Bios

Johnny Beard has been playing the guitar for over forty years.  Over the years he has worked with many top flamenco performers.  He studied with well known musicians such as René Heredia, Roberto Castellón, Pedro Cuadra, Jose Valle Fajardo “Chuscales”, Antonio Andrade and other guitarists in Spain.  He has performed at many of Maria Benitez’s annual flamenco festivals.  Johnny is delighted to teach and perform with daughter Lexi and Reflejos Flamencos, in venues around the country and at many local events including the Mayfest and OK Mozart International Festival.  Johnny’s participation and contribution to the Tulsa arts community encompasses the visual arts as well as the performing arts.  He is a member of the Tulsa Arts Coalition and has entertained countless children with lecture demonstrations in schools around the state through the Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa’s Artists in the Schools program.  In 2004 Johnny and Reflejos Flamencos performed for the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s Summerstage 2004 to a packed theatre.  Johnny, also an expert craftsman, builds flamenco guitars and cajones.

Lexi Allen has grown up with flamenco music and began her forman dance training at age five.  At the age of seven, she began performing flamenco locally and then around the U.S. with her father Johnny Beard.  From an early age Lexi’s dance ability and natural grace were recognized by her instructors.  Lexi was chosen by internationally acclaimed flamenco dancer, Maria Benitez to be a soloist at many of her annual flamenco presentations.  In addition to flamenco, her dance studies include ballet, Spanish classical, and modern.  Lexi has studied and performed flamenco with many of Spain’s leading flamenco artists including Ciro, Carmela Greco, Antonio Granjero, Domingo and Inmaculada Ortega, as well as Mario Amaya, Rafaela Carrasco and Angel Muñoz.  She loves teaching and performing with Reflejos Flamencos, the group she co-founded with her father, Johnny Beard, and is grateful for the opportunities to share her Spanish heritage. After returning from Seville, Lexi was invited to teach children’s flamenco dance with the Maria Benitez Institute for Spanish Arts in Santafe, NM for the 2005 Flamenco Workshop.  Lexi currently teaches flamenco dance at the South Tulsa Dance Company with Reflejos Flamencos  and as an adjunct professor of dance for the Oral Roberts dance department. Lexi continues to perform with Reflejos Flamencos.

Dylan Allen began playing acoustic guitar and later studied flamenco guitar with Joaquín Gallegos and Johnny Beard. His sharp ear for rhythms enabled him to easily transition to percussion instruments like the djembe and the flamenco cajón. He has been influenced by such artists as Francisco Javier Orrosco “Yiyi” and Guillermo McGill.  He furthered his knowledge of the Spanish culture through his travels to the Spanish cities of Seville and Madrid.  Also a singer/songwriter, Dylan is guitarist and vocalist for local band, “Sounds Like Life”. Dylan draws from a diverse musical background and approaches flamenco with an appreciation for the traditional structure as well as for modern musical influences.  He is happy to join Reflejos Flamencos as their flamenco percussionist and second guitarist.