Artists

2010 ARTISTS

CHOREOGRAPHERS

Roman Baca

Mr. Baca majored in dance at the University of New Mexico and graduated from the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts post-graduate program. After a career in dance, Mr. Baca served in the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq.

Since returning from Iraq, Roman co-founded Exit 12 Dance Company to tell stories about the war and all the people it affects. He choreographs and lectures about his experiences and has also choreographed and consulted on two short films.

Mr. Baca is a recipient of a 2009 producing and presenting grant from AjkunBT, a 2010 Access DanceUSA Scholarship from DanceNYC through support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Connecticut Wartime Veterans Medal.

Eddy Borges

Eddy Borges López, born in Cuba, started his dance training at the age of 17 at the ESCUELA PROFESIONAL DE BALLET DE CAMAGUEY, under the tutelage of Elinor Fuentes, Sandra Pérez, Elvia Caballero, Osvaldo Beiro and others. While a student, he became involved in choreographing projects that represented his school, for which he received numerous awards. Upon his graduation, Eddy was invited to join the BALLET DE CAMAGUEY as a dancer and as a choreographer, for a period of five years. During this time he also began to build his teaching career at the school of BALLET DE CAMAGUEY. Upon invitation to choreograph and dance for BALLET DEL TEATRO CENTRO DE ARTE in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Eddy created many original works such as Romeo y Julieta, Moulan Rouge, Punto Final and Calles Oscuras in a two and a half year period. In the following two years, he danced for Compañia Nacional de Danza de Ecuador, and then became a member of Ballet Nacional de Ecuador in Quito, where he currently dances, choreographs, and is the Academic Coordinator for the Escuela Metropolitana de Danza. Mr. Borges’ ballets and works span a variety of styles, yet they always remain true to a line between neo-classical and contemporary. His repertory includes such works as Rostros, Ciudad Despierta, Leeloo, Tango de Blanco y Negro, Mosaico Cubano, Instinto, Eco Y Sombras, Piezas Cubanas, Huellas, Reflexiones sobre Cuerdas, Circuito Cerrado, La Cabellera and others.

Benjamin Briones

Choreographer with The Ajkun Ballet Theatre and Staten Island Ballet, Founder of Benjamin Briones Ballet.

Mr. Briones is a graduate of the National School of Classical ballet, The National School of Contemporary Dance and The Royal Academy of Dancing in Mexico City.

He moved to North America in 1995 to dance with Ballet El Paso, dancing afterwards with Ballet Austin.

As a Soloist he has appeared with Ballet el Paso, Connecticut Ballet, Ohio Ballet, Ballet Theater of Annapolis, Granite State Ballet, Southern New Hampshire Ballet, New Heaven Ballet and River Ballet to mention a few; dancing as a Cavalier and Snow King in The Nutcracker, as Basilio in Don Quixote, as Ali in Le Corsaire, as Jonathan Harker in Dracula and as a principal dancer in Huapango.

As a Choreographer, Mr. BRIONES has been creating since 2006. Commissioned works have been performed in venues like: Dance Festival Italy in Bary Italy, International Choreographers Festival 2006-09 NY, International Dance Festival NY, The Latin Choreographers Festival 2008-10 NY, Hudson Dance Festival NY, Dance Theater Workshop NY, Blue Muse NY, and Museo Nacional de Antropologia in MX.

A co-owner of UBCostumesDancewear.com, Benjamin has been designing and constructing costumes and dancewear for the past 14 years. Feed back and information are welcome at: www.BenjaminBriones.com and benbriones2@yahoo.com

Felix Cruz

Felix Cruz began his dance training at the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts in Bethlehem, PA under the direction of Kimberly Maniscalco. Cruz recently received his BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. During his time at VCU, Cruz has been awarded "Outstanding Performer" in 2006, 2009 and 2010, as well as worked with many faculty members and guest artists such as Heidi Weiss, Gerri Houlihan, Starr Foster, Meisha Bosma and Monica Bill Barnes. He has also attended the American Dance Festival as a staff assistant in 2009 and 2010 where he studied with Mark Haim, Pamela Pietro, Jesse Zaritt, Lindsay Clark, and Tatiana Baganova. While at the ADF in 2009, Cruz also was casted in a world premiere piece by Faye Driscoll entitled There is So Much Mad in Me.

