"I was an impeccable dancer, very technical musically and my movements were very expressive."
Mario Maya is one of the main figures of contemporary flamenco dance and his influence is undeniable. He grew up in Sacromonte in Granada. When he was very young he moved to Madrid to continue his training. At 13 he debuted with Manolo Caracol and later worked in the main "tablaos" of the capital. For four years he performed with the Pilar López Ballet.
In 1960 he moved to New York, where he got involved with new wave theatre and from which he took ideas and concepts that he later applied to flamenco dance. After which he returned to Madrid and joined the "Trio Madrid" with Carmen Mora and Eduardo Serrano "El Guito".
In the 70s he was showered with awards in Jerez, Valladolid and Córdoba. During the 70s he produced, along with the poet José Heredia Maya, his first theatre plays with which he received great praise at home and abroad among which "Camelamos naquear" is the most outstanding.
With the founding of the Andalusian Dance Company, Mario Maya retired from the limelight and devoted himself to directing and choreography. The majority of his productions are inspired by Lorca and his trilogy on time, love and death. Among these productions the most outstanding is "Los flamencos bailan y cantan a Lorca" and "Diálogo del Amargo".
"I was an impeccable dancer, very technical musically and my movements were very expressive."
Carlos Saura
