Carmen Rubio begins to study ballet at five years of age at Ballet Master School of Madrid with "EI danés," and at this age also starts her training in Spanish dance under Dona Laura de Santelmo, a professor at the Royal Conservatory of Madrid. Her professional career takes off with the Luisillo Spanish Dance Theater, a company with which she performed allover Europe, Mexico (Teatro Bellas Artes:), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the USSR and the Middle East. In Italy, she performs at La Fenice Theater in Venice and the Arena in Verona for five opera seasons. Her professional career continues to rise with her participation in different companies: Ballet Espanol Antonio Ruiz Soler, with whom she toured throughout Spain, England (Royal Albert Hall in London), Italy (Piccolo Theater and La Scala in Milan); Ballet Espanol Rafael de C6rdoba, in Beirut; Alberto Lorca Antologia de la Zarzuela at Teatro de la Zarzuela of Madrid, also touring with them to other areas of Spain; Compania de Danza Antonio Gades, with which she performed in Spain, Paris and in dance festivals in Salzburg, Austria, in Montpellier, France, Israel and Italy; and Compania de Baile Espanol Jose Marchena, touring with them for two yeras to Hong Kong, New Delhi, India, Pakistan, Bangkok, Thailand and various other countries.
One of the high points of her career occurs when she performs with the world famous Ballet Nacional de Espana, with which she tours on several occasions throughout the U.S., Central and South America, the Caribbean, Virgin Islands, Canada and Mexico, performing for ambassadors and high government officials of these countries, who organize enthusiastic receptions in their honor.
Carmen Rubio also had the honor of participating in master classes with the Kirov Ballet of St. Petersburg and the Bolshoi Ballet of Moscow during her tour of the former USSR. She also shared the stage at Madison Square Garden with Placido Domingo during a celebration of the jota [Aragonese folk dance] of Aragon. She shared the stage and participated in master classes with the soprano Fiorenza Cossotto, the Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova, the dancer Alexander Gudonov, as well as Jose Molina, Jose Marchena, Raul Camborio, Fosforito, and numerous others.
Later, Carmen Rubio decides to establish herself in New York City, where she lives and works for several years and where she fulfills many of her professional dreams. She founds Teatro de Baile Espanol Carmen Rubio, performing at many of the city's major theaters, such as Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, Lincoln Theater Outdoors, among others. From her base in New York, she travels to other states to perform in universities and theaters. She appears with the New York Opera as principal dancer and choreographer in Carmen and La Traviata, under the direction of Master Vincent LaSelva. She also performs with her company at the Thalia Theater of Queens, New York,· for several seasons, choreographing and as principal dancer. The New York Times wrote on the occasion of her Carnegie Hall debut:
"Carmen Rubio had the audience yelling ole".
Also in New York, Carmen Rubio performs as dancer and choreographer in various productions presented at the off-Broadway theater La Mamma. During her years with Ballet Hispanico, under the direction of the great Tina Ramirez, Ms. Rubio was in charge of the dance programs sponsored by the City of New York for children from low-income families in the Bronx area. She also trains at the schools of Martha Grahma, Alvin Ailey and Jose Limon, an experience that introduces her to innovative dance movements which she has adapted to flamenco.
In Miami, where Carmen Rubio now lives and works, she has danced with the Gypsy Kings and at the residence of famous persons, among them Silvester Stallone and Emilio and Gloria Estefan. Ms. Rubio acted as dance consultant for a TV publicity spot to promote the World Soccer Cup in the United States and Latin America. One of the outstanding points of her career in Miami was the First Flamenco Biennial on Espanola Way, in South Beach, which she organized and directed, in addition to dancing as principal dancer. She was guest artist at the Philharmonic Opera of Miami gala and was also part of the dance corps during the David Bisbal and Dayanar Torres performance at American Airlines Arena for the Lo Nuestro awards. Ms. Rubio performs regularly at nightclubs, restaurants and festivals throughout the city.
Her main focus during the past 20 years has been as an instructor of flamenco, classical Spanish dance, sevillanas and castanets to children and adults at various centers throughout the city, such as Miami-Dade College, the Key Biscayne Communi ty Center, Fisher Island and in her own studio. Additionally, Ms. Rubio teaches master classes, workshops, offers lectures and choreographs, and is visiting dance director for a well-known dance school in Madrid.
She also devotes a great deal of her time to Teatro Flamenco-Carmen Rubio dance projects. A large-scale project of TFCR at the present time is "Boda Gitana-Shalom," a flamenco production that was presented at Teatro Bellas Artes of Miami to great acclaim. It is a beautiful story of forbidden love between a gypsy girl and a Jewish boy in 16th century C6rdoba, a city in southern Spain. A video of the performance is available to the public. The main dancers are all excellent professionals, and the dance corps is comprised of students of Teatro Flamenco Carmen Rubio.
La casa de Espana of New York summarized the art of this great
bailaora in this manner:
"A veil of mystery in the dance of Carmen Rubio:
The mystery of Spanish dance, and particularly flamenco dance, full of profound significance and expressive force, is due undoubtedly to its rich nuances. Carmen Rubio and her Teatro de Danza Espafiola will provide us a sample of this rich variety of dance forms, from goyescas, boleros and chotis to flamenco, where the spiritual values that are the patrimony of primitive dance remain pure.
Teatro Flamenco Carmen Rubio, under the direction of this great professjional, is a dance company that will contribute to enhance Miami's! cuItural life and will bring many magical moments to our city.