AnaMaria Correa(Director, School of Dance) AnaMaria is delighted to be part of Ballet Hispanico! She has worked in arts in education in the disciplines of theater, dance, music, visual art, creative writing and architecture with organizations like the Henry Street Settlement’s Abrons Arts Center, Jewish Museum of Florida, Brooklyn Historical Society and Washington State University’s “Performance as Education” program. . ...READ MORE...
Most recently she was the Education Director for Dancing Classrooms where she was responsible for programmatic and teaching performance quality for 200+ residencies throughout New York City. She is doing her life’s work -- a mission to ensure that young people, community and educators have access to, and a meaningful connection with, arts experiences that transform their lives through the incredible work of exquisite artists and their craft. She’s earned degrees in Secondary Education and Literature from Hunter College, an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College and is currently a doctoral student in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Nicholas Villeneuve (Deputy Director, School of Dance)Nicholas Villeneuve is currently the Deputy Director for the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance and Rehearsal Director for BHdos, the second company of Ballet Hispanico. BHdos provides educational and professional opportunities for pre-professional dancers ages 18-22 and bridges the gap between the many facets of the organization from the school to the professional company. ...READ MORE...
Nicholas, a native of Canada was raised in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1997, he moved to New York City on scholarship to study at the Alvin Ailey School under the late Denise Jefferson, and the tutelage of Benjamin Harkarvy at The Juilliard School. In 2001 he received the title of Dance Captain for Disney's The Lion King in Toronto and joined Ballet Hispanico in 2005. After seven amazing seasons with Ballet Hispanico he retired in the Spring of 2011 to further pursue his love of education, directing and choreography.
Nicholas has choreographed works for The Company Dance Theatre in Kingston, Jamaica; The Juilliard School, NY; Cawthra Park Ensemble in Toronto, Canada and for Perry-Mansfield performing Arts School in Steamboat Springs, CO where he was commissioned for an entire evening of his work for the New Works Festival in 2010.
His collaboration with Ballet Hispanico and the Orchestra of St. Luke's in 2011 marked his 16th work of choreography. Nicholas has also worked outside of traditional dance companies, choreographing and teaching for theatre and musical theatre, as well as for numerous HIV/AIDS fundraisers in Canada.
Nicholas's choreographic style ranges from the humorous through the morbid to whimsically romantic, drawing continuously on great athleticism and linear design.
His extensive teaching background has taken him across the country and internationally, giving master classes in Modern Technique and Contemporary Partnering. He has been on faculty for the last seven years at Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School as Assistant to the Director and is part of the guest faculty at The Juilliard School.
Caridad Martinez (Pre-Professional Coordinator), a former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Cuba, has performed in many of the world's greatest theaters, including Scala de Milano, the Champs Elysses Theatre in Paris, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the Beaux Arts Theater in Mexico City, and the Kirov Theater in Saint Petersburg. ...READ MORE...
A graduate of the National School of Arts, she also studied at the Superior Institute of Art in Cuba. While Ms. Martinez lived in Mexico, she spearheaded a 9-year campaign to bring Cuban-based training to Mexican youth. She succeeded in this by founding and serving as Artistic Director of the Cuban-Mexico Ballet School for 13 years. She continues to be an advisor for the School. Ms. Martinez has also served as the Artistic Director and choreographer of The Havana Ballet Theater Company, as guest teacher and choreographer for the Beau Art Schools in Mexico, and as Conservatory Director and teacher at Brooklyn Ballet. She has choreographed for movies, television, and ballet and modern dance companies, and is currently working with DANZAMERICA International in Costa Rica, the Escuela Cubana de Ballet in Veracruz, Danza Activa in Panama, the 92nd Street Y, and Alberta Ballet School in Calgary, among others. Ms. Martinez is looking forward to bringing her artistic talents to Ballet Hispanico.
Mariangela Lopez (Adventures in Dance Coordinator)is a native of Caracas, Venezuela, and has been teaching movement and dance for ten years. She is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory (BFA in Dance, 1999). After graduation she moved to NYC to continue her career as a dancer, choreographer and dance educator. ...READ MORE...
