Antonio Ruiz Soler
Full name
Date of birth
Place of birth
Biography
Antonio Ruiz Soler was born in Sevilla in 1921 and died in Madrid in 1996. He is one of the greatest dancers of all times He started off as Rosario´s partner until 1952, but after their separation he created his first company on his own.
His fame grew after creating the "martinetes" dancing style for Edgar Neville´s film Duende y misterios del flamenco, this style was performed in the middle of Tajo de Ronda. It was at this moment that his work experimented a great change, since he had to combine his work as a great dancer with the management of the company. In this period Antonio lived his most important creative period, premiering new titles and replacing some which he had danced with Rosario. In his style he combined all types of Spanish, classical, folklore and flamenco dance. He turned into a genius without comparison intervening in works such as Padre Soler´s Suite de sonatas, Matilde Salvador´s El segoviano esquivo, Manuel Falla´s El amor brujo, El sombrero de tres picos. He triumphed in Hollywood and after being transformed into an idol of the masses, he came into contact with great personalities in universal art, royalty and aristocrats.
In 1979 he stopped dancing and in 1981 he was hired to direct the National Spanish Ballet However, his era was problematic and Antonio ended up being fired. A serious illness confined him to a wheelchair until he died at the beginning of 1996.
