Vicente Escudero

Biography

Vicente Escudero (27 October 1888 in Valladolid, Spain – 4 December 1980 in Barcelona) was a Spanish flamenco dancer. He was closely associated with the avant-garde of his time and brought modernist aesthetics to bear on his theory of dance. Escudero was one of the few theorists of his time to comment on the choreography and presentation of the male flamenco dance and his 'Decalogue' or ten rules for the male dancer are still respected today. As well as being the leading flamenco dancer of his era, he was a talented painter in the style, and his studies of flamenco are frequently exhibited. His work was admired by the Spanish modernist painter Joan Miró. Escudero also appeared in the films Castille On Fire (1960) and With the East Wind (1966). Escudero's writing on the subject of flamenco dance and choreography was influential in forming the tastes of his own generation and the next, and he both worked with and influenced the legendary Antonio Gades.