Gades, Antonio (1936-2004), was a Spanish dancer and choreographer (creator of dances). Gades was noted for introducing a theatrical element to the performance of flamenco, a style of Spanish folk dancing that features much twirling, hand-clapping, and foot-stomping. Gades reflected on the themes of potency, passion, and destructiveness through dance. He reached an international audience by collaborating with the Spanish motion-picture director Carlos Saura on Blood Wedding (1981), Carmen (1983), and A Love Bewitched (1986), which show some of the most successful images of dance ever captured on film.
Gades was born in Alicante, Spain, on Nov. 16, 1936. He was a bullfighter before joining the Spanish dancer Pilar Lopez’s company Ballet Español, where he performed from 1952 to 1961. He then performed and choreographed in Italy. He created a sensation at the New York World’s Fair in 1964 with his 15-member troupe. Gades died on July 20, 2004.
