Born in Madrid (Spain), Cristina Casa began her ballet training at the María Larios and África Guzmán schools, subsequently obtaining honors at the Royal Academy of Dance. In 2005 she continued her studies at Steps on Broadway and American Ballet Theater. Her first professional steps began in 1998, when only 15 years old, she performed with the Ballet Joven África Guzmán several tours around Madrid and other provinces, participating also in both the Caja Madrid banking foundation’s “Cultural Tuesdays” and Madrid province’s public “Theatre Network” (“Red de Teatros”).
She won the City of of Castellón’s top scholarship prize, obtaining a study placement with The London Studio Center. She subsequently joined the Images Company, also in London, under the direction of Margaret Barbieri, David Ashmole, Barry Math Garth.
Cristina danced with English National Ballet, in 2007 in the production of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2008 she became an inaugural member of Corella Ballet Castilla y León in Spain as corps de ballet, under the direction of Ángel Corella. In April 2009 she was promoted to Soloist. Her roles with that company included: Bayadera by Natalia Makarova, Clark Tippet from Bruch Violin Concerto, Twyla Tharp, In the upper Room, String Sextet by Ángel Corella, Fancy Free by Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, VIII, Fourth Pas de deux in DGV, and Walz Pas de Deux from Polyphonia, La Fierecilla domada, El Corsario, Raymonda, The Sleeping Beauty, La Esmeralda Pas de Deux, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Paquita and Creación by Rojas y Rodríguez, Pálpito premiered at the City Center venue in New York.
In September 2012 she won the Giuliana Penzi Grand Prize in recognition of her talent, at the Labat Loano Danza Festival (10th edition) in Italy.
In November 2012 she joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders (RBF) under the direction of Assis Carreiro. Her performances there included: Balanchine’s Who cares?; Wayne McGregor’s Infra, recent creations by Ashley Page and Cameron McMillan; Jiří Kylián’s Forgotten Land; Edward Clug’s Les Noces; Glen Tetley’s Sacre du Printemps; Christian Spuck’s The Return of Ulysses; Cynthia Harvey’s Bayadère; Altea Nuñez’s Contigo and Claroscuro; Demis Volpi’s The Nutcracker; Hans van Manen’s Four Schumann pieces, pieces by Cameron McMillan and Jeroen Verbruggen’s Ma Mere L’Oye. During her final stage in RBF, she danced Exhibition and Fall, two pieces of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
Among her principal roles are: Juliet in Slava Samodurov’s Romeo and Juliet, principal partner in Tyll by Alexander Ekman; John Cranko’s Oneguin and Kitri in Alexei Fadeyechev’s Don Quixote; Young Girl in Kurt Joos’ Green Table, and Aurora in Marcia Haydée’s production of The Sleeping Beauty.
In December 2015 she was invited as guest dancer in the Compañía Nacional de Danza (CND) under the direction of José Carlos Martínez, to dance the role of Quiteria in the premiere of Don Quixote at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid.
In September 2017, she was promoted to Principal dancer. Standing out among her roles are: Juliet, Clara and Sugar Fairy in The Nutcracker, Quiteria in Don Quixote as well as La Favorita and Sonatas by José Carlos Martínez, Walpurgis Night in honor of Maya Plisetskaya,Vertiginous thrill of Exactitude, Artifact and Enemy in the Figure by William Forsythe, Por Vos Muero by Nacho Duato and Gods and Dogs by Jiří Kylián, among others. Under the direction of Joaquín De Luz she has danced pieces such as Giselle, Concerto DSCH by Alexey Ratmansky, Loss by Ricardo Amarante, White Darkness and Remansos by Nacho Duato, Cantata by Mauro Bigonzetti, Heatscape by Justin Peck, The Sylphide by Bournonville.
She has combined her professional career as a Principal dancer with her university studies, now completed -specifically a dance degree- at the Catholic University of San Antonio Murcia (UCAM). She has also taught dance classes at the university, as well as at different conservatories such as Carmen Amaya in Madrid and private schools contributing with her experience to new generations.
Currently she continues working as Principal dancer in the Compañía Nacional de Danza under the direction of Muriel Romero.
Instagram: @cristinacasagomez
