José Greco (December 23, 1918 – January 3, 2001) was a flamenco dancer and choreographer.
He was born in Montorio nei Frentani, Italy of Spanish and Italian parents. The family moved to Seville when he was three, and he was raised in New York City from the time he was 10 years old. He bagan dancing in Brooklyn with his sister Norina at a young age.
His made his professional dancing debut in 1937 at the Hippodrome Theater in Manhattan. His most famous partners were Argentine-born La Argentinita (Encarnación Lopez) and, after her death, her sister Pilar Lopez. In 1951, he started the José Greco Dance Company, with which he toured extensively.
He also appeared in a number of films, including Sombrero (1953), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Holiday for Lovers (1959), Ship of Fools (1965), and The Proud and the Damned (1972).
He retired from dancing in 1974 and started the Foundation for Hispanic Dance. He published an autobiography, Gypsy in My Soul: The Autobiography of José Greco, in 1977). He had four children, one boy and three girls. His son and two of his daughters became professional dancers.
He died of heart failure in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
