Centro Danza Matadero, the new dance theater in Madrid, within the fields of culture, tourism, and sports, opens its doors in February with a diverse quality program featuring national and international companies representing different styles in the world of dance.
The grand premiere of Centro Danza Matadero’s program will be held at Flamenco Ballet of Andalucia, with Pineda, popular romance in three impressions, a choreographic adaptation by Patricia Guerrero, National Dance Award. In her debut as the head of this company, Guerrero presents a proposal that delves into the universal character of Mariana Pineda, emphasizing her struggle for freedom and love through a fusion of Federico García Lorca’s dramatic poetry with contemporary flamenco aesthetics. This work will be showcased between February 6 and 16.
The month’s agenda will continue with its dance, which on February 21 and 22 will bring three choreographers to the audience. First, Biernat, under the direction of Aleix Martínez, is a vibrant proposal set to the sound of traditional Israeli and Cuban music addressing the discrimination of minorities. The title refers to a mythical place associated with medieval beliefs, where witches gathered to worship the devil.
Lo que no se ve is a proposal by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano that delves into relationships, approaching love from an unusual perspective. With an intimate atmosphere, six dancers embody different facets of romantic relationships, exposing connections and ruptures.
Finally, Minus 16, premiered in 1999 by Nederlands Dance Theatre II, is a piece that combines previous works by Ohad Naharin. With a strong influence of the «Gaga» technique, the dancers interact with the audience while performing instinctive movements to the rhythm of the music. The piece explores improvisation and direct connection with the viewers, pushing the performers to explore the limits of movement.
The Dance, founded in 1997 and led by Catherine Allard, is a young company composed of talented international dancers who receive advanced training at the Barcelona Institute. The company stands out for its pedagogical approach, developing both the technique and personality of the dancers, and was awarded the Gold Medal by the Great High School Theatre in 2024 for its excellence.
Best international dance at Centro Danza Matadero
Renowned choreographer Rachid Ouramdane will present Against nature at Centro Danza Matadero, a contemporary dance assembly exploring deeply human issues through a poetic and visually striking choreography that evokes the passage of time. Alongside ten artists from Chaillot, Théâtre National de la Danse, with various styles and techniques, Ouramdane leads the movement’s imagination in an ongoing effort to explore aerial gestures. A top-tier international showcase, running from February 26 to March 1.
In total, Centro Danza Matadero will offer 66 performances this year, including six world premieres and eight co-productions, featuring 140 shows from 48 national companies and eight international companies. It emerges as an organic, plural, and inclusive cultural project closely tied to the city’s roots in the rich tradition of all dances created in Spain and the universality that serves as its source. Centro Danza Matadero is, on one hand, a listening ear to professionals creating beauty and meaning, and on the other hand, to the aesthetic desires of society at large.
Teatro Danza Matadero is built on several pillars of action: artistic programming around dance; artistic residencies; co-productions for the development of national and international shows; collaborations with theaters, companies, and choreographic centers; workshops and masterclasses; seminars and experiences aimed at introducing dance to all audiences; and, in general, dance activities in relation to science, health, education, sports, the elderly, and disability.
Artistic direction
Maria Pagés, artistic director of Centro Danza Matadero, is a choreographer and stage director. Of Catalan origin, Sevillian by birth and adopted by Madrid, this iconoclastic creator has brought Spanish culture to the world’s finest theaters, blending social commitment with dance. She is the Princess of Asturias for the Arts 2022, the National Dance Award (Creation), the Gold Medal for merit in the plastic arts, the culture of the Madrid community, and the medal of the city of Seville. She has created over 30 remarkable works, including Andalusian dog. Mockeries, Republic of flamenco, utopia, Ode in time, I, Carmen, Black paradise to Sheerzaade.
Arbi Harti, deputy director of Centro Danza Matadero, is a playwright and professor at Mohamed V University in Rabat. He has published After the sender, Good utopia place, The utopia of the desert, Movement in motion, The north is no longer possible. Collaborating with Maria Pagés, he has created and directed works like Utopia, an Ode in time, limits, Sheerzaade, Black paradise and Land of promise. In 2024, he collaborated with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui on the dramaturgy of Ihsan for the ballet at the Grand Theatre in Geneva.
Centro Danza Dance Information and Tickets:
