'Elles', about women and old age, kicks off Dansa Metropolitana 2026

Dansa Metropolitana 2026 kicked off last week with ‘Elles’, a show directed by Hansel Cereza that reflects on female old age and the stereotypes associated with the passage of time.

The festival will be held from March 5-22, offering a program of 90 shows and a total of 177 performances.

The performances will spread across theaters, streets, and unique spaces in 12 municipalities in the metropolitan area; Badalona, ​​Barcelona, ​​Cornellà, el Prat, Esplugues, Granollers, l'Hospitalet, Sabadell, Sant Cugat, Santa Coloma, Terrassa, and Viladecans.

The inauguration performance took take place on March 6 at La Farga Center d'Activitats in l'Hospitalet de Llobregat.

'Elles' is a community project in which 70 volunteers from entities such as the Grup de Dones de Collblanc-Torrassa, the Amalvígia association, or the Grup de Dones del Gornal take part.

The proposal focuses on the way women live and challenge the stereotypes associated with old age and aims to make visible the impact of ageism on female bodies.

Festival

Of the 177 performances, 73 are free and 27 are family-friendly. A total of 12 national and 15 international companies will put on the shows.

Of the 90 different shows, 16 are worldwide premieres and 10 are national premieres.

This year’s edition is structured around the freedom of bodies to inhabit and transform public space and reinforces the presence of women as creators.

Of the 90 shows programmed, 47 are by female authors, 16 by mixed authors, and 27 by male authors, the highest number of female authors in the history of the festival.

Among the prominent names are Poliana Lima, Rocío Molina, Manuel Liñán, Poyo Rojo, Dewey Dell, Dorothée Munyaneza, and Danish Dance Theatre.