Dr. M. Gabriela Estrada is a multifaceted dance artist, educator, choreographer, journalist, and filmmaker dedicated to promoting dance’s historical documentation and social justice through the arts. She holds a BA and MFA in Dance from UC Irvine and a Ph.D. in Flamenco Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Seville, Spain. Her dissertation, Flamenco’s Contributions to Ballet (1850-2015), investigates over 200 Spanish dance collaborations in ballet, examining their impact on ballet’s repertoire and curricula. Estrada’s research has been presented at prestigious institutions, including Columbia University and the Le Tricorne Centennial conference. She has published extensively with works such as Don Quixote: Petipa’s Choreographic Legacy (2016) and Faux Amis: False cognates in flamenco’s discourse within ballet (2022). Her journalistic work includes an article for Dance International on Héctor Zaraspe’s mentorship of Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Houston, Estrada engages in teaching, mentoring, and administrative roles while developing and documenting her research through publications, film, and choreographic work. Her recent collaborations with arts organizations include teaching Spanish dance for the Houston Ballet Foundation, choreographing for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston, and translating for online flamenco music courses offered by Flamenco Vivo in NYC. Estrada holds leadership roles with the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) as Advisory Board Research Advisor and Chair of its Research Committee. She is also an active membership with the Dance Studies Association and Columbia University’s Dance History Studies group, alongside various film and arts organizations.