Iratxe Ansa (San Sebastián, 1976) took her first dance steps in the Basque Country before completing her training at the prestigious John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart, Germany. Her international dance career took flight in 1994 and spanned over fifteen years, during which she danced with renowned companies such as the Basel Ballet, Ballet Gulbenkian, the National Dance Company of Spain, Lyon Opera Ballet, and Nederlands Dans Theater. Known for her striking versatility and instinctive creativity, Ansa became a muse for many choreographers, blending technical precision with deep artistic intuition.

From performer to creator
After an impressive stage career, Ansa transitioned into a new role: that of a freelance artist and creator with a distinctive voice. Together with her partner Igor Bacovich, she founded in 2018 the Metamorphosis Dance Company, through which she develops works that merge movement, visual art, and technology. Her creations are known for their raw physicality, emotional layering, and bold aesthetic, often drawing from the inner landscape of the human experience rather than external narratives.

Recognition for a fearless body
In 2020, Ansa received Spain’s Premio Nacional de Danza in the category of Performer, with the jury praising her remarkable range, expressive depth, and ability to transcend form. A year later, she was awarded the Premio Max for Best Female Dance Performer for her role in In the Nude, further cementing her status as one of Spain’s most fearless and fascinating dance artists.

Introdans
In 2025, Iratxe Ansa and Igor Bacovich created their new work Promises for Introdans. For this world premiere, Bacovich and Ansa collaborated with Spanish set designer Marta Pazos. Colour forms the aesthetic starting point of her scenography. The lyrical movement language of the Italian-Spanish duo comes fully into its own in this piece.

In 2026, Introdans will add the duet Mano a mano to its repertoire. This recent work carries the motto “A tightrope walk between me and you” and is set to the rich music of Astor Piazzolla’s Otoño Porteño. Igor and Iratxe had long wanted to explore this music in a choreography, and they realised that ambition with this ballet.

Choreographies by Iratxe Ansa & Igor Bacovich in the Introdans repertoire:
Promises (2025), Mano a mano (2026)