Annabella Gonzales

Annabella Gonzalez Dance Theater (AGDT), directed by Annabella Gonzalez, is a critically acclaimed company with a 69-dance repertoire. It has appeared on stages such as BAM and Carnegie Hall and has performed in prestigious festivals including Joseph Papp’s Latin Festival in New York and Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors. It offered a workshop in the Dominican Republic under US State Department sponsorship and performed last year at the International Palomar Festival in Chihuahua, Mexico. This fall it will perform in Mexico City. Supporters include the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the NYS Council on the Arts, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. The Company’s dvd’s can be seen at Lincoln Center’s Performing Arts Library.

Carlos Gonzalez

Carlos Gonzalez was born and raised in Cuba. He came to this country at age 11 having no real dance training except for the contagious salsa under the warm rains of the island. Now he is a senior BFA Theater Major with a Dance minor at Montclair State University. He has performed pieces by renowned choreographers such as Robert Battle, Bill T. Jones, Shapiro and Smith, Donald McKayle along with others. He also received a full scholarship to the Ballet Hispanico Summer Intensive in NY. Carlos was the first student at MSU to be selected to represent this region at both, the National College Dance Festival and the National College Theater Festival at Kennedy Center DC. He was invited to return to Habana, Cuba this past June as an understudy and Asst Director in the play Blind Mouth Singing, by Jorge Cortinas. Marino is his choreographic debut with Lisa Greenberg, and he could not be happier to share this journey with her. www.carlosegonzalez.com

& Lisa Greenberg

Lisa Greenberg has trained with the Kirov Ballet Academy, NJ Governor’s School of the Arts, The New Jersey School of Ballet, and has done intensives with Paul Taylor, and Ballet Hispanico. She graduated Montclair State University with a BFA in Dance, and received the Choreographic Excellence Award among her class of 2010.

She has performed works by Shapiro and Smith, Murray Lewis, and Robert Battle, and Donald McKayle, to name a few. She has choreographed a few works of her own, but collaborating with her best friend Carlos Gonzalez has been the most exhilarating and rewarding experience yet. Their piece Marino was selected to represent the Northeastern region, at the Kennedy Center, for the National Celebration of the American College Dance Festival. Every performance is an honor and a privilege. ‘My soul suspends in tour jete mid air and the feeling of gravity pulling me into the eyes of the audience make me feel alive.’

Frances Ortiz & Ted Thomas from Thomas/Ortiz Dance

A native New Yorker, Ted Thomas has danced with the companies of Paul Taylor, Ballet Hispanico, Elisa Monte, Nikolias and Murray Louis, among others. Originally from Puerto Rico, Frances Ortiz directs the New England Dance Theater and is co-owner of the New England Academy of Dance in Connecticut.

Melding his urban athleticism with her Latin sensuality, and their combined choreographic and musical sensibilities, Ted Thomas and Frances Ortiz founded Thomas/Ortiz Dance, introducing a fresh and emotionally engaging new vision to contemporary dance. The dancers from culturally diverse backgrounds perform a repertoire which explores a multitude of thought-provoking and socially-relevant themes.

Pedro Ruiz

Trained in his native Cuba and in Venezuela, Mr. Ruiz choreographed three celebrated ballets while a principal dancer with Ballet Hispanico for twenty-one years. Choreography credits include: The Joffrey Ballet, Luna Negra, New Jersey Ballet, The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, The Jacob's Pillow Festival, The Marymount College, The Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program, Ailey’s Spring Celebration ,Summer Sizzler Concerts and Ballet Builders 2010

Ruiz is on the dance faculty of Marymount College, the staff of The Ailey School. He is also currently a master-class teacher of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Scarsdale Ballet. Ruiz has also taught master classes and performed throughout the United States, Europe, Central and South America.

