Youssef Batanero (stage name of the dancer Jose Batanero) was born in Huelva (Andalusia , Spain) in 1980. He early took interest in everything related to showbusiness and started his education in staging arts, studied music, drama lessons, and took part in many dance and theatre performances at school.
In 1997 he began to appear in semi-professional companies (Arteatrozos, Mandrágora). Since 1998 he combined studying in the University of Seville (he is a Biology graduate) with work and training in different professional show companies (Aulaga, Sésamo, Tekantor, Papalote) where he performed as an actor, acrobat, juggler, spitfire, fireworks handler.
His first contact with Belly Dance was in 1999 thanks to his friend Violeta Casado (Cortegana, Spain), workmate in shows. But he first learned Oriental Dance basic steps with other artist, his friend Mafer Bilabao (La Paz, Bolivia).
Since 2003, after his university education, he started doing his utmost to his professional training as an oriental dancer.
With Silvia Bigi (Milano, Italy) went into rural Egyptian folklore, Baladi, Raks Sharki, and contemporary styles (as Pharaonic) in depth.
With Bárbara Barretto (Sao Paulo, Brazil) maked progress in Belly Dance with different elements as the cane, sword, tambourine, zills, veil. And studied the style of some great Egyptian and Lebanese Stars (Nadia Gamal, Dina, Fifi Abdou, Mona Said…)
With Samah (Madrid, Spain) learned thoroughly the Egyptian technique of bellydance and folklore (Saidi, Bedouin, Nubian…) as well as the characteristic expression and feeling of this dance.
He has also atended workshops with: Mahmoud Reda (Egypt), founder of National Folkloric Egyptian Ballet, Zaza Hassan (Egypt), Amir Thaleb (Argentina), Bozenka (Miami, USA) choreographer of pop star Shakira; Virginia Méndez (USA), Sadie (USA), Munique Neith (Brasil), Así Haskal (Israel); Dalila of Cairo, Nesma (Spain).
He has trained in parallel Contemporary Dance with Inmaculada Agudo (Huelva, Spain), Clasical Ballet with Inmaculada Vázquez (Huelva, Spain), Afrocuban dance with Yanet (Cuba), Afrobrazilian dance with Sheila do Spirito Santo (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and Bea (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Modern Dance in “Sevilla Dance Center” (Seville, Spain), latin dances and other sport techniques related to dance world such as Pilates Method and BodyBalanceTM.
In 2004 he set up his own company “Saltinpunqui Espectáculos” ( www.saltinpunqui.com ) to produce street shows with music, dance, theatre and fireworks, performing during all the year all around Spain.
In 2008 he opened his own dance studio in Huelva “Studio Rábida 9”, mainly devoted to teaching Oriental Dance and Egyptian Folklore.
At present he is still training with great professionals from all around the world, combining it with his work as oriental dancer and teacher.
