José Carlos Martínez (born in 29 April 1969 in Cartagena) is a Spanish dancer and choreographer. He was a ''

danseur étoile ''Danseur étoile'' (for men) or ''danseuse étoile'' (for women), literally "star dancer", is the highest rank a dancer can reach at the Paris Opera Ballet. It is equivalent to the title "Principal dancer" in Anglo-Saxon countries or to the title ...

'' of the

Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...

and artistic director of the

Spanish National Dance Company The Spanish National Dance Company ( es, Compañía Nacional de Danza, CND) was founded in 1979 under the name ''Ballet Nacional de España Clásico''. Its first director was dancer Victor Ullate, followed by Maria de Avila, Ray Barra, Maya Pli ...

. He became the director of dance at Paris Opera Ballet in December 2022. He is the only dancer to have received the

Prix Benois de la Danse The Benois de la Danse is a ballet competition held annually in Moscow. Founded by the International Dance Association in 1991, it takes place each year on or around April 29 and it's judged by a jury. The members of this jury change every year and ...

, the Gold medal of the

Varna International Ballet Competition The Varna International Ballet Competition is a biennial ballet competition held in Varna, Bulgaria. The competition was founded in 1964 and subsequently held in 1965 and 1966, and then every two years starting in 1968. Many dancers have gained th ...

, and a scholarship of Prix de Lausanne, among the most prestigious dance competitions in the world. The Japanese ''Shinshokan Dance Magazine'' thus recognized him has one of the best dancers of the era in the world. Martínez studied dance with Pilar Molina in Cartagena, followed by the École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower. In 1987 he won a scholarship of Prix de Lausanne and entered the

Paris Opera Ballet School The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...

, joining the

in 1988, where he was named Danseur Étoile in 1997. In 1992, he was awarded the Gold medal of the

and in 1999, the Premio Nacional de Danza. He danced the major classical ballets such as '' Swan Lake'', '' Giselle'', ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

'', ''

La Bayadère ''La Bayadère'' ("the temple dancer") ( ru. «Баядерка», ''Bayaderka'') is a ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. The ballet was staged especiall ...

'', '' The Sleeping Beauty'', ''

Raymonda ''Raymonda'' (russian: Раймонда) is a ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Alexander Glazunov, his Opus 57. It was first presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsk ...

'', ''

Paquita ''Paquita'' is a ballet in two acts and three scenes originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier to music by Édouard Deldevez and Ludwig Minkus. Paul Foucher received royalties as librettist. History ''Paquita'' is the creation of French comp ...

'', ''

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchai ...

'', ''

La Sylphide ''La Sylphide'' ( en, The Sylph; da, Sylfiden) is a romantic ballet in two acts. There were two versions of the ballet; the original choreographed by Filippo Taglioni in 1832, and a second version choreographed by August Bournonville in 1836. ...

'', '' Romeo and Juliet'', as well as neoclassical ballets by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine,

Kenneth MacMillan Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer who was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977, and its principal choreographer from 1977 until his death. E ...

Yury Grigorovich Yury Nikolayevich Grigorovich (russian: Ю́рий Никола́евич Григоро́вич; born 2 January 1927 in Leningrad) is a Soviet and Russian dancer and choreographer Antony Tudor Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-195 ...

Serge Lifar Serge Lifar ( ua, Сергій Михайлович Лифар, ''Serhіy Mуkhailovуch Lуfar'') ( 15 December 1986) was a Ukrainian ballet dancer and choreographer, famous as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century. No ...

Harald Lander Harald Alfred Bernhardt Stevnsborg Lander (25 February 1905 – 14 September 1971) was a Danish dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. Lander was born in Copenhagen. He started as a dancer, studying under ballet ...

John Cranko John Cyril Cranko (15 August 1927 – 26 June 1973) was a South African ballet dancer and choreographer with the Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet. Life and career Early life Cranko was born in Rustenburg in the former province of Transv ...

, among others. Martínez also danced contemporary pieces by

Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French-born dancer, choreographer and opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, talking vast th ...

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, William Forsythe,

Jiří Kylián Jiří Kylián (born 21 March 1947) is a Czech former dancer and contemporary dance choreographer. Life Jiří Kylián was born in 1947 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, to his father Václav who was a banker and to his mother Markéta, who was as a ...

, Martha Graham,

Roland Petit Roland Petit (13 January 192410 July 2011) was a French ballet company director, choreographer and dancer. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets. Life and work The son of shoe designer Ros ...

, and

Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylized blend of dance m ...

. He performed as guest artist at the most celebrated dance companies in the world, including the Bolshoi Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet,

Ballet Nacional de Cuba The Cuban National Ballet ( es, Ballet Nacional de Cuba) is a classical ballet company based at Great Theatre of Havana in Havana, Cuba, founded by the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Alonso in 1948. The official school of the company is ...

English National Ballet English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish ...

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, Tokyo Ballet, Ballet de Bordeaux,

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat ''Costanzi Theatre'', it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The pre ...

, the Berlin Staatsoper, and l'

Opéra de Nice The Opéra de Nice is the principal opera venue in Nice, France, which houses the Ballet Nice Méditerrannée and the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra. It offers three types of performances: operas, ballets and classical music concerts. History The ...

. In 2008, initiating a series of shows under the artistic project ''José Martínez in Compañía,'' Martínez's project showcased in Spain numerous Spanish soloists who had carried out their careers abroad. The shows included renowned dancers Lucía Lacarra, Tamara Rojo, Alicia Amatrian, Iván Gil-Ortega as well as provided an opportunity to lesser-known young Spanish dancers to dance in their home country again. In 2002, Martinez began choreographing, completing eight ballets since and receiving the

as choreographer for ''Les Enfants du Paradis'' in 2009. His latest, from 2010, entitled ''Marco Polo, the last Mission'' was commissioned by the Ballet of Shanghai during the Shanghai World's Fair. In December 2010, Martinez was named artistic director of the

. He held the post for eight years. In October 2022, the Paris Opera Ballet announced that he is scheduled to become the director of dance, effective in December.

Awards

* 1987 Prix de Lausanne * 1992 Gold medal of the

* 1991 Prix de l'AROP * 1992 Prix Carpeaux * 1988 Premio Danza e Danza de la Critica Italiana * 1988 Premio Léonide Massine-Positano (Italy) for The Three-Cornered Hat * 1999 Premio Nacional de Danza de España * 2000 Gold medal of the city of Cartagena * 2005 Prix Elegance et Talent France/Chine * 2005 Premio de las Artes Escenicas (

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

) * 2009

for ''Les Enfants du Paradis'' * ''Officier des Arts et Lettres'' .

Filmography

* 2003 ''

'',

* 2005 '' Swan Lake'', Paris Opera Ballet * 2005 ''Appartement'', Paris Opera Ballet * 2006 Sylvia, Paris Opera Ballet * 2008 ''La Dame aux Camélias'', Paris Opera Ballet * 2011 ''Coppélia'', Paris Opera Ballet * 2011 ''La Petite danseuse de Degas'', Paris Opera Ballet

References

Official website of José Carlos MartínezWebsite of the Paris Opera Ballet
Webcitation
Tamara Rojo y José Carlos Martínez, máximos candidatos para sustituir a Duato al frente de la CND
El País, April 14, 2010.
José Carlos Martínez, nuevo director de la Compañía Nacional de Danza
El País, December 17, 2010.

La Moncloa, December 17, 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Jose Carlos People from Cartagena, Spain Spanish choreographers Spanish male ballet dancers Living people 1969 births Paris Opera Ballet étoiles Prix de Lausanne winners