Flamenco is among the most well-known dances worldwide, with its passion, rhythm, and vibrancy. That’s why today, we want to introduce you to some of the best and most famous flamenco dancers of history. Each contributing by embodying this art form, capturing its essence and spirit in their own ways.
Joaquín Pedraja Reyes, better known as Joaquín Cortés, born in Córdoba in 1969 into a gypsy family, is a dancer, choreographer, director and producer. He has been listed among the best ten dancers of the 20th century by numerous international rankings.
He was admitted as a member of the National Ballet of Spain at 14 years old. With this company, he travelled to many cities around the world and by the age of 16 he was promoted to the category of soloist. He performed as a principal dancer until he was 19.
In 1988, he decided to leave the Spanish National Ballet and began to be invited to numerous galas, events, theatres, and shows in places like Paris, New York, Russia, Italy, and Tokyo. Being acclaimed by the critics and the public, he made his own company: Joaquín Cortés Ballet Flamenco and, in 1992, he created his first work “Cibayí”.
His style: spectacular, dramatic, and avant-garde but with details and flashes of a pure beauty.
Shōji Kojima is a world-renowned Japanese flamenco dancer who was born in Tokushima, Japan, in 1939. His art and his roots have brought him to the top of the international flamenco world.
This flamenco master with Japanese roots is a graduate of Musashino Academia Musicae, where he studied vocal music, piano, classical ballet, modern dance and got to know the world of flamenco. In 1966 he moved to Spain via the Trans Siberian Railway, determined not to return to Japan until he became the best flamenco dancer.
Once settled in Madrid, he began learning flamenco. In 1967, he was elected a member of the Spanish National Ballet Company and toured the Soviet Union on the Spanish-Soviet cultural mission. Just the following year he was recognized by the cantaor Rafael Farina and debuted as the first dancer of a full-length show of the cantaor’s company.
Juan Manuel Fernández Montoya, known worldwide as Farruquito, is the son of flamenco singer Juan Fernández Flores “El Moreno”, and flamenco dancer Rosario Montoya Manzano, “La Farruca”.
Farruquito is heir to a unique school founded by his grandfather, so he was born and raised in the purest Flamenco art. His debut on the international scene was at the early age of 5, on Broadway with the show Flamenco Puro.
At 11 years old, he first appeared on television in the video “Camarón Nuestro” and then appeared in the next year’s movie by Carlos Saura’s “Flamenco,” alongside with his grandfather-El Farruco. In 1992, he engaged in the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics in Barcelona as a continuation of his artistic voyage. He also demonstrated his skills together with his grandfather at the Spanish Pavilion during the International Exhibition in Seville in a performance termed “Presente, pasado y futuro” (present, past and future).
The death of the patriarch in 1997 meant that Farruquito took over to perpetuate the lineage. Thus, when he was only 15 years old, he created his first show, Raíces Flamencas.
María Juncal is a leading flamenco dancer in Spain and around the world. She was born in 1981 in Palma de Gran Canaria.
She was born into a family of flamenco blood, the Borrull family, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. There she began her studies of Ballet and Classical Spanish Dance with the choreographer and prima ballerina of the Liceo de Barcelona; her great aunt Trini Borrull. She moved to Tenerife and worked with the Ballet de Cuba.
In Madrid, she studied with Flamenco masters El Güito, Ciro, Cristóbal Reyes, Merche Esmeralda, and La Tati and was part of El Güito’s company, touring Spain and France and finally moving to Manolete’s company. She is a soloist in the USA with the National Theatre of NY and performs in Boston, Chicago, Kansas, New York, and Minnesota, among others.
She starred in Musa Gitana, directed by Paco Peña in Europe and China, and worked as assistant director and soloist in the show España Baila Flamenco by Cristóbal Reyes.
Sara Pereyra Baras, born in San Fernando, Cádiz, on April 1971, is known as Sara Baras; Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer and director of her own dance company.
This great dancer began her artistic training in San Fernando in the school of Concha Baras, her mother and first flamenco teacher. It was precisely with the dance group directed by her mother and the work Los Niños de la tertulia with which she made her stage debut. It was a time when the artist from Cadiz shared the stage with greats such as Camarón de la Isla.
The company of Manuel Morao, and the television program Gente Joven in which she won the first prize at the age of 18 came later. But it was when she decided to complete her training in Madrid that Sara Baras began to perform regularly, surrounded by other outstanding dancers.
The National Dance Award 2003 and the Gold Medal of Andalusia 2004 are some of the many awards that figure in the career of this spectacular artist.
Born on December, 1961 in Seville, known as the birthplace of flamenco music, Antonio Gómez de los Reyes, better known as Antonio Canales, comes from a lineage of artists. He spent several years dedicated to dancing in the National Ballet before becoming a soloist. He left the National Ballet and went to Paris, where he became a member of Maguy Marín’s ballet. In addition, he served as a lead choreographer of the Versalia festival in the city of Italy during that time.
He is a world-renowned dancer who participated in about fifty creations as the main dancer and was present at various international galas. In the 80’s and 90’s, he won awards for his In 1992, Antonio took a pivotal step by establishing his own dance company. A debut in Bilbao featured mesmerizing choreography.
So there you are, some of our top picks on some of the best flamenco dancers, we hope you found them inspiring.
Cover image by by byungjei Lim from Pixabay
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I studied diplomacy and law, but currently I am following my deepest passion which is being a writer. I have experience as a dancer in flamenco, belly dance, and ballet, and it is my pleasure to write about dancing!