Awards include: the Bessie Award, the Choo-San Goh Award, The Cuban Artist’s Fund, and The Joyce Foundation Award to create a new work for The Joffrey. Mr. Ruiz has performed at the White House and was profiled nationally on PBS’s “In The Life.”

Donna Salgado

Donna Salgado is pursuing a creative life in New York City. Her fondness of learning and of dance was kindled by her father, a Nicaraguan Professor, and her mother, a Pennsylvania Dutch Artist. When her family relocated to Salisbury, MD during her tween years, she became engrossed in her classical ballet studies, training under Tatjana Akinfieva-Smith and Elena Manakhova. She soon joined the Eastern Shore Ballet Theatre where she performed in many of the classics. She furthered her education under scholarship and earned a BFA in Dance Performance from Towson University and a MFA in Dance Performance and Teaching from Purchase College, SUNY. She has studied in intensive programs with ABT, CPYB, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and in 3 summers as a member of the residential staff for the New York State Summer School of the Arts in collaboration with the NYCB. She reveled as a participant in intimate workshops studying the improvisational methodologies of William Forsythe and Alonzo King. Through her performance opportunities with SUNY Purchase, TU Dance Company, the Baltimore Ballet, the ad Hoc Ballet, and the Connecticut Ballet she has performed in a vast variety of choreographies. Her repertoire ranges from the work of George Balanchine to Jawole Willa Jo Zollar to Luca Veggetti to Edwaard Liang. She has taught for the Children’s Dance Division at Towson University, Non-Majors Ballet at Purchase College, and has ta ught Pre-Ballet for the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. She is currently a member of the faculties at the School at STEPS on Broadway and the Ballet Hispanico School. Her passion for dance has also lead to several choreography commissions, modeling for Bodywrappers Dancewear and Dane Shitagi’s New York City Ballerina Project, writing for Dancer Magazine, and earning a Pilates certification. This past May she had the premiere performance of her company: CONTINUUM Contemporary/Ballet

Victor Talledos

Victor began his dance training at the age of 15 at “Conservatorio de Danza”, Mexico City, under the direction of Guillermo Maldonado, in 2004 he moves to Monterrey to start his professional career at one of the most important schools in Mexico “Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey” where he had the opportunity to perform several ballets from the classical repertoire and also some contemporary pieces, in 2008 Victor came to NY with this school to participate at the YAGP getting the 2nd place of the ensemble category, he graduates as a ballet dancer in 2008 and the same year he moves to New York to join “The Ailey School” where he had the opportunity to dance with the AAADT in this last season (December 2009) at New York city Center performing “Memoria” by Alvin Ailey, Victor is currently a student of “The Ailey School” doing the last semester of the Independent Study Program.

& Antonia Urzua

Antonia Urzua was born in Santiago, Chile. In 2004, she realized that she had a passion for dance but due to the lack of opportunities, she was unable to pursue her dream until meeting her mentor, Ana Luisa Baquedano. Ms. Baquedano has continued to push Antonia and never lets her settle for just good. Antonia began her training at Escuela Moderna and became a member of the MOMO Dance Company. In 2007, Antonia came to New York as a student in The Ailey School Certificate Program. Since coming to the States, Antonia has worked with choroegraphers such as Sidra Bell, Camille Brown, Christopher Huggins, Nathan Trice and Freddie Moore. She has also discovered a passion for choreographing and has presented numerous works at The Ailey School, Mixtape, the Emia Benefit Concert, around all New York.

Fernando Troya

Fernando Troya was born in Madrid, Spain (16/05/89), was trained at the “Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma, RCPDM” in Madrid. Trained by Gonzalo Zaragoza who will be beside him as his teacher throughout his career, but he was taught as well by Ana Baselga, Marisa Martinez, Julia Estevez, Ricardo Franco, Juan Polo, Jorge Christof, Luisa Ramos, etc... At this school he had the opportunity to performe repertory from Balanchine, Nacho Duato or Petipa between others.

