In 2001, Rafael Estévez and Valeriano Paños decided to form an artistic duo after discovering that they shared many common points regarding artistic concepts and visions of dance. In the middle of that year, they began an arduous research effort that led them to define the profile that characterizes their duo: a fusion of tradition and avant-garde. From the start of this artistic and creative journey, they explored movement by experimenting with contemporary forms and the unique aspects of Spanish dances and flamenco, thereby creating a distinctive language and concept of dance and choreography.
Together, they choreographed CÓRDOBA for Lola Greco (2004) and VIEJOS AIRES DE LA VIEJA ESPAÑA, which premiered on European Music Day (2007) in collaboration with the Madrid Municipal Symphonic Band, directed by Enrique García Asensio. Estévez and Paños have choreographed and danced for the Dance Galas at the Teatro Real in Madrid (2004), Spanish Dance Gala at the Tokyo Forum Hall EXPO AICHI (2005), and Dance Gala EXPO Zaragoza (2008), dancing alongside Lola Greco, Mayte Bajo, Gala Vivancos, Kira Gimeno, and María Vivó, and sharing the stage with artists such as Tamara Rojo, José Martínez, Mats Ek, Ana Laguna, Ángel Corella, and Nacho Duato, among others.
They choreographed and performed several pieces in the show GOYESCA at the Suma Flamenca Festival (2008), dancing with the singing of Carmen Linares and sharing the cast with artists like Miguel Poveda, Israel Galván, Rocío Molina, and Terremoto. They were invited by Carlos Saura to participate in the film FLAMENCO, FLAMENCO (2009), performing “Guajiras” with the singer Arcángel and the dancer Patricia Guerrero.
They collaborated with experimental musician Artomático, sharing stages with artists like BandaÈria, Jorge Pardo, and José Manuel León, among others (2008-2011). They created DANZA 220v in collaboration with choreographer Antonio Ruz and musician Artomático, with a special collaboration from singer Sandra Carrasco (2010), and the show EL SALÓN DE BAILE for the Joven Compañía NOSOLODANZA (2012). They were invited to collaborate as dancers and choreographers in the show OJO by Antonio Ruz in 2011 and artistically directed RECICLARTE by Ana Morales, also choreographing some pieces in 2013. They artistically directed and choreographed ESPIRAL by David Coria (2014), and collaborated as choreographers in LA CASA DE BERNARDA ALBA by 300 Pistolas Compañía de Teatro de Álvaro Morte and À L’ESPAGNOLE by Compañía Antonio Ruz and Accademia del Piacere (2015).
Between 2016 and 2022, they participated as guest teachers at the University of New Mexico and the National Institute of Flamenco in Albuquerque, New Mexico, teaching Spanish Dance and Flamenco. They created the choreographies ÇIERTAS DANÇAS (2016), HIERRO(2021), and SUITE No19 (2022) for Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company.
From 2016 to 2018, they assumed the artistic direction and choreography of the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía. They created the EL DOLOR for Olga Pericet’s UN CUERPO INFINITO (2019), and participated in the seminar convened by the Flamencology Chair of the University of Seville on Antonio “El Bailarín” titled “Antonio Ruiz Soler: His Legacy”, being part of the round table Antonio’s Dance: Spanish Style, Choreographies, and Great Works. Present and Future, and in 2021, they were invited to the Congress on the centenary of Antonio “El Bailarín” participating in the round table “Antonio, Choreographer” with masters Manolo Marín and José Antonio.
They received the National Dance Prize (2019) in the creation category, awarded by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Government of Spain. They created EP2020 [Choreographic Caprice for Two Dancing Men and Two Video Cameras], which premiered at the online edition of the Flamenco Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico – USA. In 2021, they created and artistically directed FLAMENCO: ESPACIO CREATIVO for Alfonso Losa. In 2022, they directed and created some choreographies for the show INSACIABLE by Lucía Álvarez “La Piñona”.

ESTÉVEZ / PAÑOS AND COMPANY

The trajectory of Estévez / Paños and Company began in 2003 with the pieces MARTINETE andTRES POR MEDIO, which they performed as guest artists at the 2003 Choreographic Contest of Flamenco and Spanish Dance in Madrid.
In 2005, the company premiered its first show, TIEMPO (Suite of Spanish Dance). A year later, at the Madrid dance cycle Distrito Danza, they premiered MUÑECAS (Walking Version) and …A PIANO with pianist Edith Peña. In 2007, they revisited MUÑECAS to adapt it to a theatrical format, debuting at the Festival de Jerez to great acclaim. That same year, the Málaga Flamenco Biennial awarded the project FLAMENCO XXI: ÓPERA, CAFÉ Y PURO, a show that received the critics’ Revelation Prize for performance at the Festival de Jerez. In 2008, within the Flamenco Thursdays cycle in Sevilla, they premiered SONATA, with music by Padre Antonio Soler.
From 2009 to 2014, Estévez and Paños were part of the show FLAMENCO HOY by Carlos Saura, as principal choreographers and dancers. For this occasion, they included dancers from Estévez / Paños and Company as the cast of this show.
