One of the greatest figures of current Spanish Dance
An inexhaustible explorer of artistic movements, traditions, and the avant-garde.
A contemporary discourse where the profession and great dancing shine
EL PAÍS
One of the greatest figures of current Spanish Dance, Daniel Doña (Grana-da, 1977) has established himself as an inexhaustible explorer of artistic movements, traditions, and the avant-garde. His works unfold as unlimited territories in which a renewed style of Spanish dance, flamenco, and contemporary dance converse among each other and with other artistic disciplines. Between 2005 and 2011, together with Olga Pericet and Marco Flores, he directed the Chanta la Mui collective, one of "the most interesting artistic adventures of Spanish flamenco dance in recent decades," according to the newspaper La Razon. Leading his own group, DDCdanza, since 2013, Daniel Doña has always stimulated and attracted new audiences with works that combine tradition and fresh, new aesthetics: A Pie (2013), A Pie de Calle (2014), Black Box (2014), No Pausa (2015), Nada Personal (2016), Habitat (2016), Cuerpo a Cuerpo (2017), Psique (2018), Retrospectiva 2.0 (2020), Campo Cerrado (2020), Entre Hilos y Huesos (2021) and his latest choreographic fantasy El Verbo (2023).
THE CRITICS
Critics specialized in the Performing Arts have described Doña as "one of the most innovative choreographers of our dance" (ABC), highlighting his career as "honest, without pretension, innovative and open, but perfectly founded on a great technical preparation and classical and flamenco knowledge." (El Diario de Navarra).
AWARDS
Doña has garnered many awards for his performance and choreography: El Ojo Crítico Award for Dance in 2016, for his "continuous evolution of styles, for opening new paths, developing his own authorial voice and drinking from Spanish Dance to project himself towards the contemporary". He has won two MAX Awards, one for Best Choreography in 2009, and one for Best Male Dancer in 2019, as well as the 2016 HEBE Honor Award, and the prestigious Lorca Award for Best Choreography in 2022 for Retrospectiva 2.0, and in 2023 for Best Flamenco Show for Entre Hilos y Huesos.
SCENARIOS
As dancer, his career spans performances on stages like Ópera de Paris, Teatro Clásico in Merida, Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Opera House in Sidney, Mella Theatre of La Habana, Palacio de Congresos in Madrid, among others. As director and choreographer, his works have been programmed in festivals and venues like Dansa Valencia, Festival de Jerez, Festival de Otoño, Mercat de les Flors, International Festival Madrid en Danza, Dansat, Tanzaus in Dusseldorf, Festival Iberoamericano in Bogotá, Biennalle de Flamenco in Sevilla, MASDANZA Contemporary Dance Festival, among others.
CAREER PATH
Trained at the Dance Conservatory of Madrid, specialising in choreography and interpretation technique in Spanish dance, he was part of Spanish National Ballet and protagonised several works by relevant companies like Antonio Márquez, Rafaela Carrasco, Teresa Nieto, Rojas y Rodríquez among others. Since 2002 he has been very active as a dancer and choreographer collaborating with artists like Olga Pericet, Manuel Liñán, Marco Flores, Rafaela Carrasco or Teresa Nieto: ESS3 Movimiento (2003), Cámara Negra (2004), Chanta la mui (2006), Del amor y otras cosas (2007), Complot (2008), En sus 13 (2009), Recital (2010), REW (2011), Polos Opuestos (2012). He has been guest choreographer with companies like Miguel Angel Berna, Ibérica de Danza, National Ballet of Cuba, Rojas y Rodríguez, Rafaela Carrasco and Teresa Nieto, and invited choreographer at workshops in Professional Conservatory of Dance in Madrid, Maremma, Professional Conservatory of Dance in Granada, Reina Sofía, as part of FEX Music and Dance Festival in Granada.
PEDAGOGY AND COMMITMENT TO THE NEW GENERATIONS
In 2014, he founded, together with Teresa Nieto, the Choreographic Contest of the Tetuán District of Madrid, an exhibition platform that he has directed since 2019. He entered the Academy of Performing Arts of Spain in 2015 and from 2017 to 2020 He has been a regular collaborator in the A Compás program on Radio Nacional de España, with his own section, "Aula de Flamenco." Committed to emerging artists and new generations of dancers and choreographers, Doña teaches at different national and international institutions. In 2022, he entered the Academy of Performing Arts of Andalucía as a founding academic.