In his last year of school he won the competition “Maraton de Danza de Madrid” with his first choreography “Bewegung” and would take part in different galas; one being “Benditos Malditos” with Goyo Montero as choreographer, he would offer him a contract for his company, StaadttheaterNürnberg, giving him roles like “Mercutio” in Montero´s “Romeo and Julia” or solos like “Come Again” from “Benditos Malditos”.

Currently he is working as a dancer in the also german company Stadttheater Wiesbaden.

Ursula Verduzco

Trained at Ballet Austin Academy and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City with full scholarship, having the honor to perform with Ballet Austin at the time. After graduating, she has danced with several companies including Staten Island Ballet, Benjamin Briones Ballet,New York City Opera, Eglevsky Ballet,Ajkun Ballet Theatre, Connecticut Ballet, New York Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre in Westchester, Dayane Faye Dance Theatre, Ad Hoc Ballet, Ballet Neo among others. She has been a member of the Staten Island Ballet for the last six years, where she has danced soloist and principal roles in classical and contemporary ballets, some that have been created specially for her.

She is a professional actress with experience in the TV and the Theatre Play world since the age of nine.

As a teacher, Ursula has been instructing ballet as a guest company teacher with Les Ballets Grandiva in NYC and is currently on faculty at Ballet Forte Academy.

She has been a Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis instructor at Village Gyrotonic in NYC for the last six years and The Harmony Group in Englewood, NJ for the last seven years, were she is also the creator of their energetic magazine, “Pilates &” The Harmony Group Magazine.

As a co-owner of UB Costumes and Dancewear, Ursula has been designing and constructing costumes and dancewear for the past 13 years.

As the Founder and Curator of The Latin Choreographers Festival, Ms. Verduzco created the Festival in 2008 with the mission to present and showcase in NYC the work of talented and innovative Latin Choreographers, as well as one guest (non-Latin) choreographer or Company per year.

This up-and-coming dance festival is in its third year,presenting proudly the work of established, rising and new talented choreographers from New York City and abroad.

Past participants included choreographers from Mexico , Colombia , Puerto Rico , Cuba , Costa Rica , and Ecuador .

Let's Keep Dance and Opportunities ALIVE!!

And

C. Eule Dance

(Non-Latin Guest Artist Company)

Caron Eule received her BFA from SUNY Purchase. As the Director of C. Eule Dance, Ms. Eule is a recipient of the Manhattan Community Arts Fund administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and a MetLife Creative Connections grant. She has produced her own seasons at Danspace Project @ St. Mark’s Church, The Ailey Citigroup Theater, The University Settlement, The Merce Cunningham Studio, the Williamsburg Art nexus and Pier 66 Maritime. Her choreography has also been presented at: the Elan Awards; Dance Theater Workshop; Dancers Responding to AIDS at St. Mark’s Church, Summer Solstice in Times Square, and Fire Island Dance Festival 11; the Flea; the Brooklyn Arts Exchange; the 92nd Street Y; The McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, CA, The Crystal Theatre in Norwalk, Connecticut and recently at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. She has danced for Stephan Koplowitz, Tina Croll, Larry Keigwin, Daniel Gwirtzman, Shela Xoregos, David Fernandez, Carol Fonda, Linda Diamond, Anna Sokolow, Naomi Goldberg, Jodi Liss, the Kathak Ensemble, Amanda Selwyn, and the Shadow Box Theater, and has toured Germany with Ariane Mertz and Company. Ms. Eule currently teaches dance at Ballet Hispanico and in the public schools with American Ballroom Theater. www.ceuledance.org

