Joaquin Cortés: Taking flamenco to the global stage

Plaza Joaquin Cortés in Estepona, as well as a street in Seville among other places, is named after one of the best-known Spanish flamenco dancers and choreographers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Joaquín Cortés was born in Cordoba in 1969 into a gypsy family, but moved to Madrid when he was still very young. At the age of 12 he began his studies of dance and got a place at the Ballet Nacional de España three years later.

He went on to travel the world, taking Spanish flamenco onto a global stage. Not only did he work with Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar (on his film La Flor de Mi Secreto), but he has also worked with Giorgio Armani, when in 1995 he premiered Pasión Gitana.

The hit show featured custom-made costumes by the Italian haute couture designer, which is the moment that is considered to have really launched his international career.

Cortés has toured internationally with his own flamenco company, Cibayí, which he created in 1992 and became the first Spanish dancer to headline New York's Radio City Music Hall. He has also performed at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

His approach has been controversial among more traditional flamenco circles because he incorporated theatrical effects, technology and influences from other dance styles. However, it is largely thanks to that fusion that he has become a global name.

He has also collaborated with or appeared alongside major international figures, including singers Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keys and became a prominent celebrity figure during the height of his fame in the 1990s.

In fact during that decade he regularly appeared in fashion magazines and publicity posters and he was linked with a number of international celebrities of the time. He even had a brief affair with British super model Naomi Campbell. Cortés has also worked as an appointed ambassador for the Romani People to the European Parliament.

Cortés is known for his physicality and athleticism as well as his powerful footwork and sharp rhythmic accents. He has been described as having a theatrical stage presence as he blends flamenco, classical ballet and contemporary dance, often using lighting, technology and modern music in his large-scale productions.

In 2025 he presented Esencia, his latest show and spoke about the extraordinary impact of his early international success. That year also marked 30 years since the launch of Pasión Gitana.