Irene Rodriguez

MA in dance. Born in Cuba and based in the United States since 2019, Irene Rodriguez is an internationally renowned figure in Spanish dance and choreography. In 2018 the King of Spain granted her the Orden “Isabel la Catholica” Spain’s highest civilian honor. As a Principal Dancer, Choreographer and Dance Instructor Irene has worked both as a dancer and Style and Choreography consultant to the Spanish repertory and as a choreographer of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. She earned a Theatre Arts Degree and a Master’s Degree in Theorectical Studies of Dance in the University of Arts in Cuba, has given conferences internationally as well as masters classes to the Juilliard School, the Cincinnati and the Kansas City Ballet, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, the San Jose  Ballet, FIU, USF;  among many others. She has danced to great acclaim in the most prestigious theatres and festivals around the world, and in the US she has performed at the Joyce Theatre, The Lincoln Center, the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (with commissioned works), the New York City Center, the Kennedy Center for the performing arts among others. In 2012 she founded in Cuba her own dance company : Compania Irene  Rodriguez and she directed Havana’s most prestigious Spanish dance academy, whish she also founded. For many years she was the Artistic Director of the International Festival “La Huella de Espana”, a very significant event in Cuba directed by Alicia Alonso. In 2019 she decided to continue her career in the United States, setting permanently in Tampa, Florida in 2021, where she is Resident Choreographer of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Among her most important awards are: First Prize in the VII Iberoamerican Choregraphy Competition from the SGAE, the UNEAC Choreography Award, the Excellence Choreography Award (International Ballet School Competition); the Iberoamerican Medal Honoris Causa Foundation (Mexico University); the Audience and UNEAC Award at the Choreography contest “Vladimir Malakhov”, YAGP Outstanding Choreographer, she has been included several times in the Book of Honor of Gran Teatro de la Habana; among others. She was honored in 2022 with the University of South Florida MEDAL OF HONOR from University President Rhea F. Lawn.