Art Alive in collaboration with

Cruz Isael Mata Rojas

"AMBIENTI & SPACE", Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, July 2019

Cruz Isael Mata Rojas, Aldina Michelle Topcagic 

Cruz Isael Mata Rojas was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He started his dance training in the Institut Supérieur de Danse de Caracas in 1992 and continued his studies at the Central University of Venezuela, where he followed classes in theatre sciences, fine arts and philosophy. He participated in classes of Ashtanga Yoga and traveled before coming to Belgium to become a member of the X-Group in P.A.R.T.S., directed by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. He studied circus techniques at the Ecole Nationale du Cirque Annie Fratellini, physical therapy, and psychology. He danced with several dance companies in Venezuela with Espacio Alterno, in Copenhagen with Tim Feldman, in Brussels with Enclave & Roberto Olivan, Josse de Pauw and Maria Clara Villalobos. He has worked with Michél Noiret Company since 2006. He also worked with artists Nadine Ganase, Virginie Thirion, David Zambrano and Companies like CTC, Mey-Ling Bisogno. Cruz created the production „Puzzle“ in 2005 and „Casa“, which had its premiere in Paris. Cruz Mata has been teaching Dance Release Technique, Flying Low, Acrobatic Dance and Contact Improvisation in Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, France, Korea, Sweden, Netherlands, and Cuba. Since 2003 he was teaching regularly classes at Dans Centrum Jette, Brussels in Belgium. He has been teaching professional classes and workshops at several contemporary dance companies and at international dance festivals: Ultima Vez – Wim Vandekeybus, Company Thor, Cie Philipe Saire, Lausanne-Switzerland, Royal Dance Conservatorium Antwerpen, Smits, Need Company, Escuela superior de artes du cirque Lesac, International Tanztheaterfestival „Bühnenwerkstatt“ Graz, Tanzlabor 21 Germany-Frankfurt, La Raffinerie/Charleroi Dance, Tramplin project Hip Hop, Feria Música Circus Company, Conservatoire Music Dance Artesis Plantinj Hogeschool Antwerpen, Art Alive Kulturverein Austria, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba and at the Festival Summer Intensive in Portugal. In 2019 Cruz Isael was the choreography assistant in the acrobatic circus production “La Vrille du Chat” created and directed by the Belgium acrobatic company “Back Pocket”.

Videos of teaching

ALTREFRONTIERE DANCE FESTIVAL:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgqSLmowRdE

Company Danza Contemporanea de Cuba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxW_rjSn5yg