Greco, José.

Flamenco dancer and director of Spanish dance companies performing in the United States and touring worldwide from the 1940s.

Prominent flamenco dancer and choreographer, José Greco (1918-2000), was born in Italy, but moved to New York in 1928.

Although Greco studied art at the Leonardo da Vinci Art School, it was through his sister that he first began to train in Spanish dance at the studio of Madame Helen Veola. Greco embarked on a dancing career, making his professional debut in La Traviata at the Hippodrome. He later began appearing as a performer in nightclubs, where he attracted the attention of La Argentinita, who invited him to become her dancing partner in 1942. Greco learned much from the seasoned star of flamenco, who remained his partner until her death in 1945. He continued to work with Argentinita's sister, Pilar Lopez, but, in 1947 Greco decided to form his own company, Ballet y Bailes de España de José Greco. Over the course of the years, the dance company toured extensively throughout North America and Europe. By the late 1960s, Greco, and his third wife, Nana Lorca, had founded the José Greco Foundation for the Hispanic Dance in New York and in 1974 they opened a dance studio, La Campana-Centro de Arte Español in Marbella, Spain. In his later years, Greco continued to make television appearances and to tour. Until the time of his death, Greco remained active in the dance community, teaching classes and publishing an autobiography, The Gypsy in My Soul (1977).