María Juncal (b. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, ca. 1981)[1] is a Spanish flamenco dancer who has toured in Belgium, Canada, China, Cuba, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the U.S., and Venezuela.[2] She has participated in different shows such as Jarocho under the direction of Richard O'Neal, assistant director of Riverdance, and has collaborated as a choreographer with Spain's women's national artistic gymnastics team, 2012. In addition to receiving the Excelencias Cuba Award 2018 2018 for her work in developing Cuban flamenco art,[3] and winning the Antonio Gades National Award of Flamenco Dance, she was voted the best flamenco dancer at the Festival Del Cante De Las Minas.[4]

María Juncal
María Juncal (2013)
Bornca. 1981
Occupationflamenco dancer

Biography

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María Juncal was born into a family with flamenco roots, the Borrull family.[5]

Juncal's family members involved in flamenco history include her grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, aunts, and uncles. A painting (La Algeria) of an aunt (Aunt Julia) in mid-dance is held in Madrid’s Museo del Prado. Miguel Borull, Julia Borull, Concha Borull, Isabel Borull, and Mercedes Borull (La Gitana Blanca) are family members.[6]

Juncal began her career studying ballet and classical Spanish dance in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where she was a student of Miguel Navarro, Rosalina Ripoll, and her great-aunt, Trini Borrull.[4] Later, Juncal continued her studies at the Centro de Arte Flamenco y Danza Española Amor de Dios in Madrid. Among the teachers who trained her were Cristóbal Reyes, La Tati, El Güito, Manolete, Ciro, and Merche Esmeralda in flamenco; Nadine Boisaubert and Dagmara Brown in ballet; and Trini Borrull and Rosalina Ripoll in classical Spanish dance.

Juncal has been in charge of the artistic and general direction of different shows that she performs with her company, such as: "La gitana Blanca", "Azabache y miel", "Murmullos y Geranios", "Instantes", "Destemplao", "La Hora de los Milagros", "Tercera Llamada junto al Gran maestro Ciro", and "Quimera".[7]

In 2011, she made a documentary entitled Flamenco de raíz,[8] which was nominated for five Goya Awards.[9][6]

Event participation

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Juncal has participated in several international dance events such as:

Event Year Location
Festival of Performing Arts 2001 y 2002 Cleveland
Festival Verano de la Villa 2002 Madrid
Festival de los Patios Cordobeses 2005 Córdoba)
Programa de Actividades. CC. Isabel de Farnesio 2005
VII Feria de Abril en Irún 2005 Iran
Festival Internacional de Las Minas 2005
20.º Festival Internacional de Ballet de la Habana 2005 Havana
Festival Flamenco Joven en el Teatro 2006 Madrid
31avo Festival Internacional Chateauroux 2006 France
XXXII Festival Flamenco de Cáceres 2006
Festival Flamenco de Milán 2007 Milan
Festival Internacional de Danza de Normandía 2007 Normandy
Festival de Jerez 2007
Suma Flamenca de Madrid 2007 Madrid
Festival de Música en la Sierra 2007 Madrid
Festival Internacional de Danza en Vancouver 2009 Canada
10th Anniversary Celebretion Flamenco Arts Festival 2009
Festival Internacional de Danza Santiago de Querétaro 2007 y 2011 Mexico
VI Festival de Flamenco en San Blas 2010 México
Concierto Andaluz y Gala Flamenco Washington 2011 Washington, D.C.
Festival de Música Clásica del Mar Muerto 2011 Israel
Salón de los espejos 2011 Barcelona
Seminario en la Habana:“Flamenco por la Vida” 2012 Havana
Festival de Eindhoven 2012
Gira por Holanda con 28 funciones por todo el país 2012
Festival Internacional Ceiba 2013 Tabasco, México
Festival Internacional de la Cultura Maya 2014 Mérida, Yucatán, México

Awards and honours

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Award Year
Premio Nacional de Danza Flamenca Antonio Gades en Córdoba 2004
Primer Premio de Baile Flamenco y Trofeo “Desplante” 2006
Premio a la mejor solista flamenca con la obra “El encierro de Ana Frank” 2006
Mención de Honor del Gran Teatro de la Habana 2006
Embajadora Universal del Flamenco por el DIF Estatal de Tabasco, México 2011

References

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  1. ^ Breña, Carmen Morán (19 November 2022). "María Juncal: "Es una heroicidad bailar flamenco en México"". El País México (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  2. ^ "9th Festival Cumbre Flamenca in Los Angeles". Vida Flamenca. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  3. ^ "An Excelencias Cuba Award 2018 Goes to Maria Juncal | Arte por Excelencias". www.arteporexcelencias.com. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b "MARIA JUNCAL". Vida Flamenca. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Maria Juncal Compania Flamenca - Dance from Spain". dancefromspain.feced.org (in European Spanish). Federación Estatal de Compañías y Empresas de Danza. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b Fischel, Marion (14 August 2018). "The legendary Maria Juncal dances in Tel Aviv". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  7. ^ "María Juncal". Flamenco Barcelona en Tablao Flamenco Cordobes (in European Spanish). Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  8. ^ «Proyección. Documentales». Ayuntamiento de Almería.
  9. ^ "Válgame Dios qué alegría tiene esta gente, qué fatigas tengo yo. Flamenco de raíz » Premios Goya 2023". www.premiosgoya.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 June 2023.