About

GOYES’KA

GOYES’KA is a dance and physical theatre emergent project-based company created by Henry Rodríguez, a Cuban born artist currently based in the Netherlands. Characterised by a rich visual and an original language, the creative work in GOYES’KA hopes to find innovative ways to communicate with the audience, reflecting surreal and dreamlike choreographic landscapes.

With special attention to the creative and artistic process, GOYES’KA is rooted in a groundbreaking and innovative choreographic vision known as the Surrealist Majism (Majismo Surrealista) where Rodríguez alters the universe of Majismo from the 18th and 19th century Spain by juxtaposing it with his own roots and cultural background in Cuba. In this way, each work feels unique but follows a common thread influenced by absurd nuances, extreme physicality, and emotion.

Photography by NORIDOYVILA ®

Henry Rodríguez

FOUNDER

Henry Rodríguez is an independent choreographer, educator and performing artist born in Cuba. He received his early education in dance at the UAD Ballet Español de Cuba, under the direction of Eduardo Veitia. During his studies as a seventeen-year-old he began to perform with Ballet Español de Cuba in ballets such as Carmen, La Casa Alba, El Sombrero de los Tres Picos, La Traviata, El Fantasma, Aquel Brujo Amor, Frida, Danzando Sueños, etc. in events such as La Huella de España, the International Ballet Festival of Havana, among others.

After graduation from the National School of Dance in 2011, he received an apprenticeship with Rosario Cárdenas Danza Combinatoria, directed by Rosario Cárdenas. During his time with Danza Combinatoria he performed in works such as Maria Viván, El Monte, Zona Cuerpo, Punto Ciego, El Ascenso, and his very first Spanish-contemporary choreographic work ‘Compás en Bulerías’, among others. Alternatively he worked with Cuban-Spanish choreographer Pepe Hevia and with companies Ballet Rakatan, chiefed by Nilda Guerra and with Danza Alternativa Así Somos, directed by Lourdes Cajigal and founded by American dancer and choreographer Lorna Burdsall. He joined Danza Contemporánea de Cuba in 2016 and since worked in pieces such as The Listening Room, Las paredes se van, Matria Etnocentra, among others by international choreographers Julio Cesar Iglesias, Theo Clinkard and George Cespedes. During his time with Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, the company toured worldwide to renowned theatres, such as the Barbican Hall, the Wales Millennium Centre, Royal Concert Hall Nottingham among others.

Henry moved to the Netherlands to study Modern Theatre Dance as a guest student at the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten. Alternatively, he has also worked with Amsterdam based choreographers Iris Reyes and Faizah Grootens, and began creating his own small-scale produced performances for dance festivals and commissions in Europe and abroad. Featured works are ‘MAJOS’, ‘Pulling Scales’,‘CASA’, ‘Dador’, ‘Fabián, Apuntes 1969’, ‘Lost in Parameterization’ and ‘Carnem Exilui’. In 2022 Henry created GOYES’KA, a dance and physical theatre emergent project-based company and platform for interdisciplinary works and where he is delving into his own music and choreographic practice. In the scholar year 2023-2024, he completed the BA Teacher of Classical Ballet program at the Nationale Balletacademie, Academie voor Theater en Dans (Amsterdamse Hogeschool van de Kunsten). During this program, besides deepening in the study of the Vaganova methodologie, he also researched on a new choreographic method: 'Map D-Construct Classical', which is based on the deconstruction of classical ballet technique and vocabulary at the intersection of ballet and neuroscience. With a distinct movement language known by a powerful and innovative physicality, Henry’s work progresses consciously and continuously from project to project. Together to his creations, he gives dance lessons and workshops in relation to his creative process and new works.