María Pagés

María Jesús Pagés Madrigal (b.- 28 July 1963), better known as María Pagés, is a modern Spanish dancer and choreographer. Considered one of the premiere living Flamenco dancers, Pagés has been recognised internationally for decades as one of the top performers of the style, with her expressive stage presence and passionate, unique rhythmic interpretations. She is among the paramount representatives of flamenco vanguard. Critically and publicly acclaimed for her personal, aesthetic approach to Flamenco performance, Pagés has long-since proven herself to be the current leading pioneer in the modern understanding of this ever-evolving art form. In 1990, she founded a dance company which is now based in Madrid, and has continued performing worldwide ever since. In 2014, she was awarded the government's Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (Spain) by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. In 2022, she received the Princess of Asturias Award in the category "Arts", being the first flamenco dancer in history to receive this recognition.