Deya's story will inspire anybody to pursue their dreams. 

Following her passion for dance has led her to Spain, and in the land

of flamenco she got to live her dream:  she danced, travelled the world performing, forged lasting friendships and ultimately -

- she also found love and started a family of her own.

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Deya Miranda is a professional flamenco dancer and the principal dance instructor at the Newcastle Flamenco Dance. 

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She first began to dance flamenco during a holiday in Menorca  (Spain)  in 1992. She was only 16 years old when she started her lessons with instructor Paqui Ferrer.

Upon her return from Spain the following year, Deya proved that her newly acquired interest was more than just a holiday pastime and continued learning and perfecting her art with flamenco dancer Diana Reyes, in Sydney.

 

The urge to return to the source and the heart of flamenco dance persisted and grew, and in 1994 Deya decided to travel once more to Spain to live and study flamenco in Málaga with the help of her Spanish relatives.  Little did she know that her career choice would keep her overseas for almost two decades.

 

She was fortunate to have the opportunity to study with some of Spain's most renowned master dancers, including; La Lupi, El Carrete and La Rosa de Málaga.

She also debuted as a dancer at the 'Gypsy Tablao' (Soniquete) in Málaga, alongside the famous El Carrete.​

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In 2002, Deya moved to Seville to further her studies at the prestigious flamenco dance school of Cristina Herren. Here she studied master classes with Milagros Menjíbar (a style called 'Bata De Cola', which is a name for the traditional Spanish ruffle dress with a train), Isabel Bayón, Javier Barón and Manolo Soler. Also, she danced intensively under the tutelage of Juana Amaya, at her school in Seville.

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Next year, in 2003,  Deya's dance engagements start to take off.  She works for a dance company in Mallorca (Spain), which performs in high-end music venues.

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​In  2004,  she toured Holland with a flamenco group, performing at a variety of music venues and theatres. Later that year she returned to Australia and performed in Newcastle and Sydney.

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From 2005 until 2008, she works with her old teacher, Paqui Ferrer, in her flamenco group in Menorca (Spain) where Deya has the opportunity to dance in the 'La Traviata opera production with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra.

She went on to perform at the reputable Cuidadella Theatre  and at a number of five-star hotels and music venues.

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In 2009, Deya moved to Jerez, (the birthplace of flamenco culture) where she met her partner Paco Lara, a renowned flamenco guitarist.​

Their combined talents and passion lead  them to a string of  performances all over the world:

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Deya and Paco travelled to Australia in 2010,  to perform at the Yarra Valley Vineyards and in  Deya's hometown - Newcastle.  The same year they travelled to Shanghai (China), performing at diverse congress halls, in luxury five-star hotels and at a Chinese New Year’s celebration.

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In  2011,  they performed at the prestigious International Flamenco Dance Festival of Jerez (Spain), in a flamenco cycle at the Jineteverde Arts Venue (El Zoco) etc.

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In 2012, they formed the group called 'La Gypsy Caravana ' ('The Gypsy Caravan') and arrived in Australia to perform. This group was a unique fusion of pure flamenco dance and song and folk music, thanks to a collaboration with the lead singer and guitarist from a famous Andalusian folk fusion flamenco band 'Los Delinquentes' ('The Delinquents').​

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In the whirlwind of all these performances, Deya never ceased to perfect her craft. She decided to further her dance studies in Jerez at a master's level before returning to Australia permanently in 2017.

She danced with the master Manuela Carpio and also danced and performed under the guidance of La Maestra, Mercedes Ruiz (one of  Spain’s most acclaimed flamenco dancers in history).

 

At the moment, Deya and her husband Paco live and work in Newcastle NSW.  They have formed another flamenco group in Australia, called  'Tabanko Flamenko', which was a mix of traditional Spanish and modern dance, song and guitar, and they performed all over Australia in collaboration with other renowned Spanish-Australian flamenco artists.

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Deya is currently accompanying  Paco as a guest dancer on his Australian tour,  promoting his two recent albums 'The Andalusian Guitar'.  and "Duende'. Their recent performance at the prestigious Sydney Opera House brought them a lot of accolades and opened the doors to some of Australia’s finest performing venues, theatres and festivals in the country.