Antonio Gades

Antonio Gades was born in 1936 in Elda in the province of Alicante. At the age of eleven, he left school to look for work. He learned the ropes of the adult world in the backs of photographers’ shops, as an apprentice toreador, errand boy and apprentice in the studios of a newspaper. He used his first wages to pay for dance lessons. In 1952 he was introduced to Pilar Lopez, a great figure in flamenco, and a year later, his name appeared high up on bills the world over. He always considered Pilar Lopez to be his real teacher. In 1960 he left Pilar Lopez to direct the choreography of Ravel’s “Boléro” at the Rome Opera House. Around the same time, he composed a piece for the Spoleto Festival, then took on the duties of a principal dancer, choreographer and ballet master at La Scala, Milan. He temporarily gave up flamenco and had the opportunity to collaborate with classically-trained artists: Anton Dolin, Carla Fracci and Giancarlo Menotti. He then went to the Actors Studio and stayed briefly in Paris. Returning to his homeland, he formed his ballet company. He first tasted success in Barcelona and went on to perform all over the world. Gades became the favourite artist of Catalan intellectuals in the 1960s. People like Tapies, Miro and Brossa were instrumental in his engagement for the New York Universal Exhibition, which was his moment of glory.

In 1978 he was appointed director of the Spanish National Ballet, a post which he left shortly afterwards to form the new Antonio Gades company, which brought together Cristina de Hoyos, Juan Antonio Jimenez, Pilar Gardenas, Enrique Estevez and the composer and guitarist Emilio de Diego. In his very contemporary approach to flamenco, he faithfully follows the trail blazed by Vicente Escudero, considered by Gades to be the indisputable master. He staged “Bodas de Sangre” (Blood Wedding), a ballet inspired by Federico Garcia Lorca’s work, and brought to the cinema by the celebrated director Carlos Saura. This collaboration with the film-maker was renewed with “Carmen”, for which they co-wrote the ballet and the film. This ballet was premièred at the Théâtre de Paris and the film won two prizes at the Cannes Festival. He has danced “Carmen” over 1,500 times (250 times a year) and “Noces de Sang” almost as many times.

Source: Antonio Gades Foundation

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