MAIRA Pages, the Flamenco dancer who has made a major contribution to the continuing success of Riverdance, is simultaneously receiving distinguished recognition at home in Spain.

The work she choreographed last year for the Centro Andaluz de Danza, Bulenas. Un Perro Andahz, excellent reviews of which we carried in this column, has won the Spanish National Choreography Prize. This is the most prestigious award for dance in Spain, and covers all branches of the discipline, including classical ballet and contemporary dance. Page's is the first Flamenco choreographer ever to win it.

She has also been appointed artistic director of the same company, where she was one of two guest choreographers last year. This is a position somewhat akin to being artistic director of the Abbey Theatre in the Flamenco Maria Page's world. The Centro Andaluz de Danza was formed only a few years ago, but already has been the subject of controversies, familiar to Irish ears, over budgets, over the relationship between the traditional and the modern.

The job will therefore be a considerable challenge, and one of the first tests for Page's will be the choreographing of dances for a new production of Manuel de Falla's opera, La Vida Breve, which forms part of the opening celebrations for the long delayed and controversial Teatro Real in Madrid. This takes place in May, but Page's still finds time to appear in Riverdance, with openings in Boston and Detroit so far this year, with Sydney - coming up on March 4th. Meanwhile, Riverdance composer Bill Whelan is among.the awards for the Emmy Awards, which will be made next Wednesday.