PERFORMERS

LAUREN ALZAMORA, DEANNA BEASOM, JENNA BLUMENFELD, ANGELICA BURGOS, LUCIA CAMPOY, CASSIE COULAS, TAELER CYRUS, DAVON DOANE, MATTHEW DONNEL, LISA FITZGERALD, JORGE FUENTES, AMANDA GAVAN, TAYLOR GORDON, JOSIAH GUITIAN, ELLIE HARRISON, VIRGINIA HORNE, ALEJANDRA IANNONE, NED KINTER, HOPE KROOG, NATALIE LAMBALET PALACIOS, MINA LAWTON, MIN-TZU LI, SAKI MASUDA, STEVEN MELENDEZ, CHIE MUKAI, EMMA PEREZ, VANESSA SALGADO, KENDALL SEALEY, KARINA TERAN, KATE THOMPSON, LARA VILCHES, JACOB MICHAEL WARREN, THERESE WENDLER, STEPHANIE WOLF, VANESSA WOODS, RICHARD YE & ASSAFF WEISMAN (PIANIST)

PRODUCTION

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR URSULA VERDUZCO

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR BENJAMIN BRIONES

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT LUCIA CAMPOY

PHOTOGRAPHY

RACHEL NEVILLE

"SCARRED"

Choreography: Frances Ortiz

Dancer: Alexandra Gonzales

Photo by: Rachel Neville

"LA TIERRA DE MI SER"

Choreography: Karina Lesko

Dancers: Karina Lesko&Francesco La Macchia

Photo by: Rachel Neville

"FRAYED ENDS"

Choreography: Francez Ortiz

Dancers: Nicole Corea&Rafael Ferreras

Photo by: Rachel Neville

2009 ARTISTS

CHOREOGRAPHERS:

Roman Baca

(See artists 2010)

Benjamin Briones

(See artists 2010)

Annabella Gonzalez

(See artists 2010)

Minou Lallemand

Was born in Barranquilla, Colombia and grew up in New York City. She trained at the Neubert Ballet Institute and graduated from the New York High School of the Performing Arts while on scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet School. Minou has danced with companies such as Ballet Arizona, Garden State Ballet, Princeton Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Ballet Hawaii and Sacramento Ballet. She toured nationally with The Phantom of the Opera and was a cast member of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Mexico City. Minou has created works for Ballet Arizona, New Choreographer’s on Point Workshop, Tau Dance Theatre, Queen Emma Ballet, Ballet Hawaii, The Youth America Grand Prix Competition, The Three Phantoms in Concert, The Virginia School for the Arts, ArtSpree at The Contemporary Art Museum, Arts at Mark’s Garage, and First Friday at The Hawaii State Art Museum. She was also selected to participate in Regional Dance America’s Craft of Choreography Conference in 2006. Minou is the artistic director and founder of the Onium Ballet Project, which has regularly collaborated with Chamber Music Hawaii, creating new original ballets to Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histioire du Soldat, Samuel Barber’s Summer Music, Darius Milhaud’s Creation of the World, Paul Hindemith’s Der Damon, and Bohuslav Martinu’s La Revue de Cuisine. Minou resides in Honolulu with her husband, Jonathan, a musician in the Honolulu Symphony.

Yesid Lopez

Is originally from Colombia where he began his dance training in ballet at the age of 18 with Jaime Diaz and Ana Consuelo Gomez Caballero in Anna Pavlova´s Ballet Academy in Bogota dancing as corps of ballet and soloist. He received a scholarship from The School at Jacob´s Pillow in the jazz program in 2004 and 2006 and a scholarship from Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Montclair, CA. Yesid has performed in Colombia, UK, Cuba, USA as a dancer and choreographer in latin, jazz and contemporary ballet styles and South Korea as a choreographer-featured dancer with Hanwha Resort in Sokcho City.

