Antonio Gades

Antonio Esteve Ródenas, well-known as Antonio Gades (b. 14 November 1936 in Elda, Alicante – 20 July 2004) was a Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer. He helped to popularise the art form on the international stage. He was father of actress María Esteve and singer Celia Flores, daughters of his ex-partner Marisol, a popular actress and singer.

Gades's most notable works included dance adaptations of Prosper Merimée's Carmen and Federico García Lorca's Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre), as well as a feature-length adaptation of Manuel de Falla's 23-minute ballet El Amor Brujo.

In the 1990s, he toured the world with his show Fuenteovejuna, based on Lope de Vega's play of the same name.

He collaborated closely with the Spanish director Carlos Saura in the filming of the adaptations of Carmen and Blood Wedding, which also featured Cristina Hoyos, one of the most prolific contemporary female flamenco dancers.

He also co-founded and became the artistic director of the Spanish National Ballet (Ballet Nacional de España) in 1978.

Gades was prominent as a political activist in Alicante, where he proclaimed self-determination for the Catalan nation during the Spanish Transition between the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Peoples of Spain, a Marxist-Leninist organization. In 1987 he was a member of the jury at the 15th Moscow International Film Festival.

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