About
La Guajira
Where you don’t find anything, look again.
La Guajira is an artistic project made up of Ana Beatriz Pérez, Ismael Berdei and Armando Martén, three artists with extensive professional careers who converge on a common point, artistic expression. La Guajira is where dance and music come together towards exploration, creation and mutual learning.
Armando Martén and Ana Beatríz Pérez are two artists of Cuban origin who have beenbased in A Coruña, Spain, for over 20 years. Dance has been at the center of their lives both professionally and personally for the past three decades. During which time they have been developing their careers not only on stage, but also through teaching, with both professional and amateur students. For them, dance is a state of body and mind, to establish bonds, create relationships and to move hearts.
Both Armando and Ana Beatriz have dedicated the last seventeen years to the Entremans dance company and Artestudio Xestión Cultural. A period which marked their professional work inside and outside the community, obtaining several choreography awards throughout Spain.
With the aim of embarking on a new series of work which expanded their reach to other territories, they began a new project together with the musician Ismael Berdei, the sound designer of their most recent pieces Minguantes and BIONIC.
Their dance company La Guajira was born within the creative space of their piece BIONIC. It is a meeting point between disciplines, where music and dance are intertwined on a common axis, aligning themselves towards exploration and mutual
learning. La Guajira is a land of free creation that brings an insular aroma, a familiar, friendly atmosphere.
Armando Martén Caballero
He began his studies at the National School of Arts of Havana (1974-1981), after graduating he began his career as a professional in the company Danza Contemporánea de Cuba for twenty years, where he obtained the title of first dancer.
He combines his career on certain occasions with teaching and travels to various national and international cities.
In 2001 he traveled to Spain invited by the company Druída Danza as a dancer and teacher.
He worked with Experimenta Danza in several projects, including Meltemi by Damíán Muñoz. He was part of the Trespasando Company, with which he won two choreography awards
choreography awards and participated in different festivals and galas in different
in different Spanish cities until 2004.
2006. Co-director of Entremans Company. Collaborates as choreographer in “A casa da luz” of the production company Vimbio Films.
Collaborates in the play As Dunas directed by Quico Cadaval, for the Centro Dramático Galego. He collaborates as a choreographer in several companies such as Teatro de Ningures and Sarabela Teatro.
Training
He began his pedagogical work in 1987 teaching dance classes at the Escuela Nacional de Danza de la Habana and at the Compañía Danza Contemporánea de Cuba.
Invited as a dancer to the Festival of the Arts of the Caribbean in Guadeloupe and Martinique where he also teaches modern Cuban dance to the members of the Company.
1999. Gives several courses in Haiti, Guadeloupe and La Coruña.
2001. He teaches dance classes in the Druída Danza Company.
Since 2002 he teaches at the Conservatorio Profesional de Danza de la Diputación de La Coruña and Artestudio Danza y Teatro.
He was invited to teach dance courses at the Professional Dance Conservatory of Lugo. Invited by the Centro Coreográfico Galego to give regular classes during production periods at the center, as well as giving two master classes on several occasions.
He teaches a dance workshop for Lenka Bartunkova’s Pez project in Prague, Czech Republic.
He is invited as a teacher at the Rudra Béjart School of Dance in Lausanne, Switzerland. 2013 y 2015.
He is invited as a teacher at the Beijing Dance Academy School in China in 2013, in addition to teaching a master class within the 2nd International Ballet and Choreography Competition in the same city.
He is invited as a teacher for 4 years to the Escola Dancearea in Geneva, Switzerland.
Since 2015 he is invited every summer to teach dance classes at Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago, as well as in the online format of the year 2021.
He creates together with Ana Beatríz Pérez the piece Minguantes and BIONIC, a long-format piece recently premiered at the Teatro Rosalía Castro in La Coruña. Both pieces become part of the project La Guajira.
Armando Martén Caballero
He began his studies at the National School of Arts of Havana (1974-1981), after graduating he began his career as a professional in the company Danza Contemporánea de Cuba for twenty years, where he obtained the title of first dancer.
He combines his career on certain occasions with teaching and travels to various national and international cities.
In 2001 he traveled to Spain invited by the company Druída Danza as a dancer and teacher.
He worked with Experimenta Danza in several projects, including Meltemi by Damíán Muñoz. He was part of the Trespasando Company, with which he won two choreography awards
choreography awards and participated in different festivals and galas in different
in different Spanish cities until 2004.
2006. Co-director of Entremans Company. Collaborates as choreographer in “A casa da luz” of the production company Vimbio Films.
Collaborates in the play As Dunas directed by Quico Cadaval, for the Centro Dramático Galego. He collaborates as a choreographer in several companies such as Teatro de Ningures and Sarabela Teatro.
Training
He began his pedagogical work in 1987 teaching dance classes at the Escuela Nacional de Danza de la Habana and at the Compañía Danza Contemporánea de Cuba. Invited as a dancer to the Festival of the Arts of the Caribbean in Guadeloupe and Martinique where he also teaches modern Cuban dance to the members of the Company.
1999. Gives several courses in Haiti, Guadeloupe and La Coruña.
2001. He teaches dance classes in the Druída Danza Company.
Since 2002 he teaches at the Conservatorio Profesional de Danza de la Diputación de La Coruña and Artestudio Danza y Teatro.
He was invited to teach dance courses at the Professional Dance Conservatory of Lugo. Invited by the Centro Coreográfico Galego to give regular classes during production periods at the center, as well as giving two master classes on several occasions.
He teaches a dance workshop for Lenka Bartunkova’s Pez project in Prague, Czech Republic.
He is invited as a teacher at the Rudra Béjart School of Dance in Lausanne, Switzerland. 2013 y 2015.
He is invited as a teacher at the Beijing Dance Academy School in China in 2013, in addition to teaching a master class within the 2nd International Ballet and Choreography Competition in the same city.
He is invited as a teacher for 4 years to the Escola Dancearea in Geneva, Switzerland.
Since 2015 he is invited every summer to teach dance classes at Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago, as well as in the online format of the year 2021.
He creates together with Ana Beatríz Pérez the piece Minguantes and BIONIC, a long-format piece recently premiered at the Teatro Rosalía Castro in La Coruña. Both pieces become part of the project La Guajira.
PREMIOS
Third prize in the Certamen Coreográfico de Madrid with Trespasando
Third prize in the first Choreographic Contest of Galicia with ERA by Bárbara Monteagudo with ERA by Bárbara Monteagudo with Trespasando.
First prize at the Certamen Coreográfico de Madrid with Meltemi by Damián Muñoz and Experimenta Danza as well as the second prize in the prize in the Choreographic Contest of Galicia with the same piece.
First prize at the Certamen Coreográfico Burgos-New York in the city of Burgos. 2006.
First prize in the IV Certamen Coreográfico de Galicia, both with Cía Entremans
ANA BEATRIZ PÉREZ – BETTY
Graduated from the National School of Arts of Havana in the specialty of modern and folkloric dance (1984-1991), she has a degree in Dance Pedagogy, Contemporary Dance Style, awarded by the Conservatorio Superior de Danza María de Ávila de Madrid (2020).
For 10 years she was a member of the company Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, with which she participated in several national and international festivals and various artistic tours in America and Europe, reaching the title of prima ballerina.
In 2001 she moved to Spain invited by the Druída Danza Company. She danced with the companies Druída Danza, Experimenta Danza and Trespasando with which she won two choreography awards and participated in different festivals and galas in several Spanish cities until 2004.
Spanish cities until 2004.
In 2006 he joined the Entremans Company.
From 2006 to 2009 he participated in three productions of the Centro Coreográfico Galego.
She collaborates with several companies, such as Teatro de Ningures, SarabelaTeatro, Cía Exire and Paula Quintas.
She combines her artistic work with teaching and collaborates in several educational projects in the community “Un artista en la escuela” of the Barrié Foundation and the MUSE project “Educar desde las artes” and with “Aulas Vivas” of Escena Plural.
She has taught several workshops and regular classes in the Czech Republic.
Visões Urbanas Festival, São Paulo, Brazil.
Corpo (a)Terra Festival, 9th edition.
Professional Conservatory of Lugo.
Regular classes for the Nova Galega de Danza Company.
Regular classes at Artestudio Danza y Teatro and at the Centro Municipal de Artes Escénicas de Oleiros.
Summer workshop for the Ruth Page Center in Chicago.
Online workshop for Ruth Page Center of Chicago.
Creates and directs the virtual dance piece HOME for the Hedwig Dances Company of Chicago 2021.
Creates several pieces within Cía Entremans, including Iceberg, Amparo, Minguantes and Bionic, the latter two with Armando Martén and Ismael Berde.
Martén and Ismael Berdei. Both pieces become part of the new project La Guajira.
ANA BEATRIZ PÉREZ
BETTY
Graduated from the National School of Arts of Havana in the specialty of modern and folkloric dance (1984-1991), she has a degree in Dance Pedagogy, Contemporary Dance Style, awarded by the Conservatorio Superior de Danza María de Ávila de Madrid (2020).
For 10 years she was a member of the company Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, with which she participated in several national and international festivals and various artistic tours in America and Europe, reaching the title of prima ballerina.
In 2001 she moved to Spain invited by the Druída Danza Company. She danced with the companies Druída Danza, Experimenta Danza and Trespasando with which she won two choreography awards and participated in different festivals and galas in several Spanish cities until 2004.
Spanish cities until 2004.
In 2006 he joined the Entremans Company.
From 2006 to 2009 he participated in three productions of the Centro Coreográfico Galego.
