Winter Soirée: Paula Urquijo, Laura Ballestrino, and Company E

Join us for a very special evening celebrating Spanish art, Spanish creators, and the winter season. The event will feature Spanish pianist and composer Laura Ballestrino, who will perform live music for a new creation by iXa (the Spanish dance company led on this occasion by Paula Urquijo), presented by Company E. ’s not every day that one gets to witness the blend of contemporary dance and live music, composed especially for this collaboration.

Miradas cara adentro / Inward Looks is a group piece born from the original idea of the duo Ollos cara adentro, accompanied by a musical composition by Laura Ballestrino.

“The spirit of the dreaming man is fully satisfied with what he dreams. The arrogant unknown of possibility ceases to formulate itself. K*ll, fly faster, love whenever you want.”
(André Breton, 1924)

Taking the universe of the dreamlike as its starting point, Miradas cara adentro / Inward Looks seeks to explore the Surrealist conception of the dream— that place where the limits of logic, reason, consciousness, and even the conventions of taste are shattered, opening a door between each individual’s inner and outer worlds.

ARTISTIC CREDITS

Original idea: iXa – Elena Castellanos and Xian Martínez
Group piece adaptation: iXa – Paula Urquijo
Musical composition and performance: Laura Ballestrino

Paula Urquijo, dancer and creator born in Llodio (Basque Country), graduated from the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma and the Conservatorio Superior de Danza María de Ávila, and holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Project Management and Entrepreneurship from UNIR.

She is part of the iXa team, collaborating as a performer, creator, and in production, and has taken part in the company’s national and international tours in projects such as Pioneras/Aitzindariak and Ollos cara adentro, as well as in the Historias de dos program.

Her artistic experience also includes participation in various creative processes, such as Sometamosomatemos with La Matriz and Nueva Producción with Cía. Esagente.

She has also developed her own choreographic projects, including Ameba; Voz y Voto, awarded at the CDC 2024; and Hutsean itzal, presented as a guest piece at the 2024 KM0 Gala organized by Proyecto Larrua in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Most recently, in 2025, she premiered in Valladolid, together with the collective La Matriz, the stage work En boca cerrada no entran moscas.

In addition, she teaches at Dantzerti, the Higher School of Dramatic Art and Dance of the Basque Country, and leads workshops and artistic mediation sessions for various groups.

(2000, Madrid) is a Spanish concert pianist and composer. A member of Yamaha’s Young Talents program, her artistic journey is marked by national and international awards, including First Prizes at Jeunesses Musicales Spain, Antón García Abril, María Herrero and Gran Klavier International Piano Competitions, Third Prize at Compositores de España International Piano Competition and the Yamaha Music Europe Foundation Scholarship, among others.

Her career encompasses recitals and concert tours in prestigious venues across Spain and abroad, such as the National Auditorium in Madrid, the Solitär hall at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Casa da Música in Porto and the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech University in Atlanta. She has made her orchestral debut with Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra, University of Granada Symphony Orchestra, Virtuosos de Madrid International Orchestra and Mariana Martínez Classical Orchestra.

A graduate of Madrid Royal Conservatory, where she studied with Prof. Elena Orobio, she later completed a Master’s degree at Alfonso X el Sabio University under the guidance of renowned pianists Leonel Morales and Leo de María, her current mentors. Ballestrino combines her activity as a concert pianist with her work as a composer, where she explores the intersection between jazz language, improvisation and the classical tradition. She also writes orchestral music for audiovisual media such as film and video games. Upcoming highlights include her debut with the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra in 2026 performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.

Important Information

• A reservation on Eventbrite is mandatory, printed tickets are not required.
• Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Doors open 20 minutes before posted showtime.
• Ticket holders will have access to the event while space is available. A reservation does not guarantee admission.
• No Late Seating, ticket holders may not be allowed to enter 15 minutes after posted showtime.
• Right of admission reserved.
• If you need special assistance, please contact us at Y29udGFjdCB8IHNwYWluY3VsdHVyZSAhIHVz.

How to get there:

The best way to arrive is by public transportation. The closest Metro station is Columbia Heights (Green line). Limited metered and two-hour zoned parking is available in the surrounding neighborhoods. Public parking garage is available at DC USA Shopping Mall (Columbia Heights Metro Station).

Subscribe to our Newsletter to never miss an event by SPAIN arts & culture in Washington DC.

Also check out other Entertainment events in Washington, Music events in Washington, Arts events in Washington.