About
María Pagés (born 1963) is a modern Spanish dancer and choreographer, considered the paramount representative of flamenco vanguard. Internationally renowned for her personal aesthetic concept of this dance, she has proved to be a pioneer in the understanding of this art as in evolution, contemporary and alive, making her a leading innovator of modern flamenco. She founded her own dance company in 1990, now based in Madrid, Spain while performing worldwide. In 2014 she was awarded with the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (Spain) by the Spanish State through the Ministry of Culture.
Life and career
María Jesús Pagés Madrigal was born in Seville, Spain, and began dancing professionally with the Antonio Gades Company. She choreographed for films including Carmen, El Amor Brujo and Flamenco by Carlos Saura, and in 1990 she established the Maria Pagès Company. Her work is described as incorporating the national flamenco style with outside influences.
María Pagés and her company have toured internationally, appearing in the United States at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City and The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., among other venues. In 1995 the expanded version of the Riverdance show included performance by the company to music of Irish style composed by Bill Whelan. In 2000 she provided choreography for the Hispanic Heritage Awards. Pagés serves on the Board of the Cultural Council in Madrid.