In 2011, they created PREFLAMENCOS, a show featuring music by Artomático, Rosana Romero as the principal dancer, dancer Jesús Perona, and composer Luis Prado, who arranged “Playera o Caña” (1866) by Manuel Fernández Grajal. In 2012, they co-created the choreography with Juan Kruz Díaz de Garaio Esnaola for the show ROMANCES, co-produced by the Bienal de Sevilla and El Mercat de les Flors, which was then included in the Company’s repertory. It premiered at the XVI Bienal de Sevilla and won the Giraldillo Prize for Best Stage Direction by Juan Kruz Díaz de Garaio Esnaola. At this same festival, they also premiered LA CONSAGRACIÓN, a Spanish dance and flamenco version of “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky. For this occasion, they collaborated with Antonio Ruz in dance and choreography and Antonio Canales as a guest artist. The show won the Giraldillo for Best Choreography.
In 2016, they premiered the shows BAILABLES and SILENCIOS, with the latter featuring artistic collaboration by Juan Kruz Díaz de Garaio Esnaola. SILENCIOS was created during an artistic residency at the University of New Mexico, and between the cities of Madrid and Berlin.
In 2019, after a two-year hiatus, Estévez/Paños and Company inaugurated their new phase by participating in the cycle “EL BAILE” (Choreography, Direction, Creation) of the Flamencology Chair at the University of Córdoba, directed by singer Arcángel, with the presentation titled [Choreographic Creation, Reconstruction, and Fantasy], and created a new version of BAILABLES that premiered internationally at the 25th Flamenco Days Festival in Tel Aviv.
They participated in the Ibérica Contemporánea Festival in Querétaro – Mexico, as guest teachers and performed SILENCIOS at the Contemporary Art Museum of Querétaro with the collaboration of the Bulos Arquitectos team (Francisco Bulos), who created a stage for the occasion.
In 2019, they created EL SOMBRERO, a choreographic fantasy about the creative process of “Le Tricorne”. For this production, Estévez and Paños conducted thorough research that resulted in a series of 100 video-dance-performance episodes about the creative process and the lecture [FLAMENCO DANCES IN THE YEARS OF CREATION OF LE TRICORNE], which premiered as part of the Flamenco Festival program in Nîmes (France) in 2020. This project also included the small-format piece EL CUADERNO, which premiered in 2021. Both EL SOMBRERO and EL CUADERNO were supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Community of Madrid.
In 2020/21, in collaboration with GNP Producciones and with the support of INAEM, Ministry of Culture, they carried out the EPCANTERA project, a training project for young talents in Spanish dance and flamenco, selecting dancers for the company’s cast.
Between 2021 and 2022, they produced the LA CONFLUENCIA in co-production with the Canal Choreographic Center – Teatros del Canal, as a resident company at the Canal Choreographic Center, and also created FLAMENCA391, both creations supported by the Andalusian Institute of Flamenco and the Andalusian Agency of Cultural Institutions of the Ministry of Culture of the Andalusian Government.
Since 2021, they have been configuring a series of numbered programs DÍPTICOS and TRÍPTICOS, including alongside SILENCIOS (2016), short and medium-length pieces like CAMPANILLERO (2021), NONDEDÉU (2023), created in artistic residency in the research modality at the Canal Choreographic Center, Teatros del Canal of Madrid, and METER LOS PIES, selected to be part of the IN PROGRESS artistic residencies of the Flamenco Festival and the Torrox City Council of Málaga.
In 2023, they premiered DANZA PARA GUITARRA, performed by Valeriano Paños and Miguel Trápaga (guitar), and directed by Rafael Estévez. It is a production of Estévez / Paños and Company and GNP Producciones, supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Community of Madrid.
With this repertoire of works created between 2003 and 2022, they have performed on stages and festivals in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Jerez, Córdoba, Zaragoza, Logroño, New York (USA), Festival Mercat de les Flors (Barcelona), Suma Flamenca (Madrid), Paris Quartier d’été Festival, Paris (France), Flamenco Festival London (UK), International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada, Adelaide Festival, Adelaide (Australia), Chile, Uruguay, Istanbul, International Bodrum Ballet, Bodrum (Turkey), Montreal Jazz Festival, Montreal (Canada), or Katowice (Poland), Flamenco Days Festival Tel Aviv (Israel), Coetáni Experimental Flamenco Festival Athens (Greece), Ibérica Contemporánea Festival Querétaro (Mexico), Platform Berlin Festival (Germany), Flamenco Festival Alburquerque (New Mexico – USA), UNESCO Heritage Night Festival, Flamenco On Fire Pamplona, Madrid en Danza Festival, Flamenco Biënnale Netherlands, Sibiu International Theatre Festival (Romania), Córdoba Guitar Festival, Flamenco Festival Huelva City, Flamenco Festival – London, Dantzaldia Bilbao, Danza Xixón (Gijón) or Lisbon (Portugal), among many others.