DanzaTTack Festival to Honor Natalia Medina for Contributions to Canary Islands Dance

The 16th DanzaTTack Festival, held in El Sauzal from May 8 to 17, will present its "For the Love of Dance" honorary award to Natalia Medina Santana. Organizers are honoring the choreographer and cultural manager for her pivotal role in professionalizing and growing the dance scene in the Canary Islands.

Originally from San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Medina combines academic expertise—including a degree in Physical Education and a master’s in Performing Arts—with international training from dance hubs like London, Paris, New York, Barcelona, and Madrid. Beyond her technical skill, she is known for using dance to foster social cohesion. This is best seen in her pedagogical work; since opening her creative center in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1993, she has maintained a scholarship program to help students facing financial hardship.

Medina’s influence is perhaps most visible through the International Contemporary Dance Festival of the Canary Islands (Masdanza). Since founding the event in 1996, she has helped emerging creators reach international audiences, building a network that spans Asia and Europe. In 2019, the festival received the prestigious EFFE quality label from the European Festivals Association, recognizing the excellence Medina has cultivated over three decades of leadership.

This latest honor adds to a growing list of accolades, including being named an Adoptive Daughter of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 2018 and receiving the Charter 100 Gran Canaria Award in 2022. Medina’s career is defined by her ability to balance managing major international platforms with a deep commitment to social causes, such as her work with the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation to bring dance to vulnerable communities. By presenting this award, the Tenerife-based festival celebrates not only her career but also the vital role of independent cultural management in shaping the region’s artistic identity.