Hailed as a “dancer of distinction” by The NY Times, Marina Elana has spent the past twenty years performing alongside the likes of Pastora Galván, Juan Jose Amador, and El Torombo. Marina was a company member of the renowned Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca for over a decade and toured with them extensively both nationally and internationally. Marina has presented her choreography at Jacob's Pillow, New York International Fringe Festival, the Queensboro Dance Festival and Stanford University. In 2019, Marina’s first major production with Fanny Ara, Tattooed, premiered at the historic Presidio Theatre in San Francisco to critical acclaim and was lauded by dance critic Rene Renouf as “one of the most effective flamenco performances I have ever seen.”

As an educator and community builder, Marina has taught masterclasses at Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, University of Southern California, UC Santa Barbara, University of Washington, Williams College, and New York University in NYC and Abu Dhabi. In the Bay Area, Marina has been an artist in residence at iMPACt Center for Arts and Dance, SAFEhouse Arts, Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco and has dedicated the past five years and counting to The People’s Conservatory in Oakland, where she helps students connect flamenco to aspects of their own cultural identities and realize that they are active participants in the preservation and evolution of flamenco’s powerful legacy. ‍

An avid film lover, Marina enjoys a multidisciplinary approach to flamenco often incorporating technology, theatrical vignettes, and film. She graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Film & Media Studies, specializing in “Avant-Garde Aesthetics and Performance.” In 2023, Marina collaborated and starred in the short dance film, Yellow Wallpaper, which premiered at the LA Shorts International Film Festival in Los Angeles and garnered her a Best Actress in a Short Film nomination at the Phoenix Rising International Film Festival (2023).

Marina co-founded Flamenco Arts International with Isabel del Día in 2023. In March 2025, the company unveiled a work-in-progress of its inaugural production, Songs from a Sinking Ship, bringing together some of Spain’s most legendary flamenco artists. In March 2026, the work was honored with three Isadora Duncan Dance Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Direction/Choreography, Outstanding Achievement in Performance — Company, and a Special Award recognizing “exceptional artistry that belied the company’s size,” citing its highly creative concept, masterful choreography, original music, and the remarkable caliber of the entire ensemble. Described by the press as “a tremendous success” and “hypnotic,” Songs from a Sinking Ship will have its world premiere on May 23, 2026, at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.