Born in San Sebastian, Donostia. His first contact with dance was through traditional Basque dance, which he started doing aged four. At ten, he started his ballet classes. From 1999 to 2004, he studied under Mentxu Medel. In 2005, thanks to a scholarship from the Governmental Deputation of Guipuzkoa, he started training at Madrid’s Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Marienma.
His professional career started in France, with the Europa Danse company (2006 and 2007), with which he toured France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland among other countries. In 2007, he joined the Goyo Montero dance group, dancing in the premièr of El Día de la Creación. With that group he won first prize in Madrid’s Maratón de Danza with Alrededor No Hay Nada by Goyo Montero. In 2008, he joined the La Mov company in Zaragoza as an inaugural member under Víctor Jiménez as director and choreographer. In April of that year, he joined Spain’s Corella Ballet Castilla and León under the direction of Ángel Corella. In 2012, he joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders under the direction of Assis Carreiro. Over the course of his career, he has worked with prestigious choreographers such as José Carlos Martínez, Alexey Fadeyechev, Á.Corella, Marcia Haydée, D. Volpi, SlavaSamodurov, N.Makarova, George Balanchine, W.Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon, J.Inger, M.Bejart, J.Cranko, H.Van Manen, N.Duato, L.Massine, J.Kylián, R.Petit, Andonis Foniadiakis, Edward Clug, T.Malandain, J.Godani, Itzik Galili, A.Ekman, A.Page, Ana Maria Stekelman, Altea Nuñez, Ricardo Amarante, D.Volpi, S.Larbi Cherkaoui, Slava Samodurov, Clark Tippet’s, Twyla Tharp’s.
In September 2016, he entered the Compañía Nacional de Danza under the direction of José Carlos Martínez. Two years later, in August 2018, he was promoted as soloist dancer.
Since joining the CND, he has danced a wide range of repertoire such as: Hikaritzato, Carmen, Por vos muero, Enemy in the Figure, La Rose Mallade, Don Quijote, Cascanueces, Love, Fear, Loss, Holberg Suite. In 2019 he had the oportunity to dance the original version of Sombrero de Tres Picos, on the centenary of its creation, working with Lorca Massine, son of the great Leonide Massine. He has appeared as guest dancer in numerous ballet galas. He has been part of Yuli, a film on the life of Carlos Acosta directed by the prestigious film director Iciar Bollaín. In April 2013, he won the Revelation Prize (Premio Revelación) from the Association of Professional Dancers of Guipúzcoa (Basque Country). In 2018, he and his wife, Cristina Casa, received the award of Amigos de Honor of the Casa de la Danza in Logroño.
Instagram: @ionagirretxe
