Antonio Granjero was born in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). He began his studies of classical Spanish, classical ballet, and flamenco when he was ten years old, with the teachers Fernando Belmonte and Paco del Río. A year-and-a-half later, he made his debut in "Centro Cultural de la Villa" in Madrid with the children's Albarizuela ballet, which was managed by the aforementioned teachers and presided over by the prince and the princess of Spain.For several years until this company came to be comprised of adults, Granjero performed in theatres of countries such as Israel, Italy, England, Switzerland, France, Japan, and others. There, he appeared in popular television programs, as well as in Spanish television, in which he worked for years in the programs La Danza, Dabadabada, La Cometa Blanca, Música y Músicos and Compositores Españoles.As a final phase as a child's ballet, Albarizuela performed in the Alcázares of Seville where Granjero performed as first dancer for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Afterward, he participated in the International Dance festivals of Bordeaux,” (France) and Todi (Italy).In 1991 Granjero left Albarizuela, moving to Madrid and joining the “Carmen Cortes Dance Company,” where he had the opportunity to share the stage with such prestigious artists as Antonio Canales, Gerardo Nuñez, and others. The following year he was invited to reappear with Albarizuela in order to represent Jerez in the International Exposition in Seville (EXPO 92) throughout the entire event.After finishing the Expo 92, Granjero returned to Madrid where he remained for two years performing flamenco dance in the tablaos of Madrid: Venta del Gato, La Alcazaba and Café de Chinitas, where he was the dancing partner of La Chunga. He also worked in concert rooms such as Casa Patas, Caracol and Revolver.At the end of 1994, Granjero toured Germany and Poland as the guest artist of the flamenco company Alhama; collaborating also in the choreography of the show "Viva Sevilla." He appears in the live compact disc recording of this show. When required, he dedicates part of his performance time to Alhama. However after a few years with this company, he concentrated most of his work on collaborations with other artists from Madrid such as La Tati, Manolete and El Güito. In Barcelona, he danced as a soloist with La Tati in her self-managed show, celebrated in El Pueblo Español. In the El Güito flamenco company, Antonio Granjero and Domingo Ortega performed an Alegrías which was singled-out in several national newspapers including El Pais and ABC, with comments such as: "exceptional talents" and reviews stating “…they danced an Alegrias with a good design and better confection.”In the summer of 1995, Granjero traveled to the United States to join the María Benitez company as a soloist and choreographer. He has maintained his collaboration with her company during the summer season and autumn tours. The company performs each summer in her tablao in Santa Fe (New Mexico) and tours throughout the United States.Stand out performances included theaters in New York (Joyce Theatre), Dallas (Majestic Theater), Seattle, Phoenix, The dance festival of Jacob's Pillow, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Boston, Springfield, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Montreal in Canada.At the present time, he performs as guest artist of Maria Serrano Company (Sevilla), Esmeralda Enriquez Company (Canada), Susana Dipalma (Minnesotta) the Victor Monge “Serranito” Company. Most prestigiously he has had the honor of performing at the most prestigious Flamenco events in the world, also known at the “Bienal of Sevilla as well as the “Festival of Jerez” accompaning “Cañizares Company.”He has had two sold performance at the Hobby Center Theater in Houston, Festival Flamenco de Santa Bárbara and the Empire Theatre of San Antonio. Antonio presented a new show that was in the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla 2008 and was continued by a European tour.
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Estefania Ramirez began dancing at the early age of four and throughout her youth she studied classical ballet, tap and jazz dance. At sixteen, she began working in the professional dance environment, studying modern dance and African dance forms. She continued her professional development and in 1992 she traveled to London, England and performed in the Royal Albert Hall. Estefania was put into contact with Bill Evans and was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of New Mexico's theatre and dance department in that same year. At UNM she focused on the study of modern dance and was a member of the dance company where she first encountered the art of flamenco.Taken by the art form, she began intensive dance training with Flamenco’s most prestigious artists from Spain and the United States. With the UNM 's flamenco dance company Alma Flamenca she became a soloist touring throughout the southwest and Mexico. Upon completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance, she began touring nationally with Pablo Rodarte's Dance España as the principal female dancer for which she received great reviews. She then was contracted by MARIA BENITEZ TEATRO FLAMENCO with whom toured extensively in the U.S. and Canada and where she performed in venues such as Jacob's Pillow, Santa Fe Stages, Club Maria Benitez, and PBS's Evening at the Pops accompanied by the Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Mezzo-Soprano Denyce Graves. With Benitez she had the pleasure of working with such artists as La Tania, Antonio Granjero, Angel Muñoz, Antonio Hidalgo and Chuscales.As a freelance artist she worked as a performer, choreographer and instructor throughout the United States, Canada and Spain. She relocated to Spain in 1998 where she has worked with artists such as pianist Juan Cortes, guitarist Rafael Rodriguez, Salva del Real and Javier Zamora. In Seville she has worked with Maestro Jose Galvan and his Cuadro Flamenco with whom she was presented as a soloist throughout Southern Spain.In Spain she has worked as a dance professor at the Centro Valenciano de Danza and movement theory teacher for the Ministry of Culture and Education. She founded and directed the JORNADAS FLAMENCAS, an annual flamenco music and dance festival subsudized by the city of Castellón de la Plana. She has also participated as the co-director of TEMPLE, a professional flamenco music and dance company that was included on a granted bill by the government of Valencia from 2002-2005. TEMPLE was presented and widely acclaimed in various Flamenco Festivals on the Mediterranean coast sharing bills with artists of the caliber as Rafael de Utrera, Luis ‘El Zambo’, Mercedes Cortes, Diego ‘El Cigala’, Miguel Poveda, Daniel Mendez and Tomatito.Estefania has been recognized with great success as the principal female soloist in the production FLAMENCO EN VIVO with the Antonio Granjero Dance Company. Presently, she is the co-artistic director and instructor at Entre Flamenco DanzArt Center and principal female soloist with the company Carlota Santana's Flamenco Vivo.
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Francisco J. Orozco “Yiyi”, of an Andalusia family, born in Barcelona, was introduced to Flamenco rhythms at the tender age of four. Yiyi was trained by flamenco singer and father “Joselón de Jerez” in his Spanish peña named “Peña Fosforito”. Considered a “child prodigy” of percussion Yiyi began his professional career at the young age of twelve. By seventeen years of age, and one CD later, he became more involved with singing, particularly for dancers, and left Spain for Germany on a long-term contract with the company “Flamenco Rubio”. Since that time he has performed with “Compañia Flamenca Alhama” throughout Europe and Japan; with internationally known María Benitez “Teatro Flamenco” on Broadway and throughout the U.S.; Domingo Ortega in Venezuela as well “Casa Patas” in Madrid; Jose Greco II in the U.S. and Taiwan; and world-renowned guitarist Serranito . He has also performed with Alejandro Granados, Yolanda Heredia, El Toleo, El Pelao, María Serrano, La Tania and Antonio Granjero. Critics, worldwide, have toted Yiyi’s performance as “fiery”, “riveting” his percussion techniques executed with “machine-gun speed” that possesses and “casts a spell”.
