Rafael Amargo was born on January 3, 1975, in Valderrubio (Granada), Spain. His work is eclectic either way: as a dancer and as a choreographer. He inherited the purest flamenco style from his maestros and has cleverly assimilated other types of dance throughout the years, like the lessons he learnt while attending Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance classes in New York in 1996.

Amargo´s choreographies overflow with both concepts perfectly matched on the stage: Tradition and Modernity; they are often closer to contemporary dance, but they never move further away from the starting point, its background: Flamenco.

He has always been in direct contact with the Arts and the culture world; a fact that helped him open his mind and explore new horizons in his choreographies. Luis Gordillo and Esperanza D´Ors sponsored his career. Bruce Weber, Annie Leibovitz and Christopher Makos made outstanding photo productions for him. The Chillida Leku Museum in Hernani (Spain) entrusted him with the direction and creation of choreographies for “Peine en el viento” by Eduardo Chillida.

His second show, Amargo, marked the beginning of Rafael’s recognition for not only his prowess as a dancer, but also as a choreographer and artistic director. Amargo raised several awards and great critics and reviews from the national press and soon he gained notoriety in the media.

In September 2002, he got the “Positano Leonide Massine Prize” in recognition for his work as a choreographer and a dancer. This award is the most important distinction given to Dance artists in Italy. This very same award had been given before to Rudolf Nureyev, Maurice Béjart, Lindsay Kemp and other stars of Dance and Ballet. He has also received the APDE Award (Spanish dance and flamenco teachers association) together with Antonio Gades and Matilde Coral.

El País daily newspaper awarded Rafael for the Best dance show of 2000 for Amargo, and for Best dance show of 2002 and Best show of the decade for Poet in New York.

Since the creation of his flamenco company in 1997, Rafael has produced, directed and choreographed the following shows:

• LA GARRA Y EL ÁNGEL (1997)
• AMARGO (1999)
• POET IN NEW YORK Inspired in the poem by Federico García Lorca (2002)
• EL AMOR BRUJO by Manuel de Falla (Gitanería 1915) (2003)
• ENRAMBLAO (2004)
• DQ…PASAJERO EN TRÁNSITO (2005)
• TIEMPO MUERTO (2007)
• ENRAMBLAO 2 (2008)

In August 2007, he presented at Barcelona’s Opera House, Teatre del Liceu, his anthological work  Amargo al Liceu, for the 10th anniversary of his company.

Rafael has created the choreographies of West End’s production of Zorro, and touring his latest work Tiempo Muerto and Enramblao 2 around Spain and the rest of the world.

In 2008 you took part in the French show “Star Academy” as a member of the jury and as a coach for movements, which achieved a high popularity in the French countries.

In the end of 2008 there will be a new event in the Tivoli Theatre in Barcelona, called “Enramblao 2”, the second part of the event in 2004 where a large number of people (flamenco, break-dance, circus, music-hall, acrobats) rendered homage to Barcelona and to all big cities. After getting magnificent critics we would like to tour all around in Spain and across the border.