She collaborates with several companies, such as Teatro de Ningures, SarabelaTeatro, Cía Exire and Paula Quintas.
She combines her artistic work with teaching and collaborates in several educational projects in the community “Un artista en la escuela” of the Barrié Foundation and the MUSE project “Educar desde las artes” and with “Aulas Vivas” of Escena Plural.
She has taught several workshops and regular classes in the Czech Republic.
Visões Urbanas Festival, São Paulo, Brazil.
Corpo (a)Terra Festival, 9th edition.
Professional Conservatory of Lugo.
Regular classes for the Nova Galega de Danza Company.
Regular classes at Artestudio Danza y Teatro and at the Centro Municipal de Artes Escénicas de Oleiros.
Summer workshop for the Ruth Page Center in Chicago.
Online workshop for Ruth Page Center of Chicago.
Creates and directs the virtual dance piece HOME for the Hedwig Dances Company of Chicago 2021.
Creates several pieces within Cía Entremans, including Iceberg, Amparo, Minguantes and Bionic, the latter two with Armando Martén and Ismael Berde.
Martén and Ismael Berdei. Both pieces become part of the new project La Guajira.
PREMIOS
Third prize of choreography in the Certamen Coreográfico de Madrid with Trespasando
2003. Third prize in the First Choreographic Contest of Galicia,
with the piece ERA by Bárbara Monteagudo.
2006. First prize in the V Certamen Coreográfico Burgos-New York in the city of Burgos with the pieze “En la cuenca de tus ojos” with Cía Entremans
2006. First prize in the IV Certamen Coreográfico de Galicia and special prize for outstanding dancer in the same edition of the Festival with the piece “En la cuenca de tus ojos”.
Festival with the piece “En la cuenca de tus ojos” with Cía Entremans.
Ismael Berdei
Born in Salamanca, he has been living in Galicia since 2007. Graduated in piano at the Conservatory of the Liceo de Barcelona under the tutelage of the Russian master Stanislav Potchekim. Specialized in Composition and Improvisation, which opened the door to his specialization as a piano accompanist for dance. He developed this activity at the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona.
IEA Oriol Martorell in Barcelona.
IBSTAGE, Barcelona.
Vienna International Dance Festival “Impulstanz”. National Ballet of Spain. Madrid.
Professional Dance Conservatory of the Diputación de La Coruña.
He participated in summer courses and workshops at the Royal Ballet Academy in Italy.
As a composer of music for dance in different stage productions.
productions:
“El canto del cuerpo” for Amaury Lebrun dance company.
“Atlántica” for Ballet Norte and Centro Coreográfico Galego.
“Xoga” for the Entremans Company. He made the soundtrack for several books and reading applications, becoming a business part of some of them: “Memorias de un asesino” “La maldición de Woodrock”: Xemelgos, Zombie intelligent zombies! Reaching the top ten in download applications.
Na actualidade is recording his first piano album for ballet classes and in the process of premiering his first work for symphony orchestra “Guardians of the heart” dedicated to the victims of the Alvia train accident in July 2013.
He is a member of the duo Two faces with Bruno Couceiro with two albums and several singles released and several singles.
He has created the soundtrack for the dance shows Minguantes 2022 and
BIONIC 2023.
In May 2023 begins the artistic project, La Guajira.
Ismael Berdei
Born in Salamanca, he has been living in Galicia since 2007. Graduated in piano at the Conservatory of the Liceo de Barcelona under the tutelage of the Russian master Stanislav Potchekim. Specialized in Composition and Improvisation, which opened the door to his specialization as a piano accompanist for dance. He developed this activity at the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona.
IEA Oriol Martorell in Barcelona.
IBSTAGE, Barcelona.
Vienna International Dance Festival “Impulstanz”. National Ballet of Spain. Madrid.
Professional Dance Conservatory of the Diputación de La Coruña.
He participated in summer courses and workshops at the Royal Ballet Academy in Italy.
As a composer of music for dance in different stage productions.
productions:
“El canto del cuerpo” for Amaury Lebrun dance company.
“Atlántica” for Ballet Norte and Centro Coreográfico Galego.
“Xoga” for the Entremans Company. He made the soundtrack for several books and reading applications, becoming a business part of some of them: “Memorias de un asesino” “La maldición de Woodrock”: Xemelgos, Zombie intelligent zombies! Reaching the top ten in download applications.
Na actualidade is recording his first piano album for ballet classes and in the process of premiering his first work for symphony orchestra “Guardians of the heart” dedicated to the victims of the Alvia train accident in July 2013.
He is a member of the duo Two faces with Bruno Couceiro with two albums and several singles
released and several singles.
He has created the soundtrack for the dance shows Minguantes 2022 and
BIONIC 2023.
In May 2023 begins the artistic project, La Guajira.
