María José Franco
Who is María José Franco?
María José Franco San José was born in Cádiz in 1977 and began dancing at the age of five at the academies of Angelita Gómez, Carmen Cornejo and Manolo Marín, where she combined learning flamenco with formal studies in classical ballet and Spanish dance. She completed her training in courses with leading figures such as Carmen Cortés, Matilde Coral, El Güito, La Hierbabuena, Antonio Canales and Mario Maya, the latter decisive at the start of her professional career.
Career
It was Mario Maya himself who brought her into his company for the 1992 Expo in Seville, and shortly after she began a four-year stint as a soloist with the Compañía Andaluza de Danza directed by José Antonio. She performed as a guest artist with Antonio El Pipa’s company in productions such as “Vivencias”, “De la Tierra” and “De Caí”, gave a solo recital at the V Festival de Jerez, and toured Japan with the guitarist Pepe Habichuela. Between 1991 and 1996 she racked up several dance awards, including the Jóvenes Aficionados de Huelva prize, second place at the El Cordobés competition in Barcelona, first prize at the Festival de las Minas de La Unión, and first prize for flamenco dance in Nîmes, all in 1995.
Style
With her own company she has premiered shows such as “Cabales”, “A Contracorriente”, “De Grana y Oro” — which toured the United States and Europe — and “Bailando para Mí”, presented at the Festival de Jerez. Her repertoire ranges from deep palos such as the seguiriya and the soleá to the farruca, the tangos, the alegrías and the bulería, usually accompanied by cantaores such as Luis Moneo and José Anillo and by the guitarist Juan Manuel Moneo.
Legacy
Besides performing across Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, Belgium, Canada, the United States and Brazil, María José Franco has devoted part of her career to teaching, giving technique courses and workshops at the La Merced cultural center in Cádiz and also working as a choreographer for other artists.