In 2001, Mariangela became a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies. She has done extensive outreach teaching, and in 2005 worked with Gina Gibney Dance to develop a curriculum specially designed to teach movement to children living in shelters. From 2005-2008, she was a teaching artist at Tisch School of the Arts, Undergraduate and Graduate Summer School, through Gina Gibney Dance. Ms. Lopez is a certified yoga teacher and holds a certification in Foundations of Dance Education from Dance Education Laboratory (DEL), NYC. Mariangela is currently on faculty at the Harkness Dance Center (92 Street Y), Ballet Hispanico and the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, NYC. In addition to teaching and performing nationally and internationally, Mariangela has been presenting her work as a choreographer in NYC, Europe and Latin America, and creates works for her own dance company, Accidental Movement.
Kiri Avelar (General and Pre-Professional Spanish & Flamenco) began her dance training as a scholarship recipient with the Boston Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet Schools, later performing with the Milwaukee Ballet under the Artistic Direction of Simon Dow. In New Mexico, she furthered her studies in Classical Spanish dance and flamenco while earning a B.A. in Dance Education (honors) from New Mexico State University. She is the Founding Director of Academia de Ballet Emmanuel, an after school program that provides quality dance education for the children of Hogar de Niños Orphanage, in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México. She has served on the dance faculties of New Mexico State University, El Paso Community College (TX), Barbara Driscoll School of Ballet (TX), Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts (NJ), and as a teaching artist in both private and public schools. She is currently a performing artist for the Queens-based Spanish dance company, the American Bolero Dance Company, and on faculty at Ballet Hispanico.
Franchesca Marisol Cabrera (General and Pre-Professional Classical Spanish) is a dancer, choreographer, director and instructor actively involved in the dance community for 25 years. She began her dance training in Santa Barbara, California, in the styles of Classical Spanish dance, Flamenco, Baroque, Ballet and Mexican Folklorico. A graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelors’ of Arts degree in World Arts in Cultures, Franchesca also lived in Madrid, Spain, for three years, receiving her credentials in Danza Española and Flamenco. She has traveled much of the world to perform, including London, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, and Hong Kong. Franchesca has grown to love working with young children in arts education and outreach to public schools enriching and sharing the importance of the performing arts. In 2011, Franchesca completed her Masters of Arts Degree from New York University on integrating arts into curriculums for elementary school classrooms with an emphasis on critical thinking. When Franchesca is not teaching she can be found performing with the Brooklyn based dance theatre company, COMPANYXIV.
Yvonne Gutierrez (General and Pre-Professional Spanish & Salsa) is an instructor, coach, and choreographer of Cuban descent. She has a BS in Computer Science from Pace University and has been on the dance faculty of Henry Street Settlement since 1991, where she initiated their flamenco and salsa program. She is also a member of Flamenco Latino NYC. Under director and choreographer Luis Montero she appeared as guest artist in the Wilmington Opera House for the production RAICES: the History of Flamenco. Prior companies include: AllNations Dance Company, Eddie Torres Dance Company, Luis Montero Spanish Dance Company as well as Ballet Hispanico's second company. In the world of Mambo/Salsa, Yvonne has been rehearsal director/choreographer of the New York Copacabana Dancers and instructor at their official school, Dance On 2 Studio. "Herencia," her youth dance company, debuted at the Copacabana Night club. She also performed with the legendary Tito Puente, including a tour to Italy, under the direction of Eddie Torres. Yvonne has also taught for the New School University, Cache Dance Studios and Purelements, as well as workshops about "Dancing to the Music from the Soul.”
