Antonio Esteve Ródenas, known as Antonio Gades, was born on November 14, 1936, in Elda, Alicante, Spain. He began his dance career in 1951 by joining Pilar López Júlvez's company and traveled extensively while developing choreographies inspired by Federico García Lorca’s works. Gades founded his first company in 1962 and performed at venues like the Teatro de la Ópera di Roma and Teatro alla Scala in Milan. He gained international recognition for performances such as "La historia de los tarantos" and Los Tarantos, and created influential works like Bodas de sangre (1974) and El amor brujo. Gades collaborated with director Carlos Saura on films including "Carmen" (1983). His final choreography, Fuenteovejuna, premiered in 1994. Antonio Gades passed away on July 20, 2004, leaving behind a legacy that includes notable awards such as the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes (1983) and the Premio Nacional de Danza (1988). He passed away on 20 July, 2004 in Madrid.
