Choreographer Xián Martínez dies in Barcelona at age 30

Contemporary dancer and choreographer Xián Martínez has died in Barcelona at the age of 30. The news was shared by his partner, Àlex Marteen, a participant in ‘Drag Race España’. The specific causes of death have not been disclosed.

Born in Vigo in 1996, Martínez established a significant career in contemporary dance. He trained at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma and the Conservatorio Superior de Danza in Madrid. His professional history includes performing with the Basque company Dantzaz between 2019 and 2021, as well as collaborations with artists such as Sol Picó, Marta Pazos, Toni Mira, and Àlex Ollé. He also participated in productions for the Lille Opera and the Staatsoper Berlin.

In 2020, Martínez founded the company iXa, which drew from Galician, Basque, and Navarrese roots. Under his artistic direction, the company produced works including ‘Pioneiras/Aitzindariak’, ‘NIK·EU’, ‘Ollos cara adentro’, and ‘52-BLAU’. His work received over 15 awards, including the first prize at the 2023 Sabadell Choreographic Contest for ‘Ollos cara adentro’. Notably, his most recent production explored themes of absence, memory, and death.