Austerity is one of the key aspects of the show. Mercedes Ruiz' restrained elegance stands out against a discreet display of lights and uncomplicated staging. Both the stage design and the choreography are completely transformed in every piece, as if they were different paintings – but nothing jars, the contrasts are not too strong…
 

The music, composed by Santiago Lara, Manolo Sanlúcar's second guitar player (record: “Medea 2002” ), perfectly suits the style of the dancer, a combination of Andalusian tradition marked by the energy and modernity of youth.
The double bass gives the piece an unusual colour and an intimate character.

Source : Artemovimiento

Born in 1980, starts dancing as a professional in 1986 performing  “Semilla Flamenca” a piece directed by Ana Maria López.

Some years later, joins the Manuel Morao y los Gitanos de Jerez' show “Esa Forma de Vivir” which is staged in Madrid and New York for several months.

1992: Various performances with the Manuel Morao Company in Seville's EXPO'92 at the La Cartuja Auditorium in the Andalusian Pavilion.
From the 20th of April to the 2nd of May 1992, performs with Manuel Morao y Los Gitanos de Jerez at the Town Hall Theatre (New York).
Later the same year, returns to Broadway (New York) to perform at the Plymouth Theatre for a two month season.
Combines these performances with appearances in peñas and flamenco festivals.

Appears in the “Jerez por Bulería” flamenco show at the El León de Oro” Theater, Canada.

1998-2000: Joins Antonio El Pipa's company and performs in his “VIVENCIAS” show which is staged at the Jerez Flamenco festival (Villamarta Theatre), l'Opéra de Gratf (Austria), Madrid's Centro Cultural de la Villa, and the Las Minas de la Unión festival.

2001: Joins Eva Yerbabuena's company to perform“5 MUJERES 5” (premiered at the 11th Bienal Flamenco Festival).  Continues working with the company and travels around the world with Eva Hierbabuena for a year.
Appears at the World Music Festival (Italy) with Miguel Poveda.

Performs at the Auditorium of the Caja de Ávila during the 11th Week of Female Flamenco Singers accompanied by Mariana Cornejo.
Joins Adrian Galia's Company to perform in “Pensando Flamenco”, a piece premiered in Mont de Marsan.

2002: On various occasions performs as a co-star with Andrés Peña at the El Monte Centro Cultural as part of a series of performances grouped under the title of Conocer el Flamenco (Discovering Flamenco), and appears in various festivals: Mont de Marsan, Gimont, Biarritz (France).
Tours Japan together with flamenco dancer Belén Maya.  Joins the Andrés Marín Company and performs in Más Allá Del Tiempo (in which her solo performance in the Petenera receives special mention). Performs at the Los Angeles New Flamenco Festival (USA).
After wining the first prize at Seville's Bienal in September 2002, embarks on a solo career and presents the first choreographed piece by her own company: "Dibujos en el aire".

In 2004, she presents her show in Paris and Helsinki and performs as guest star in Miguel Poveda's show at the Teatro Central in Seville.
She is currently preparing a new piece “Gestos de mujer” (Women's gestures) which will be premiered at Lyon´s Bienal of danse festival in 2004, and presented her piece in Festival Flamenco de Nimes, in Festival Flamenco de Jerez,

In 2006, Mercedes Ruiz throughout this year is announced to be in the most prestigious stages of all Europe as the Théâtre de la Ville of Paris, the Maison de la Danse of Lyon or in Festivals like Mira! and Montpellier Danse. She presents her show “Juncá” (2007) all over Europe.

Today, she is preparing her new show “Mi Último Secreto” that she will present in March 2009, in Jerez.

Source : ArteMovimiento

Author, filmmaker and video artist Charles Picq (1952-2012) entered working life in the 70s through theatre and photography. A- fter resuming his studies (Maîtrise de Linguistique - Lyon ii, Maîtrise des sciences et Techniques de la Communication - grenoble iii), he then focused on video, first in the field of fine arts at the espace Lyonnais d'art Contemporain (ELAC) and with the group « Frigo », and then in dance.
   On creation of the Maison de la Danse in Lyon in 1980, he was asked to undertake a video documentation project that he has continued ever since. During the ‘80s, a decade marked in France by the explosion of contemporary dance and the development of video, he met numerous artists such as andy Degroat, Dominique Bagouet, Carolyn Carlson, régine Chopinot, susanne Linke, Joëlle Bouvier and regis Obadia, Michel Kelemenis. He worked in the creative field with installations and on-stage video, as well as in television with recorded shows, entertainment and documentaries.

His work with Dominique Bagouet (80-90) was a unique encounter. He documents his creativity, assisting with Le Crawl de Lucien and co-directing with his films Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux and 10 anges. in the 90s he became director of video development for the Maison de la Danse and worked, with the support of guy Darmet and his team, in the growing space of theatre video through several initiatives:
       - He founded a video library of dance films with free public access. This was a first for France. Continuing the video documentation of theatre performances, he organised their management and storage.
       - He promoted the creation of a video-bar and projection room, both dedicated to welcoming school pupils.
       - He started «présentations de saisons» in pictures.
       - He oversaw the DVD publication of Le tour du monde en 80 danses, a pocket video library produced by the Maison de la Danse for the educational sector.

       - He launched the series “scènes d'écran” for television and online. He undertook the video library's digital conversion and created Numeridanse.

His main documentaries are: enchaînement, Planète Bagouet, Montpellier le saut de l'ange, Carolyn Carlson, a woman of many faces, grand ecart, Mama africa, C'est pas facile, Lyon, le pas de deux d'une ville, Le Défilé, Un rêve de cirque.

He has also produced theatre films: Song, Vu d'ici (Carolyn Carlson), Tant Mieux, Tant Mieux, 10 anges, Necesito and So schnell, (Dominique Bagouet), Im bade wannen, Flut and Wandelung (Susanne Linke), Le Cabaret Latin (Karine Saporta), La danse du temps (Régine Chopinot), Nuit Blanche (Abou Lagraa), Le Témoin (Claude Brumachon), Corps est graphique (Käfig), Seule et WMD (Françoise et Dominique Dupuy), La Veillée des abysses (James Thiérrée), Agwa (Mourad Merzouki), Fuenteovejuna (Antonio Gades), Blue Lady revistied (Carolyn Carlson).

Source: Maison de la Danse de Lyon