The dancer and choreographer María Pagés presented this Thursday the Matadero Dance Center (CDM), located in nave 11—which until the summer of this year depended on the Spanish Theater—of the Matadero Madrid cultural center. A space dedicated exclusively to dance in all its forms: contemporary, flamenco, urban, Spanish and classical. “The objective is to dignify dance through excellence,” said Pagés at the presentation of the new project, in which no space was given for questions from the press. “If London has the Sadler’s Wells and Paris has the Chaillot, Madrid today has its CDM and we are convinced that it will be a benchmark among the great European performing spaces,” the choreographer continued. A project that, according to its new director, aims to place Spain “at the center of global contemporaneity.”
Accompanying Pagés will be his partner, the playwright El Arbi El Harti, as deputy director. Although no budgets were reported in the presentation nor were details of the contract and award given, sources from the City Council assure EL PAÍS that the artistic budget for the center’s first year of operation is 1,900,000 euros, and the salary of Payments of 85,000 euros per year.
After a few plays of castanets on the new stage – with the stalls full -, the director explained the “seven axes” of the project: national and international shows, artistic and technical residencies, co-production of shows, collaboration and artistic exchanges, training programs, space for reflection and awareness, workshops and seminars. “We want to show that dance is much more than temporary presence on stage,” he said.
In the first season, of which only half of the programming has been announced, there will be 66 shows, by 48 national and eight foreign companies, of which six will be absolute premieres and eight co-productions. A programming that, according to Pagés, “places emphasis on Spain, without losing the international perspective and with special care for Spanish creators abroad.”
The season will be inaugurated by the show Pineda, popular romance in three picturesby Patricia Guerrero with the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, on February 6, 2025. Daniel Abreu (with four different productions), IT Danza, David Coria, Lucía Lacarra, Eva Yerbabuena, Farruquito, Mal Pelo, Aracaladanza, Kukai Dantza, Rachid Ouramdane, Ana Morales and Andrés Marín or the Martha Graham Dance Company, which will celebrate its centenary.
After Pagés’ words and the presentation of the programming, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, took the stage, recognizing “a debt” with dance, which he claims to “pay off” with the creation of the center. “It is the City Council’s great cultural project,” said Almeida.
The ship, previously dedicated to the theater, has been renovated with a budget of more than two million euros. The new center now covers an area of 3,000 square meters, of which 1,200 correspond to the exhibition hall, which has a maximum capacity of 449 seats with the usual distribution, and with the possibility of expanding it to 634 seats. In the rest of the space there are dressing rooms, showers, toilets, a hair and makeup room and a tailor’s shop, according to the City Council’s press release.
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