A life of dance

When Yadira was only 21 years old, she was selected to teach dance throughout Venezuela. As the youngest of her fellow teachers, she had to work extra hard to earn their respect and surrounded herself with the best and most progressive mentors. 

Yadira traveled extensively throughout the country for the next 20 years, spreading her love of dance at workshops that took her as far as the Venezuelan Amazon. In the late 1990s, Yadira was one of 6 whose expedition brought them to Indigenous Amazonian communities, where she carried out research to preserve traditional Indigenous dances.

In 2005, Yadira was given the mission of creating a traditional dance company for a single national performance. The performance was so successful, the company became the first National Dance Company in Venezuela. The company continues to this day, with Yadira holding the position of Artistic Director from 2005 to 2008. She produced and choreographed many national and international productions in this role, touring countries such as Argentina, Chile, China, Colombia, Indonesia, and Russia. 

Yadira continues to produce and choreograph productions for the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture.  On International Women’s Day in 2017, Yadira was named one of Venezuela’s ten most influential women. She continues receiving acknowledgments for preserving and promoting traditional Venezuelan dance and culture. 

In 2016 Yadira joined the National Experimental University of the Arts (UNEARTH) in the capital Caracas, as both a student and teacher. She focused her studies on dance production and management, earning her bachelor's degree in 2018. Yadira continues to design national dance curricula and teach at UNEARTE.