Cruz Isael Mata

Cruz Isael Mata was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He started his dance training at the Instituto Superior De Danza Caracas, Venezuela in 1992 and continued his studies at the Central University of Venezuela, where he followed classes in theatre sciences, fine arts, and philosophy. He toured in Latin America as a soloist and company member. In 2000 he came to Belgium, where he became a member of the X-Group in P.A.R.T.S., directed by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. Besides his dance education, he also studied circus techniques at the Ecole Nationale du Cirque – Academie Fratellini, physical therapy, and psychology in Paris. He danced with several dance companies: Espacio Alterno – Venezuela, Tim Feldman – Denmark, Michél Noiret Company – Belgium. He collaborated with artists such as David Zambrano, Roberto Olivan, Nadine Ganase, Virginie Thirion, Josse de Pauw, Maria Clara Villalobos, Mey-

Ling Bisogno, and others. Cruz created the productions „Puzzle“ and „Casa“, which premiered in Paris in 2005. In 2020 he was the artistic director of the short dance film “couch me!”, which won 7 awards for the best experimental film and best director at international film festivals. He has been giving company training to various dance companies, such as Ultima Vez – Wim Vandekeybus since 2010. Cruz Mata has been teaching Flying Low, Acrobatic Dance, Release Technique, and Contact Improvisation in Latin America, Europe, and Asia for more than 22 years.