Biographie
Born in Córdoba, he later relocated to Madrid, where he began studying dance at age 12. At 15, he joined the Ballet Nacional de España (Spanish National Ballet), eventually becoming a soloist. With this company, he toured globally, performing at venues such as the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. After departing from the Ballet Nacional, he took part in numerous shows alongside stars like Maya Plisetskaya, Sylvie Guillem, and Peter Schauffuss, collaborating with various companies as a guest performer and choreographer. His work included choreographing Carmen in Verona, participating in the Tokyo Summer Flamenco Festival, several performances at New York’s Lincoln Center, and appearing in Don Quijote with the Caracas Ballet. In 1992, following a performance at Paris’s Champs Elysées Theatre, he founded his own company, Joaquín Cortés Ballet Flamenco. Their debut show, Cibayí, toured Japan, France, Italy, Venezuela, and the USA. Pedro Almodóvar cast him in his film The Flower of My Secret (1995), marking his cinematic debut. He later appeared in Flamenco (1995), featuring top flamenco artists. His second production, Pasión Gitana (1995), with costumes designed by Giorgio Armani, attracted over a million viewers and was the first dance show to close Italy’s prestigious Spoleto Festival after 48 years. In 1996, Joaquín began his first US tour, performing at venues like Radio City Music Hall in New York and the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. In 1997, he released a music album with his group, The Gipsy Passion Band, serving as musical concept director and percussionist. Pasión Gitana was performed in festivals across Sydney, Tokyo, Canada, and New York in 1998. In 1999, he premiered his third show, Soul. In 2000, he starred in the film Gitano. In 2001, he presented his fourth show, Live, featuring choreographies from Cibayí (1992), Pasión Gitana (1995), and Soul (1999).
