Julio Ruiz
Masterclass ICK
How does flamenco move when you break open its codes?
Acclaimed Spanish dancer and choreographer Julio Ruiz is teaching a masterclass at ICK, platform for contemporary dance in Amsterdam. A rare opportunity for dance professionals to immerse themselves in the world of an artist working at the intersection of contemporary dance, performance and flamenco.
Following previous masterclasses by Manuel Liñán and Yinka Esi Graves, the Flamenco Biennale Nederland and ICK are now joining forces for the third time. The workshop is aimed at advanced dancers and (semi-)professionals who wish to push their boundaries – no prior experience of flamenco is required.
Dancer and choreographer Julio Ruiz will guide you through his unique approach, offering not a conventional workshop, but a physical lab in which rhythm and tradition challenge the body to discover new possibilities for movement.
Working with rhythm, musicality and physical presence, you will explore elements of Ruiz’s movement practice and investigate how flamenco can be experienced and reimagined from a contemporary perspective. How does the individual body relate to rhythm and tradition? Where does space emerge for intuition, freedom and a personal physical language?
Following the workshop, Julio takes you behind the scenes of his latest creation La Familia. Un cuento de Julio Ruiz (The Family. A Story by Julio Ruiz). In a short presentation and conversation, he shares insights into his creative process and explores how dance, literature, performance and personal history come together in his work.
Julio Ruiz is coming to the Netherlands for the premiere of La Lyra del Mar, a new creation initiated by the Flamenco Biennale Netherlands and the Cello Biennale Amsterdam, featuring, amongst others, flamenco guitarist Dani de Morón, cellist Giovanni Sollima and lyra player Kelly Thoma.
Programme
15:00–16:30: Flamenco workshop
16:30–16:45: Break
16:45–17:30: Aftertalk & short presentation
The workshop is open to intermediate, advanced, and professional (flamenco) dancers. Prior experience with flamenco is not required.
Practical information
Price: €27,50 (maximum 20 participants)
Location: ICK Dans Amsterdam / Space for Dance Art
Rijnlandlaan 3 – 1062 MX Amsterdam
communications@ickamsterdam.nl
Julio Ruiz (Almería, 1993) is a dancer, choreographer and multidisciplinary artist. Drawing on his background in flamenco, Spanish dance (danza española) and contemporary dance, he has developed a distinctive artistic language combining movement with writing, graphic design, photography and audiovisual work.
Since 2014, Ruiz has created work through his own company, and since 2016 he has worked nationally and internationally as a performer and teacher. His body of work includes nine original productions and more than twelve collaborations. In 2025, he became the first flamenco choreographer to receive a fellowship from the Centre National de la Danse in Paris and the Cité Internationale des Arts.
