Masterclass with Jon Maya

Jon Maya began his dance career at the age of six at Ereintza Dantza Taldea, a leading name in traditional Basque dance, and a group of which he is still a member today. As an Aurresku dancer, he has won prestigious awards and has been the champion of this genre in the Basque Country for several years. In the late 1990s, Jon Maya joined forces with other entrepreneurs to create the Laxok group. But it was in 2001 when he founded Kukai Dantza, a company that develops its work based on traditional Basque dance, proposing encounters with other dance styles and ways of understanding art. In this way, Kukai creates contemporary shows, producing its own creations and collaborating with prestigious choreographers. This has given it an unmistakable label on the international scene, with increasingly frequent appearances at festivals and programs around the world.

Among his works, the shows created together with Tanttaka Teatroa and collaborations with various choreographers are highly acclaimed: Cesc Gelabert, Israel Galvan, Jone San Martín (The Forsythe Ballet), La Intrusa Danza... Among his numerous awards, the MAX Award for Best New Show in 2009 and the two MAX Awards in 2015 for Gelajauziak stand out: Best Musical Composition (Sabin Bikendi) and Best Cast. Kukai Dantza won the National Dance Award in 2017.