La Normal
La Normal
La Normal is a choreographic centre that promotes performing arts through creation and research, training, and critical thought in, from, and towards Córdoba. It was founded in collaboration with the Córdoba City Council and its Department of Culture, with the firm purpose of fostering, promoting, and supporting choreographic and performing arts through creation, research, and training, taking as its epicentre the city of Córdoba—the birthplace of choreographer and director Antonio Ruz, recipient of the 2018 National Dance Award and driving force behind this new cultural and artistic project.
Rooted in dance and movement as its guiding principles, La Normal is founded on a series of strong commitments: embracing innovation by fostering hybridisation and multidisciplinary dialogue, and advancing the decentralisation of culture, positioning both La Normal and Córdoba as a point of reference in the national and international field of dance.
Antonio Ruz
Independent choreographer and dancer, he is currently one of the most prominent creators in Spanish dance. His work, developed at the helm of his own company or in collaborations with renowned national and international ensembles such as the German Sasha Waltz & Guests, is sustained by a strong interest in the more open dimensions of dance.
After training in flamenco, Spanish dance, and ballet, and a notable career as a dancer in major companies such as Ballet Víctor Ullate, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon, and the Compañía Nacional de Danza, he founded his own company in 2009 in search of a creative identity through research into movement and multidisciplinary collaboration: No Drama (2010), Ignoto (2011), Ojo (2012), Vaivén (2014), À L’espagnole, fantasía escénica (2015), Beautiful Beach (2015), Double Bach (2016), Presente (2018).
A close collaborator of Juan Kruz Díaz de Garaio Esnaola and Estévez-Paños Compañía, he has worked as choreographer in theatrical productions by Andrés Lima and Miguel del Arco, as well as in the zarzuela El Barberillo de Lavapiés (2019) by Alfredo Sanzol. He also collaborates on projects with Fundación Psico Ballet – Maite León. In 2020, he premiered Electra (2017) with Ballet Nacional de España.
His most recent creations include Gugurumbé (2020) with Fahmi Alqhai/Accademia del Piacere, Signos (2021) with violist Isabel Villanueva, In Paradisum (2021) with the Compañía Nacional de Danza, La Noche de San Juan (2021), an unpublished ballet by Roberto Gerhard co-produced by Fundación Juan March and Gran Teatre del Liceu, AÚN (2021), his first dance film in co-production with ELAMOR, Pharsalia (2022) co-produced by Teatros del Canal and Museo Universidad de Navarra, and Solaz (2024), a piece conceived ad hoc for Matadero Madrid with 20 dancers on stage. Recently, he premiered Requiem_Mozart as stage director and guest choreographer for Tanz Kassel in Germany, and nationally, the latest production of his company, NORMA, at the Gran Teatro de Córdoba. Since 2024, he has also directed La Normal Centro Coreográfico de Córdoba, founded in collaboration with Córdoba City Council and supported by the Provincial Council of Córdoba. Among the awards recognising his career are the 2018 National Dance Prize in the Creation category and RTVE’s 2013 Ojo Crítico Dance Prize.
Aire
Aire is the main project of Dani Sánchez, musician, producer, and DJ from Barcelona. He studied music theory, harmony, violin, and piano for 12 years before moving into electronic music production. After producing for other artists, he developed his own sound. In November 2018 he released JMA, his debut album on the Irish label Glacial Industries (UK), followed by his single SOPHIA in 2019. That same year he made his live debut at Loom Festival with an audiovisual piece that synthesised his work. He is co-founder of the Spanish Mafia art collective, producing projects such as the Off Sonar 2019 edition with the labels Local Action and Glacial Industries. He has worked with ELAMOR on pieces such as Equilibro, Afterlove, Stella, ElamorxAlicia, and Entertainment, among others, and has composed the original music for the dance film AÚN and Antonio Ruz’s Pharsalia.
Sebas Hotmail
Sebas.hotmail is a stylist and costume designer with experience in television, music, and performing arts. He began his career with Drag Race (Atresplayer) and has worked on projects for Prime Video, such as Las Moderadoras. He has collaborated with artists including Los Javis, La Zowi, and Jedet, participating in press events, red carpets, and galas such as the Goya Awards and the Feroz Awards.
In the corporate sector, he leads the styling department at LabDays, developing marketing campaigns for hotel companies. He also works in Madrid stores for the clothing brand Diesel as Visual Merchandiser, managing the brand’s image and aesthetics. In dance, he has directed costume design since the first edition of Solaz with the Compañía Antonio Ruz.
