His father, Alfredo Franco Ricaurte, was born in Bogotá, who immigrated to Guayaquil to work at the Commercial and Agricultural Bank.
[2] Rafael Aguilar was educated first at Colegio San José La Salle, where he picked up languages easily and excelled in French.
He worked with greats including Léonide Massine and John Taras, and decided his future lay in the world of dance.
He married Manuela and moved to Spain, where he changed his name from Franco to Aguilar—a decision undertaken to avoid any associations with Francoism rather than to honor his brother's request.
[6] In July 1994, Aguilar began suffering severe headaches while touring Germany, and he was subsequently diagnosed with brain cancer.
He was still weak but returned to work in time for the opening night of his production of Boléro in Madrid on 3 March 1995, when he suffered a heart attack and died.