Antonio "El Pipa" at the theatre of Villamarta

Antonio Ríos Fernández, dancer and choreographer, was born in Jerez de la Frontera to a gypsy family in the Santiago district. He is the grandson of the great matriarch of flamenco dancing, Tía Juana la del Pipa, and the nephew of Antonio and Juana la del Pipa, from whom he inherited his stage name. He trained in his own family environment and under the guidance of teachers such as Fernando Belmonte, Paco del Río, Angelita Gómez, Matilde Coral, Manolo Marín and Manolete. He has been a member of companies such as Manuel Morao, Ballet de Cristina Hoyos, La Tati, Ricardo Franco and Antonio Vargas, and has performed alongside artists of the stature of José Mercé, Manuela Carrasco, Carmen Linares and Matilde Coral. He has shared the stage with personalities such as José Carreras, Lola Flores and Isabel Pantoja, and with groups such as the Seville Chamber Orchestra and the European Romaní Orchestra.