Liliana Morales (Pre-Professional Flamenco) A native New Yorker, Lilana Morales started dancing at the age of 5. By the time she was 8, she was performing small roles in New York opera companies. Not surprisingly, her first role was in Carmen with the Amato Opera Company. In August 1969, Liliana headed to Madrid, where she began studying with Jose Granero, a ballet dancer from the Jose Greco Dance Company. Her studies were cut short by her mother’s death, which brought her back to New York. But when Morales returned in 1971, she quickly plunged herself into Spanish dance culture. For the next five years, she built a reputation in Madrid’s famous tablaos, including Café De Chinitas, Torres Bermejas, Los Cabales and other celebrated Flamenco venues. Gabriela Trigueiro(Pre-Professional Flamenco) received a B.A. with concentrations in Spanish Literature and Dance studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and La Universidad de Sevilla. Her formal Flamenco and Spanish Classical dance training was garnered in Spain (Fundación Cristina Heeren and La Academia de Matilde Coral) and in New Mexico, where she was a company member and grant writer at the National Institute of Flamenco. In 2009, Trigueiro was recruited to teach in the flamenco communities of Northern California; she was an instructor for Arte Flamenco, Sacramento Ballet, San Francisco's ODC, and the Mission Cultural Center for the Arts. Before relocating to the East Coast, Trigueiro was performing with the San Francisco-based company Andanza and a concurso winner of the 2011 Tucson Flamenco Festival. Currently, Trigueiro is working and teaching for Ballet Hispanico in New York City and the New Haven Ballet in Connecticut.
Caridad Martinez (Pre-Professional Coordinator, Ballet Mistress): Formerly a principal dancer with The National Ballet of Cuba, Caridad Martinez has performed many Classic and Contemporary Masterpieces in the great theaters around the world such as Scala de Milano, The Champs Elysses Theatre in Paris, Metropolitan Opera House in New York, The Beaux Arts Theater in Mexico City, Bolshoy Theater in Moscow and The Kirov Theater in Saint Petersburg Russia. During this time Ms. Martinez served as Artistic Director of the Habana Ballet Theater Company. ...READ MORE...
While Ms. Martinez lived in Mexico, she led a 9 year campaign to bring Cuban based training to Mexican youth. Ms. Martinez has choreographed for movies, television and both Ballet and Modern dance Companies and is currently a guest teacher and choreographer for Dance Companies throughout the world. Caridad is the Ballet Mistress of the Professional Company as well as the Program Coordinator for the Pre-Professional Program at Ballet Hispanico.
Juan Carlos Peñuela (Ballet Master Pre-Professional Program) A native of Cali, Colombia, Juan Carlos Peñuela began dancing at the age of 12 with Incolballet, a ballet-center secondary school. After graduation, Mr. Peñuela was invited to join Colombia's ballet company as a soloist, Ballet de Cali, by Artistic Director Gloria Castro where he performed in a variety of leadings roles in contemporary works as well as classical pieces. Mr. Peñuela moved to the USA in 1993 and danced with the Ballet Arizona in Phoenix, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Pennsylvania Ballet, Maximun Dance Ballet Gamonet. . ...READ MORE...
In 2001 and 2002, Mr. Peñuela was selected to represent his native Colombia by performing in the International Ballet Festival of Miami. He has also served as the guest Ballet Master and Repetitur with Compania Colombiana de Ballet- Incolballet in Colombia, Chamber Dance Project, Lexington Ballet, The Ajkum ballet theatre in New York City and Earl Mosley's Institute of the Arts in CT. Juan Carlos Holds a Romana's Pilates certification for the passed 4 years. Mr Peñuela is the official Ballet master of the annual International Ballet Festival of Colombia. Juan Carlos is also the Senior Ballet Master for the Professional Company and for the Pre-Professional Program at Ballet Hispanico.
Raquel Valiente (General Program Ballet) is a choreographer, performer and teacher. She discovered Folkloric and Latin American rhythms in her native El Salvador, where she was born and raised. As a child she regularly danced on the popular children’s TV show Mr. Cuk, on televised telethons and theatrical productions. In 2005 she moved to New York to study under the direction of Ballet Master Frank Augustyn at Adelphi University, where she earned her BFA in dance. ...READ MORE...