In 2006, Yesid moved to New York where he received a full scholarship from STEPS on Broadway and was selected to be a member of the Steps Repertory Ensemble 2006-2008. As a choreographer Yesid has performed in different venues in the New York City Area like Winter Follies- Spoke The Hub, Steps Lab Series, PMT Seasonal Showcase, RHYTHMS, Mojito/DanceOmopolitan at Joe's Pub, Dance Tracks NYC, Dumbo Dance Festival, Bridge for Dance, Local Produce- Spoke The Hub, COOL New York and has received reviews in publications like Attitude The Dancers' Magazine, Ballet-Dance Magazine, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Dance Spirit. He is currently working with Ballet Hispanico, DeMa Dance Company as a resident choreographer/teacher and has his own dance project called Yesid & Company.

Jesus Pacheco

Has been living in Memphis TN, for the last six years where he has been choreographing, dancing with Ballet Memphis and Acting with local theatres. He is a Stott Pilates instructor, as well as a personal trainer and will be moving to the East coast to dance with the Roxey Ballet in Lambertville NJ, and continue to pursue his theatre career. He would like to thank God, his family, the gift of music, and all the beautiful women in his life that have aleays helped him pick up the pieces.

Orlando Pena

Choreographer of “Primavera” has toured the United States and Europe performing and choreographing with numerous companies. As a principle dancer for five years with the Windermere Ballet Theater, touring with National companies of The Music Man, Sophisticated Ladies, On Your Toes and A Chorus Line as well as Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express in Bochum, Germany. Orlando completed a run of “CATS” as Director/Choreographer in Oakdale. His stage and professional experience give him expansive knowledge of choreography and stage professionalism. He has directed and choreographed full musical theater productions of Anything Goes, South Pacific, The Wizard of Oz, and dance concerts in Utah, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York. He has been on the faculty at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and was an adjunct Tap and Tap History instructor at Stony Brook University. In addition to choreographing and direction for Ovations Dance Academy and Ovations Dance Repertory Company, his original choreography has won him rave reviews. His students had the privilege of participating in The Vail International Dance Festival, Vail, Co., The Rock School, Joffrey Ballet Summer Program, Alvin Ailey School, and ABT Bermuda. Member of AEA.

Pedro Ruiz

(See artists 2010)

Robert Spin

Originary from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Graduated from National Institute of Danza Raymond Mauge Thoniel. Travels to Mexico in 1993 to study contemporary dance and music.

Creates in 2003 Athros a Contemporary dance company, presenting his work in many national and international arenas including the international dance festival Jose Limon 1993-2001. and International Dance Festival Tegucigalpa Honduras 2007.

Recipient of several creating grants and winer of “Premio Sol de Sinaloa en Danza Contemporanea” Mx.

Director of The International contemporary Dance Festival of Duets & Soloists VII Edition in Culiacan Sinaloa (Mexico on Scene 2008 and Iberesca 2009)

Ursula Verduzco

(See artists 2010)

And Guest Company

Thomas/Ortiz Dance

CHOREOGRAPHER: TED THOMAS

Artistic Director

A native New Yorker, former rapper and graffiti artist, Ted Thomas attended the High School for Performing Arts before receiving his B.F.A. from the State University of New York at Purchase. He went on to earn a Masters degree in dance and higher education from New York University. He danced with Ballet Hispanico, Elisa Monte, and the Murray Louis and Nikolais Company prior to joining the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1996. While choreographing and continuing to perform with Thomas/Ortiz Dance, Mr. Thomas was for two years Artist-in-Residence at Barnard College. He currently teaches dance at the New England Academy of Dance and at New Canaan High School in New Canaan, CT.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Melding his urban athleticism with her Latin sensuality, and their combined choreographic and musical sensibilities, Ted Thomas and Frances Ortiz founded Thomas/Ortiz Dance in 2001, introducing a fresh and emotionally engaging new vision to contemporary dance. The company of twelve dancers from culturally diverse backgrounds performs a repertoire which explores a multitude of thought-provoking and socially-relevant themes.

