Enrique el cojo

Enrique Jiménez (or Giménez) Mendoza, known as Enrique "el Cojo" (the Cripple), (March 31, 1912 – March 29, 1988) was a flamenco dancer, choreographer, and teacher born in Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. He grew up in Sevilla, in the province of Andalucia.[1]

Early life

Enrique wanted to be a dancer from a young age, but at the age of eight, developed a tumor in his leg that left him crippled, with one leg shorter than the other.[2] He worked in photography, before pursuing dancing. When it came to dancing, he was not able to do certain demanding moves, such as turns, due to his leg. Instead, he worked out ways to give the feel of a move, without the physical demands.

Career

Enrique el Cojo taught for many years in a small studio on the side street, Espiritu Santo. Among his students were the famous dancers Lola Flores, Cristina Hoyos, Manuela Vargas, and Carmen Ledesma. Students came from as far away as Japan to study with him.[3]

Enrique acted and danced in a film production La Carmen, directed by Julio Diamente.[4]

References
  1. Ortiz Nuevo, José Luis (1984). De las danzas y andanzas de Enrique el Cojo: según la memoria del maestro. Ayuntamiento de Sevilla, Area de Cultura.
  2. Nuevo, Jose (1984). Da las Danzas y Andanzas de Enrique el Cojo. Sevilla: Portada Editorial. pp. 11–25.
  3. Relano, Alfredo (5 November 1984). "Enrique el Cojo Figura del baile a pesar de su cojera, el maestro de artistas ha intervenido en la peficula 'Carmen', de Rosi". El Pais. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  4. "Enrique Giménez 'El Cojo'". Retrieved 1 February 2018.

De las danzas y andanzas de Enrique el Cojo

Author: José Luis Ortiz Nuevo
Publisher: Sevilla Portada Editorial 1984, Second edition, 2017, Sevilla Athenaica Edicion Universitarias.

Flamenco on the global stage : historical, critical and theoretical perspectives

Author: K Meira Goldberg; Ninotchka Bennahum; Michelle Heffner Hayes
Publisher: Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2015.

Video of Enrique "el Cojo" performing alegrias: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEVKfpMGwhA

Enrique Giménez [sic] 'El Cojo': https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0319839/

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.