Born in Donostia, San Sebastián, (Spain). His first contact with dance was through traditional Basque dance, starting at the age of four. At ten, he began his ballet studies. From 1999 to 2004 he was a student of Mentxu Medel and in 2005, thanks to the scholarship from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, he began his training at the Mariemma Royal Conservatory of Dance in Madrid.
His stage as a professional began in France, with the Europa Danse company (2006 and 2007), touring in France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland… In 2007 he participated in the premiere of El Día de la Creación, by Goyo Montero, and won first prize at the Madrid Dance Marathon with Around There Is Nothing by Goyo Montero. In 2008 he joined La Mov in Zaragoza, with Víctor Jiménez as director and choreographer. In April of that same year, he joined the Corella Ballet Castilla y León under the direction of Ángel Corella. In 2012 he joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders under the direction of Assis Carreiro.
Throughout his career, Ion has been able to work with great 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 Núñez, Ricardo Amarante, D. Volpi, S. Larbi Cherkaoui, Slava Samodurov, Clark Tippet’s, Twyla Tharp’s.
In September 2016 he joined the National Dance Company, under the artistic direction of José Carlos Martínez. Two years later, in August 2018, he was promoted to the category of soloist, where he currently continues under the direction of Muriel Romero. Within the Company he has danced all types of repertoire, such as: Hikarizzato, Carmen, Por vos muero, Enemy in the Figure, La Rose Malade, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Love Fear Loss, Les Noces and Holberg Suite. In 2019 he had the great opportunity to dance the original version of Sombrero de Tres Picos, on the centenary of its creation, working hand in hand with Lorca Massine, son of the great choreographer Léonide Massine.
He has danced as a guest at numerous ballet galas and has participated in the recording of the film Yuli, about the life of the dancer Carlos Acosta, with the film director Icíar Bollaín. In April 2013 he received the Revelation Award from the Association of Professional Dancers in Guipúzcoa. In 2018 he received, together with his wife, Cristina Casa, also a CND dancer, the Honorary Friends Award of the Logroño Dance House.
Instagram: @ionagirretxe
