Antonio Gades
Antonio Gades, Antonio Esteve actually Ródenas, ( born November 16, 1936 in Elda, Alicante, † 20 July 2004 in Madrid) was a Spanish dancer and choreographer. He has worked with his flamenco ensemble staged, among other Spanish classical works such as Fuenteovejuna of Lope de Vega by his stage name of Antonio Gades and celebrated great success internationally. Gades was known primarily for his cooperation with the Spanish film director Carlos Saura in the works Blood Wedding, Carmen and The Love Spell.
Gades was born in the small town of Elda in Alicante. He came from a humble background. His father was a bricklayer, who fought in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the defeated Republicans. To help his family, he began to work with eleven years. Among other things, he worked as an errand boy and apprentice at the Madrid daily ABC. His passion for dance Gades discovered during a visit to a dance performance, which was led by the flamenco dancer Pilar López. He had his first public appearance in Circus Price in Madrid, where he was discovered by a flamenco dancer.
Gades died at the age of 67 years from the effects of cancer.
In the Plaza de la Catedral, Havana is a life-size statue of Antonio Gades.