"Criticism & Culture of Ballet"

Perfecto Uriel was born in Torrecilla en Cameros-La Rioja-España, he studied History and French Literature at the University of the Sorbonne, Paris, France. Later, he moved to London and began his studies in Theater and Dance at "The Rose Bradford College," where he chose the path of contemporary dance and body expression techniques. He pursued further studies in Contemporary Dance at the London Contemporary Dance School, "The Place." He completed a Master’s degree in Classical Dance Pedagogy, specializing in children at the Ballet of the National Opera of Warsaw. He developed choreographic and performance work during the two years before returning to Spain, in Canada and Venezuela respectively. Upon his return to Spain, he studied Mime and Pantomime techniques with Julio Castronuovo (Professor at the Royal Higher School of Dramatic Art and Dance of Madrid) and Body Expression with Marta Schinca (also a Professor at the Royal Higher School of Dramatic Art and Dance). For three consecutive years, he assisted in the Pantomime shows of Maestro Castronuovo organized in Spain and Portugal. When the Theater School of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja was created, he was requested by its management to move to Logroño to direct the Creative Movement and Dance department of the acting school. During this period, he worked with different national and international companies designing movements for actors and providing necessary training. He also coordinated, energized, and directed a cultural theatrical animation group with the students of the center. He collaborated with the Ministry of Education (CEPS extension) in courses aimed at national teachers to provide them with the necessary elements in theater and dance to bring into schools. During this period, he also participated as a trainer in summer courses organized by various educational organizations. He has contributed to various publications: "Por la Danza" (Madrid), "Danza en Escena" (Logroño), Zaradanza (Zaragoza), and Tiempo de Danza (Murcia), among others, all dedicated to the dissemination and better understanding of dance. He has also illustrated programs for the San Sebastián Musical Fortnight. For over 10 years, he has been a dance show critic for the newspaper La Rioja. He served as President of the Spanish Federation of Dance Professionals Associations for four years and currently serves as Director of the Casa de la Danza in Logroño, a unique center in Spain dedicated to the promotion, dissemination, and better understanding of dance and its professionals. It houses a specialized library, video archive, sound recordings, and an extensive museum dedicated to all artists in all dance modalities. He is also the driving force and creator, alongside Mila Domínguez, of the magazine "Danza en Escena," now a national reference among the few remaining magazines in Spain dedicated to dance. Four issues are published annually, one per quarter, and they are currently preparing issue no. 64 to conclude the year 2024.