DANCERS:

JENNA BLUMENFELD, ANGELICA BURGOS, KARA BRUZINA, LUCIA CAMPOY, ALISON CARELLA, NICOLE CORREA, FREDRICK DAVIS, SERGE DESROCHES JR, MARINA NICOLE FABILA, KENDAHL FERGUSON, LISA FITZGERALD, LESLEY GARRISON, HEIDI GREEN, CARLY HOFFMAN, VIRGINIA HORNE, OLIVIA KAMINSKI, REBECCA LATERZA, LEIGH LIJOI, CHRIS LOESCHNER, KATE LOH, CLAUDIA MACPHERSON, MATTHEW MENDELSON, CESAR ORTIZ, MEGAN REMSEN, ERIC RIVERA, ALEXANDRA SAVINI, ELLENORE SCOTT, LARA VILCHES, ERIC VLACH.

PRODUCTION

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR URSULA VERDUZCO

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR BENJAMIN BRIONES

LIGHT DESIGNER DEVON ALLEN

SOUND OPERATOR LUCIA CAMPOY

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT TANJA WHITED

PHOTOGRAPHY

RACHEL NEVILLE

2008 ARTISTS

CHOREOGRAPHERS:

Benjamin Briones

(See artists 2010)

Javier Dzul

Grew up in Mexico performing the ritual dances of his Mayan tribal community until the age of 16. Javier then became a principal dancer with Ballet Nacional de Mexico and Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. He moved to New York when awarded a full scholarship to the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. Since his arrival in New York Javier has performed with numerous companies including, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Pearl Lang Dance Theater, Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble and Battery Dance Company. In 1995 Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes of Mexico awarded Javier a scholarship to pursue his dance career in the United States. Currently he performs with Acroback as a guest aerialist and dancer under the direction of renowned contortionist Jonathan Nosan.

Javier began choreographing in 1998 and established Dzul Dance in 2003. Dzul Dance fuses contemporary and ritual dance with aerial arts as a means to create dialogue between contemporary art and historical heritage. By transforming bodies into earthbound and airborne forces of nature Dzul Dance breaks physical and cultural boundaries. He and his diverse company of dancers and aerialists have been presented throughout New York and in Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia and the Virgin Islands garnering reviews along the way that hail Dzul’s “acrobatic wizardry” (Attitude: The Dancer’s Magazine) as well as his ability to turn his dancers of “remarkable elasticity” into “creatures of the air as well as of the earth” (The New York Times).

Dzul Dance’s vast dramatic and creative appeal have won them invitations to perform on a variety of stages that include the United Nations, Bard College Summers cape, El Museo del Barrio, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Dixon Place, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Danny and Sylvia Kaye Playhouse and Reichold Center for the Arts. International festivals include the Mexico Now Festival (NYC), Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (NYC), Gunvor Festival (Switzerland), Festival Internacional del Centro Historico (Mexico), Festival del Arte Contemporaneo (Mexico), Muestra Internacional de Danza de Oaxaca (Mexico) and Festival Santiago de Queretaro (Mexico). In addition to performing, Javier has brought the artistry and vocabulary of Dzul Dance to others through workshops and community outreach programs in New York City, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and the Virgin Islands.

Annabella Gonzalez

(See artists 2010)

Karina Lesko

Raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, Karina Lesko began her dance career at the age of seven with the Youth Ballet of Costa Rica. She continued her studies, attending summer sessions with the National Conservatory of Prague, the National Ballet School of Cuba, and the Superior Art Institure of the Colon Theatre of Buenos Aires. She completed her B.F.A.at the University of Utah, where she toured as a member of the Character Dance Ensemble. Karina has performed in festivals and competitions worldwide, including the International Competition of Varna 2000 and the Music Festival of Paris 2005. She has appeared as a guest artist for the City Ballet of Lima, Peru and the Juvenile Ballet of Costa Rica. She worked for Tokyo Disneyland, Japan and spent two years dancing in Paris under the instruction of Jennifer Goube of the Paris Opera Ballet, where she also became a Gyrotonic Instructor. Since moving to New York City, Karina has danced with Naganuma Dance, Muse Dance, Steps Repertory Ensemble and Contemporary Ballet Theater. Having performed in festivals including DancemOpolitan at Joe's Pub, Dumbo Dance Festival, White Wave and Agora II, Karina is now happy to be choreographing and would like to thank her wonderful dancers

Yesid Lopez

(See artists 2009)

Jaciel Neri

Mexican Choreographer and Dancer. He studied in Folkwang Hochscule in Essen, Germany and in Centro de Investigacion Coreografica (CICO-INBA) Mexico.

