Encounters at the pinnacle of dance: Union Awards winners

Once a year the International Festival of Cante de las Minas takes place in the town of the Union. It is a contest in which the best flamenco singer, dancer, guitarist and instrumentalist is chosen. This year, and only during the first half of December, Tablao Flamenco Cordobes has managed to reunite the winner of the Desplante, the prize for the best bailaor, and its two finalists, all of them gathered in the historical stage of Cordobes. Are you going to miss it? Karime Amaya Close relative of Carmen Amaya, Karime is a bailaora (flamenco dancer) of renown international prestige who has already dazzled the spectators of half the world with her strength and temperament. Cities such as New York, Tokyo, Alburquerque, Quito, New Mexico, Madrir or Mont-de-Marsan are some of the cities to which she has taken her own shows with great success. Karime has collaborated with the most important flamenco artists of this century and this month she will be with us exclusively at Tablao Flamenco Cordobes. El Yiyo Only during the first half of December, and aligned with Cordobes' commitment to young talents, the art and explosiveness of El Yiyo come back this month. He is one of the young promises of flamenco dance. Born in Badalona and son of gypsy parents from Jaén, Miguel Fernández "El Yiyo" complements his passion for flamenco with a training in classical and contemporary dance. This, coupled with his athletic explosiveness, allows him to unleash all the art and temperament on a solid dance technique, resulting in an authentic spectacle of unquestionable quality. Macarena Ramírez Born in Chiclana de la Frontera (Andalusia), Macarena Ramírez learned at the Maribel Gallardo de Cádiz conservatory and has continued to train in the performing arts, studying Pedagogy of Visual Arts and Dance at the Rey Juan Carlos I University of Fuenlabrada (Madrid). Since she was a child Macarena Ramírez excelled as an artist and dancer, becoming one of the dancers of Antonio el Pipa's company in 2002, in which she participates 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 received a scholarship from the Andalusian Dance Center and made her first international tour with Mariana Cornejo through the Netherlands, as well as participating in the recording of the feature film "Verde que te quiero verde" with Cristina Hoyos. The film tells the story of a girl who is the daughter of immigrants and who is involved in a murky world of drugs, and there comes a time when she decides to go to see her grandmother in Granada (Cristina Hoyos), who has a dance school, to get ahead with his life through flamenco. From then on, Macarena Ramírez began to work with some of the most important figures in the flamenco scene, which led her to visit the most important festivals in Spain, either alone or as part of a show. Participated in the Festival de Jerez with the show "Viva Jerez", produced by the Teatro Villamarta Foundation in collaboration with the Andalusian Agency for the Development of Flamenco. He counted with Antonio el Pipa, La Macanita and Jesús Méndez as guest artists, with the choreography of Javier Latorre and the compositions of Paco Cepero. He also participated in the Bienal de Sevilla in the section of young promises called "Flamenco that comes", along with Paloma Fantova, where he picked up a great success for alegrías, farruca and soleá. She performed the following year at the Malaga Biennial as a solo dancer in the show presented by Antonio el Pipa. During this time he also collaborated with Sara Baras in the show "La Pepa", flamenco dramaturgy based on prints representing the Cádiz de la Pepa (1810-1812), the horror of war, the beauty of her land, the importance of creating a historical constitution in the world; influence, hope, joy, the will to live and freedom. Flamenco dance show splashed with gaditanos details that summarize the peculiar character of the people of this blessed land and that ends in a "Pepa" today, 200 years later. Soon after, he joined the company of María Pagés with the show "Yo, Carmen". The character of Bizet is the beginning of a show that seeks to disarm the stereotypes inculcated for centuries to silence the essence of the real woman. A woman talking about women, with the edges that shape and sustain them. The choreographic reflection of Pagés seeks to confront the myth and deprive it of the prefabricated image that we all have incorporated to show on the stage a more accurate and truthful. Dance Company Macarena Ramírez She recently started her career as a choreographer, creating her own flamenco company and presenting her first two shows: "8 letras, 8 palos" and "Recuerdos". Through "Recuerdos", the artist gets into the skin of a former retired bailaora, who recalls her youth as a dancer and artist, a life she had to give up to dedicate herself to her family. Macarena Ramírez intends, through dance, to pay homage to all those women who had to leave their dreams to dedicate themselves to their family. Accompanying him on his journey through memories are his cast of artists: José Zarzana on piano, David Carpio and May Fernández on cante, Pascual de Lorca and Juan José Alba on toque, Emilio Martín on violin and Jero Bellido as lighting technician. He has combined his tours with performances in the most important tablaos of Spain, such as the Corral de la Moreria recently arriving to start a collaboration with Tablao Flamenco Cordobes Barcelona. As for her most recent awards, in 2106 she was Finalist for the Best Bailaora 2016 in the awards ¨Flamenco Hoy, in 2017 she won the First Prize "Alcobendas flamenca Nuevos Talentos 2017", the second prize of Cante de las Minas 2017 and also the Young Flamenco Topulic Award of the Island.