Miguel Bernal, Spanish and Flamenco dancer/singer/writer, started his professional dance career at Las Golondrinas Restaurant at Olvera Street in Los Angeles, performing with his sisters as Los Hermanos Bernal, dancing for many Latin and Hollywood celebrities including Tony Curtis, Ricardo Montalban, Julie Newmar, Terry Moore, Hal Holbrook, Ruta Lee, Michael Douglas, Willie Nelson, Dixie Carter and others. He studied Theatre dance and performance with Gene Nelson, whom later directed Miguel in the stage musical “Magdalene”. Miguel worked in the Columbia film musical “Lost Horizon” with Hermes Pan, Liv Ullman and Bobby Van, followed by musical comedy shows with his sister such as “Annie get your gun”, “The Music Man” and “Godspell”; the latter two productions with actor/director Squire Fridell. As dramatic actor Miguel participated with The Bilingual Foundation of Arts, touring in productions of Garcia Lorca plays “Dona Rosita La Soltera” and “Bodas de Sangre” with Carmen Zapata.
His focus on dance took him first to Mexico City for studies with The Ballet Folklorico of Mexico and private Flamenco classes with Joaquin Fajardo and Manolo Vargas as well as ascertaining various performances throughout Mexico City. A few years later Miguel embarked on extensive studies of Classical Spanish dance and Flamenco with Carmelita Maracci and Inesita in Los Angeles. In Madrid, Spain, Miguel studied extensively in private classes with renowned dance teachers Faico, Rosario, Martin Vargas, Eloy Pericet and his mentor and icon, Pilar Lopez.
Upon returning to the United States, his talents took him to perform as guest artist with various dance companies in theatres at New York State University, The New Mexico University, The Summerland Theatre in Las Vegas, The Tower Theatre in Bend, Oregon, Art on the Green in Coeur d’Arlene, Idaho, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Irvine and in Los Angeles at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Barnsdale Theatre, Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Gibson (Universal) Amphitheatre, The Madrid Theatre, and the Marina Symphony Orchestra in Manuel de Falla’s “El Amor Brujo”.
Miguel performed in Luisa Triana’s tribute to Jose Fernandez, Lupe del Rio Dance Co, Lola Montes Spanish Dance Company with Chinin de Triana, climaxing as a soloist with the Jose Greco and Nana Lorca Dance Company and performances with The Boston Pops, the Stockton Symphony and appearances throughout Los Angeles.
Miguel has been presented in a multitude of locations, i.e. The Coronado Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, Beverly Hilton, Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel, Century City Hotel and Spa, Riviera Country Club, Wilshire Country Club, The St. Regis Century City, The Playboy Mansion, Queen Mary, Hollywood Palladium, Peterson Museum, Armand Hammer Museum, the premier of “Mission Impossible 2”and at a private party for the Michael Douglas film “King of California’.
He worked at the El Cid Flamenco Restaurant, once the leading tablao of Los Angeles, which led him to other tablaos including The Barcelona, Cava, Sangria, Casa Escobar, Café Sevilla, Luna Negra and Lido.
Miguel has been performing in the national arena for many years, dancing with and singing for many of the most talented dancers in the area. He has selected the best of his associates and assembled the Miguel Bernal Flamenco Ensemble. Most recently his Ensemble was invited by the University of Riverside to perform at their Museum of Arts.
Miguel has made many television appearances, the Latin Grammy’s, “The Passion of Flamenco” and the award-winning “The Spirit of Flamenco” filmed at Time Warner Studios in San Diego. Miguel and Company completed a film documentary of “Flamenco” for Pro-Vision TV for distribution in Japan and has been interviewed on Los Angeles talk shows for KNLA Latino TV Channel 27and USC Trojan University TV.
Aside from his acting/dance career, in recent years Miguel, aka Michael Bernal, has been a contributing writer for magazines such as “Films of the Golden Age” and “Classic Images” with biographies on Hollywood entertainers Desi Arnaz, Elsa Lanchester and his pen pal for many years, famed tap dancer Eleonar Powell. To this day Hollywood Celebrities continue to sing their praises of the talented dancing of Miguel Bernal.