater productions. She moved to Atlanta in 1994 and continued her dance training with ballroom dance instructor Phyllis Deneve. From 1996 to 1998, she danced as a member of “Wings Dance Ensemble” under the direction of Amy Howton. Bela was first exposed to flamenco dancing in 2003 when she went to Salamanca, Spain, to earn her Master’s Degree. While there, she saw Marianela “Malita” Belloso, who was also in Spain working on her Master’s Degree, dancing flamenco. She started taking classes with Malita and she debuted as a performer with Caló Gitano in October of 2004.In addition to taking classes from Malita, Izabel has received instruction from Andrés Marín and taken flamenco classes with Karina Martínez. Bela is also a member of The Dancers of the Harem belly dance troupe directed by Julena Hall. She joined DOH in 2008.

 Anailza Cordeiro, Corps de Danse

Born in the north (Belem) but raised in the south (Sao Paulo) of Brazil, Ana moved to the US in 1988 with her family. Ana initially started dancing belly dance in 1997. After visiting tablaos in Spain in 1998, flamenco stole her mind and heart, although she kept dancing belly dance for a few more years. She then moved to "flamenco" permanently in 2001 with breaks here and there. Eventually, in 2004, Ana became a steady student of flamenco and involved herself more deeply in the flamenco community. She appreciates all aspects of this powerful living art and is very thankful for the opportunities that this form of dancing has given her to express herself.

Anna Davis, Corps de Danse

Anna Davis began dancing in 2003.  She became a salsa dancing student in Atlanta.  In fact, Malita was her first instructor!  With persistence and dedication, Anna quickly advanced and was asked to join the performance group and teach for the dance company.  She thrived in these roles for nine years performing at events for the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Falcons, weddings, private parties, conventions, and Atlanta's annual Cinco de Mayo celebration.  One evening in 2010, Anna attended a Caló Gitano show.  She sat directly to the right of the stage and was able to see the complicated and precise footwork.  The beauty and challenge of the dance won her heart and she signed up for classes in 2010.  Anna was invited to join Caló Theater Company in 2014.

Rachel Gorwitz, Corps de Danse

Rachel (“La Serpiente”) started studying flamenco with Calo Gitano company member Gloriela (“Loly”) Rosas in 2004, and with Malita in 2007, and joined Calo Gitano dance company in 2010 and Calo Gitano theater company in 2012 . Rachel is married to talented flamenco photographer (and the most supportive flamenco husband EVER), Eugenio Beltran. To support her flamenco habit, Rachel has a day job as a public health physician. Someday over a glass of wine, ask her how she got her flamenco name (“La Serpiente”)

Ashley Nichols, Corps de Danse

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Ashley has been a lifelong student of dance.   She began studying ballet at an early age and progressed to cheerleading, drill team, Latin and ballroom dance. In 2003, she discovered Middle Eastern dance or belly dance, as it is more commonly known, and it became her passion. Studying under various master instructors, Ashley continued to hone her skills as a dancer, entertainer, and instructor. She and her colleagues opened Atlanta Fusion Belly Dance in 2009, where they continue to develop their skills and share their love of Middle Eastern dance with the community. Ashley began studying flamenco with Malita in the fall of 2009, having been inspired by a flamenco dancer she had seen in one of the Riverdance productions. To her, flamenco represents power, passion, and control, which are elements she strives to bring to all her performances. She is excited about working with Caló Theater Company and being able to share her love of dance with others.

Edwin J. Ortiz, Corps de Danse
Edwin Ortiz originally from Bayamon, Puerto Rico and has been with Calo Gitano since 2013. Edwin's  love of performance began at a very young age, dancing Salsa at school talent shows. He gained his chops, participating in several oratory, speech and debate competitions, as well as Latin Ballroom 
dancing at the collegiate level. However, it was only after performing in Suenos Andaluces (a Calo Gitano production) that he developed a true passion for flamenco. He now takes from the wonderful Marianela “Malita” Belloso, who first introduced him to this beautiful art form. Outside of his day job as a designer for an architecture firm, Edwin keeps his love for dance alive by performing with Caló Gitano. 

Gloriela "Loly" Rosas, Corps de Danse

Originally from Panama, Loly is a flamenco dancer and instructor who currently resides in Atlanta. Loly has over 20 years of experience as a dancer and as a fitness instructor. In 1987, Loly began teaching fitness. Through the years, she has added several different styles of dance to her repertoire, including hip-hop, salsa, and funk. In 2010-2011, Loly competed in local and national Fitness Competitions.
At the end of 2006, Loly took a leap and moved from Atlanta to Miami, Florida, but she returned to Atlanta in 2009, continuing her career in Graphic Design as a Project Manager, as well as working as an independent artist in her own company, Glo Design, LLC. At the same time, Loly continued to work as a fitness and flamenco instructor, and as a workshop organizer. Currently, Loly teaches weekly flamenco classes with Caló Gitano in metro Atlanta, and is a member of Caló Gitano Dance Company and Caló Theatre Company. In November 2012, she also appeared as a principal flamenco dancer in the Atlanta Opera's production of "Carmen."
Loly is motivated by living as healthy as possible and staying fit, but in her heart her true passion is art -- expressed through her work as both a designer and a dancer. 

Regina Solis, Corps de Danse

Regina Solis Lee, has been studying dance since the age of three. She has 16 years of experience teaching and sharing her passion for dance to children and adults of all ages. One of Ms. Reggy's favorite experiences is when she was a  professional dancer with the Atlanta Hawks Cheerleaders.She has trained with the best teachers and choreographers around the world, including Wade Robson, Tyce Diorio, Tina Landon, Longinus Fernandes, Tremaine, Sabás Santos and more. Ms. Reggy continues to stay abreast of the latest trends and developments in the world of dance, always seeking further education and training.