Began his career as a folkloric dancer with Compania Nacional de Danza Folklorica de Mexico and then as a contemporary dancer.

He got 2 International prices, 1st Place in the International Internet Dance Festival Side by Side, Dusseldorf, Germany and 2nd Place in the International Competition for Contemporary Choreography of the Humarts Foundation in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Currently heads the cultural project MOVING BORDERS– Art without borders , in addition to continuing his work as a promoter of Mexican folkloric dance in the world. He got FOCAEM 2008 support.

Frances Ortiz

(See artists 2010)

Ursula Verduzco

(See artists 2010)

DANCERS:

LUCIA CAMPOY, VIRMA CARAMIA, NICOLE COREA, ROBIN TAYLOR DZUL, JUAN IGNACIO ECHAZARRETA, RAFAEL FERRARAS JR., ALEXANDRA GONZALES, HEIDI GREEN, VIRGINIA HORNE, LINDSEY KELLEY, FRANCESCO LA MACCHIA, AMANDA MATTAR, SAKI MASUDA, JAQLIN MEDLOCK, MEGAN PHILLIP, KATIE SCIBIENSKI, RACHEL TINGUELY, RICHARD YE

PRODUCTION

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR URSULA VERDUZCO

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR BENJAMIN BRIONES

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT LUCIA CAMPOY

SOUND OPERATOR LUCIA CAMPOY

PHOTOGRAPHY

RACHEL NEVILLE

2011 ARTISTS

CHOREOGRAPHERS

Eloy Barragan

Benjamin Briones / Benjamin Briones Ballet

Alejandro Chavez

David Fernandez

Miguel Angel Palmeros / Momentos Corporeos

Tony Powell / Piel Morena Contemporary Dance

Donna Salgado / Continuum Contemporary Ballet

Ellenore Scott

Antonia Urzua

Julieta Valero / Rastro

Marcos Vedoveto

Ursula Verduzco

and

Aszure Barton with The Steps Repertory Ensemble

PERFORMERS

SARAH ATKINS, LEIGH ATWEL, MARIANO AVILES, STEPHANIE AZZARETTO, CLARA BELENUS, LUCIA CAMPOY, NICOLE COREA, CYNTHIA CORTES, MIA CULLUM, FREDRICK DAVIS, JESSE DUNHAM, MARIELIS GARCIA, ALEJANDRA GONZALEZ, STEVEN GRAY, LANE HALPERIN , ROBERT JOHNSTON, MAYA KRISHNASASTRY, MARIBEL MICHEL, KYLE MULLINS, YAEL NACHAJON, ASHLEY NOEL, PATRICK JOHN O’NEILL, PEDRO OSORIO, KHORI PETINAUD, DANTE PULEIO, JENNIFER PRAY, CARLOS RENEDO, EDGAR RODRIGUEZ, ISAAC SANTANA, CRISTIAN SEBASTIAN, ADRIAN SILVER, ALFREDO SOLIVAN, ELLENA TAKOS, LAURA THURSTON, MINDI UPIN & MATTHEW URINIAK

PRODUCTION

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR URSULA VERDUZCO

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR BENJAMIN BRIONES

LIGHT DESIGNER DEVON ALLEN

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT LUCIA CAMPOY

IN HOUSE INTERVIEWER KATE LOH

RESIDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER MARGARET BLACK

RESIDENT PHOTOGRAPHER RACHEL NEVILLE