Macarena Ramírez

Born in Chiclana de la Frontera, Macarena Ramírez was taught in the Maribel Gallardo conservatory, in Cádiz, and has kept studying in performing arts, currently attending the Visual Arts and Dance Pedagogy Grade in the Rey Juan Carlos I University (Madrid).

Ever since she was a child, Macarena stood out as an artist and dancer, entering the Antonio el Pipa dance company in 2002 as female dancer, where she performed in “Puertas adentro”, “Danza Cali” and “De tablao”. She also played Lola Flores as a child in the movie “Lola, la película”.

In 2010, Macarena Ramírez wins a scholarship by the Andalusian Dance Center and goes on her first international tour with Mariana Cornejo to the Netherlands.

She also participated in the recording of the film “Verde que te quiero verde”, starring the famous dancer Cristina Hoyos. The film narrates the story of a girl who is a daughter of inmigrants and has to live surrounded by drugs. She decides to go visit her grandmother (Cristina Hoyos) to Granada, where she has a dance academy, to concentrate on dancing and escape the shady world of drugs.

From that moment onwards, Macarena Ramírez, started to work with some of the most important figures of the flamenco scene, visiting the most important festivals and theatres of Spain.

She participated in the Jerez Flamenco Festivla with the show “Viva Jerez”, produced by the Villamarta Theatre Fundation, in collaboration with the Andalusian Agency for the Development of Flamenco. The show starred Antonio el Pipa, La Macanita and Jesús Méndez as guest artists, Javier Latorre as choreographer and Paco Cepero as composer. She performed solo in the Seville Biennal, in the young promises section called “El flamenco que viene” with Paloma Fantova, where her “farruca”, “alegría” and “soleá” were well received by the public. On the following years she performed solo in the Málaga Biennal with the show presented by Antonio el Pipa.

During those years, she also worked with Sara Baras in the show “La Pepa”, a flamenco drama based on impressions that represent Cádiz during the times of La Pepa (the first Spanish constitution), the horror of the war, the beauty of the land, the importance of creating a historic constitution (one of the first in the world); the influence, the hope, the joy and the will to live in freedom. Flamenco dance show full of details that remember Cádiz and summarize the special character of the people of this land.

After that project, Macarena Ramírez also took part in the María Pagés dance company with the show “Yo, Carmen”. Bizet’s character is the start of a show that tries to disarm the stereotypes taught for centuries to silence the essence of the real woman. A woman talking about women, with the edges that hold them together. Pagés’ choreographic reflection wants to confront the myth and take away the prefabricated image that we all have in mind to show a more truthful and accurate character.

Macarena Ramírez dance company
Macarena Ramírez has recently started her own career as choreographer, creating her own flamenco company and presenting her two first shows: “8 letras, 8 palos” and “Recuerdos”. With “Recuerdos”, the artist plays the role of an old retired dancer, that remembers her youth as a dancer and artist fondly. As happens often, she had to give up on her dream and her life as an artist, to take care of the children and her family. Macarena wants to pay a tribute to all those women that had to give up their dreams to tend to their children.

She is supported throughout the venture by her cast of musicians: José Zarzana and his piano, David Carpio and May Fernández singing, Pascual de Lorca and Juan José Alba with the guitars, Emilio Martín with the violin and Jaro Bellido as a lighting expert.

Despite the tours with her company, she has managed to keep performing solo in the most important tablaos in Spain, such as El Corral de la Morería and, more recently, collaborating with Tablao Flamenco Cordobes Barcelona.

Interview published on Diario de Jerez (2/3/2013)
She is only 20 years old but on stage she looks more mature, thanks to her strong character. After her success last year in ¡Viva Jerez!, the dancer from Chiclana will have her opportunity tonight with her dance company, where she will be supported by artists such as David Carpio, Pascual de Lorca and José Zarzana’s piano, among others.

-Big day approaching, are you nervous?

-Yes, I’m already feeling the nerves and tomorrow I’ll be on edge for sure. The truth is, I am greatly grateful that they remembered me and I get to be in this great festival.

-You must have earned it, right?

-Well, we do our best. Last year with “Viva Jerez” everyone spoke highly of the “Seguiriya” with “bata de cola” that I did and it has given me a boost.

-Do you see this as a good chance?

Of course, because being given the Compañía Hall in a Jerez Festival it’s not very common. When they called me I was ecstatic, because being called when there are this many good artists is a joy. To be honest, I still can’t believe they called me.

-You are used to working in companies, but is preparing everything different than when you have to do it alone?

It’s obvious that it’s not the same being under the wing of people like Antonio el Pipa, Viva Jerez or Sara Baras than dancing alone. The responsibility is yours only and that’s how I’m preparing everything. Plus, it will be my first time dancing in the Compañía Hall, because previously I always performed in the Villamarta. For the first time the people will see me dancing and that is a lot of pressure.

-What are you most afraid of?

The dancing itself, because all the dances I execute are hard to perform. For example, I want to do “alegrías” with bata de cola and a shawl and it doesn’t matter how much you practiced, if the shawl gets caught somewhere, it’s bad news. Afterwards I will do “soleás” and “seguiriyas”, that are two of my favourite styles.

-“Nana”, “seguiriyas”, “soleá”… Isn’t it too sad for a show?

(Laughs) It might be, but the truth is that it’s the recreation of a woman that has to stop dancing to take care of her family and husband.

-Why that storyline? Because it’s not normal for a 20 year old girl to center her dance in tributes like these.

I merely have met several women that stopped dancing for that reason. Why do I do it? Because the idea came to me and I think they deserve that we remember them.

-Looking at you artistic cast we can say that you have surrounded yourself of your people…

Of course, because for me the people in the back are very important, they have to inspire me singing and playing. This time I’m well accompanied, they are the people I trust.

-For those who don’t know you, who is Macarena Ramírez?

Macarena Ramírez is a 20 year old girl from Chiclana, but since I was 6 I have been in Jerez, first with María del Mar Moreno and then with Antonio el Pipa. I also have the Intermediate Grade in Dance of the Cádiz Conservatory, and lately I have been working with Sara Baras. Well, now I am studying too a Visual Arts and Dance Pedagogy Grade in the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid.

-Do you have time to study as well?

(Laughs) Yes, the truth is I have failed only one subject out of seven, it’s not too bad.

-Apart from María del Mar Moreno, Antonio el Pipa and Sara Baras, with whom you have worked, what other dancers have inspired you?

Someone has to dance very very poorly for me not to like them. I try to take the best from each master. For example, now that I go a lot to Madrid to study I try to learn from all because I still have a lot to improve. Either way, I look up a lot to Eva la Yerbabuena, Rocío Molina, Manuela Carrasco with her strength… To me all of them have something I like and you try to do it on your own way, without simply copying and giving it your own character.

SOURCE: http://www.diariodejerez.es/article/xviifestivalflamencojerez/1471796/todavia/no/me/creo/me/hayan/llamado/para/este/festival.html