# María Juncal

María Juncal (b. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, ca. 1981) is a Spanish flamenco dancer who has toured in Belgium, Canada, China, Cuba, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the U.S., and Venezuela. She has participated in different shows such as Jarocho under the direction of Richard O'Neal, assistant director of Riverdance, and has collaborated as a choreographer with Spain's women's national artistic gymnastics team, 2012. In addition to receiving the Excelencias Cuba Award 2018 2018 for her work in developing Cuban flamenco art, and winning the Antonio Gades National Award of Flamenco Dance, she was voted the best flamenco dancer at the Festival Del Cante De Las Minas.

## Biography

María Juncal was born into a family with flamenco roots, the Borrull family.
Juncal's family members involved in flamenco history include her grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, aunts, and uncles. A painting (La Algeria) of an aunt (Aunt Julia) in mid-dance is held in Madrid’s Museo del Prado. Miguel Borull, Julia Borull, Concha Borull, Isabel Borull, and Mercedes Borull (La Gitana Blanca) are family members.
Juncal began her career studying ballet and classical Spanish dance in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where she was a student of Miguel Navarro, Rosalina Ripoll, and her great-aunt, Trini Borrull. Later, Juncal continued her studies at the Centro de Arte Flamenco y Danza Española Amor de Dios in Madrid. Among the teachers who trained her were Cristóbal Reyes, La Tati, El Güito, Manolete, Ciro, and Merche Esmeralda in flamenco; Nadine Boisaubert and Dagmara Brown in ballet; and Trini Borrull and Rosalina Ripoll in classical Spanish dance.
Juncal has been in charge of the artistic and general direction of different shows that she performs with her company, such as: "La gitana Blanca", "Azabache y miel", "Murmullos y Geranios", "Instantes", "Destemplao", "La Hora de los Milagros", "Tercera Llamada junto al Gran maestro Ciro", and "Quimera".
In 2011, she made a documentary entitled Flamenco de raíz, which was nominated for five Goya Awards.

## Event participation

Juncal has participated in several international dance events such as:
| Event | Year | Location |
| Festival of Performing Arts | 2001 y 2002 | Cleveland |
| Festival Verano de la Villa | 2002 | Madrid |
| Festival de los Patios Cordobeses | 2005 | Córdoba) |
| Programa de Actividades. CC. Isabel de Farnesio | 2005 | |
| VII Feria de Abril en Irún | 2005 | Iran |
| Festival Internacional de Las Minas | 2005 | |
| 20.º Festival Internacional de Ballet de la Habana | 2005 | Havana |
| Festival Flamenco Joven en el Teatro | 2006 | Madrid |
| 31avo Festival Internacional Chateauroux | 2006 | France |
| XXXII Festival Flamenco de Cáceres | 2006 | |
| Festival Flamenco de Milán | 2007 | Milan |
| Festival Internacional de Danza de Normandía | 2007 | Normandy |
| Festival de Jerez | 2007 | |
| Suma Flamenca de Madrid | 2007 | Madrid |
| Festival de Música en la Sierra | 2007 | Madrid |
| Festival Internacional de Danza en Vancouver | 2009 | Canada |
| 10th Anniversary Celebretion Flamenco Arts Festival | 2009 | |
| Festival Internacional de Danza Santiago de Querétaro | 2007 y 2011 | Mexico |
| VI Festival de Flamenco en San Blas | 2010 | México |
| Concierto Andaluz y Gala Flamenco Washington | 2011 | Washington, D.C. |
| Festival de Música Clásica del Mar Muerto | 2011 | Israel |
| Salón de los espejos | 2011 | Barcelona |
| Seminario en la Habana:“Flamenco por la Vida” | 2012 | Havana |
| Festival de Eindhoven | 2012 | |
| Gira por Holanda con 28 funciones por todo el país | 2012 | |
| Festival Internacional Ceiba | 2013 | Tabasco, México |
| Festival Internacional de la Cultura Maya | 2014 | Mérida, Yucatán, México |

## Awards and honours

| Award | Year |
| Premio Nacional de Danza Flamenca Antonio Gades en Córdoba | 2004 |
| Primer Premio de Baile Flamenco y Trofeo “Desplante” | 2006 |
| Premio a la mejor solista flamenca con la obra “El encierro de Ana Frank” | 2006 |
| Mención de Honor del Gran Teatro de la Habana | 2006 |
| Embajadora Universal del Flamenco por el DIF Estatal de Tabasco, México | 2011 |