José Maya

NAME: José Rafael Maya Serrano, José Maya PLACE OF BIRTH: Madrid, 1983 FAMILY:He was born in a gypsy family of artists, painters, actors and writers. The dancer Fernanda Romero is one of his ancestors. He is also related with the famous painter Antonio Maya and the singer Gabriel Moreno. STUDIES: The greatest master of Amor de Dios trained him. Since he was a child he showed a talent higher than the normal for his age. CAREER: He started his dance career at the age of 9, sharing stage in the Teatro Albéniz in Madrid with artists such as Antonio Canales, Juan Ramírez, Joaquín Grilo and Enrique Morente in the Benefit Festival Flamenco por un Corazón. One year later, he took part in a TV contest and won the Spanish version and was finalist in the Italian one. In 1998 he got the Award Copa Pavón as the guest artist of Pepe Habichuela in the Salzburg Festival. The same year he participated as guest artist in the show Raíces by Antonio Canales and recorded the shows Algo más que flamenco and Tirititrán for La2 TVE channel. He performed as guest artist in the show Al Son Cinco along with Lola Greco, Rafael Amargo, María Vivó and José Serrano, in the show Flamenco Al Andalus in Buenos Aires and Frankfurt; Racial by Carmen Cortés, touring Spain, London and Dublin; in Carmen y flamenco by Lola Greco; Incógnito along with Farruquito directed by Francis Brunn and released in the Opera Theatre of Frankfurt; with Estrella Morente in the Patio de Conde Duque in Madrid; Tiempo al tiempo with Gerardo Núñez, Israel Galván, Belén Maya and Carmen Cortes, touring Germany. In 2000 he got the award for Best Dancer in the Choreography Contest in Theatre Albéniz in Madrid and also got a grant by the Fundación Autor at the Chair Alicia Alonso of the Ballet Joven in Madrid. In 2006 he released successfully Flamenco along with Rafael Amargo, in Ibiza. He participated in the festival Ciutat Vella 2007 in Barcelona as a soloist. In February 2007 when the Nuevo Teatro Alcalá in Madrid was opened he co-starred the show Al natural along with the dancers Farru and Barull, produced by Pino Sagliocco. They succeed and were invited to be the support band in the concerts of Beyonce in Madrid and Barcelona and with Bjork around Spain. The staging has been presented in flamenco events like the Jerez Festival 2008. In October 2007 he was invited to dance in the Baile de la Rosa, a celebration in the Sporting Club of Monte Carlo before Caroline and Albert of Monaco. Since then and until now his career has been unstoppable. He has acted as support artist of international pop stars such as Marc Anthony in the Spanish tour Valió la pena and has collaborated with national artists such as El Güito, Ramón el Portugués, Javier Barón, La China, Estrella Morente, Gerardo Núñez, Carmen Cortés, Belén Maya, Ketama… He was called by the French cineaste Tony Gatlif to be the main dancer in the show Vértiges, released in Lyon, touring France and Italy. He was also part of the sextet of Tomatito touring every important festival. Nowadays, he has released a new show El velero de las rosas along with Lola Greco as guest artist, released in El corral de comedias in Alcalá de Henares and the Theatre Albéniz in Madrid. FESTIVALS: Benefit Festival Flamenco por un Corazón; Salzburg Festival (1998); Ciutat Vella Festival 2007 in Barcelona and Jerez Festival in 2008. AWARDS: In 1998 he got the award Copa Pavón as the guest artist of Pepe Habichuela in the Salzburg Festival. In 2000 he got the award for Best Dancer in the Choreography Contest in Theatre Albéniz in Madrid.