In New York, Raquel had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Azsure Barton, Leda Meredith and Pascal Rekoert. She also taught at Ballet Hispanico of New York’s school of dance, where she created the Hablando y Bailando class and coordinated their Adventure’s in Dance Summer program in 2008 and 2009.Back in El Salvador Raquel then taught, choreographed and performed for the prestigious British School, where she established the first dance program ever in a Salvadorian K-12 school. She also taught at her own school, Broadway Ballet, which made its debut on the Salvadorian reality hit show Bailando por un Sueño (the equivalent of Dancing with the Stars). Raquel was a judge on the third season of the TV show, which holds the highest ratings in the history of Salvadorian television.
Zelma Bustillo(Pre-Professional Ballet) has an artistic career that spans a period of 35 years as an exceptional soloist dancer, a teacher and director in all levels of dance. Zelma Bustillo came to the United States as a child from Colombia and was raised in New York City. She started her formal dance training in New York at The High School of Performing Arts and at The School of Ballet Repertory at the age of 14. With a full scholarship at these schools, she studied Ballet with Thalia Mara, Olga Tavolga, Bela Melinka and Arthur Mahoney. In Modern Dance she trained with Gertrude Shurr, Stuart Hodes and David Wood. In Character Dance she studied with Yurek Lazowsky. As a pre-professional, Ms. Bustillo danced with The Ballet Repertory Company. After only 6 years of training, her first professional engagement was with Festival Ballet in Providence, Rhode Island, dancing soloist roles and working with directors Christine Hennesy and Renzo Reiss. Soon after, she was invited by Robert Joffrey to join his company. ...READ MORE...
At that time she continued her studies at the Joffrey Ballet School with Robert Joffrey, Hector Zaraspe, VioletteVerdy, Basel Thompson, William Griffith, Meredith Bayliss and Dorothy Lister. Zelma Bustillo danced as a soloist with The Joffrey Ballet, English National Ballet, National Ballet of Washington, Ballet de Luis Fuente and Ballets Clasicos y Contemporaneos de Madrid. During her distiguished performing career she performed an extensive and ecclectic repertory ranging from the classics, to a varied range of contemporary works by such choreogrphers as Gerald Arpino, Robert Joffrey, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, and Glen Tetly among many others. As a Master Teacher and Director Ms. Bustillo has worked as Artistic Director at the School at Ballet Hispanico and as Director of the Junior Division at The Joffrey Ballet School, both in New York City. She has founded and directed dance programs in Madrid, such as The Dance Program at The School of Dramatic Arts, affiliated with Kent University in Canterbury, England, and at The Nicolás Salmeron Cultural Center. She taught extensively throughout Spain and gave seminars and lectures at Conservatories in Valencia, La Coruña, Malaga, and Alicante.
Mariangela Lopez (Pre-Professional Ballet, Adventures in Dance Coordinator) is a native of Caracas, Venezuela. She is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory (BFA in Dance, 1999). In 2001, Mariangela became a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies. She has done extensive outreach teaching, and in 2005 she worked with Gina Gibney Dance to develop a curriculum specially designed to teach movement to children living in shelters. ...READ MORE...
From 2005-2008, she was a teaching artist at Tisch School of the Arts, Undergraduate and Graduate Summer School. Mariangela is a certified yoga teacher and holds a certification in Foundations of Dance Education from Dance Education Laboratory (DEL), NYC. She is also currently on faculty at the Harkness Dance Center and the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, NYC. In addition to teaching and performing nationally and internationally, Mariangela has been presenting her work as a choreographer in NYC, Europe and Latin America, and creates works for her own dance company, Accidental Movement. Mariangela is the Program Coordinator for the Adventures in Dance Program at Ballet Hispanico.
Meridith Szalay (Ballet and Modern)received her BFA in Dance from The University of California, Santa Barbara. After graduating in 2002 with honors Meridith attended American Dance Festival on full scholarship at Duke University. The highlights of Meridith’s performing career include the lead role in the dance drama “Dreams of a Picture Bride,” The Little Orchestra Society’s production of “Peter and the Wolf”, she was a “Hot Box Girl” in “The Heights Player’s” production of “Guys and Dolls." ...READ MORE...
Meridith was a lead dancer in the Bollywood film “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and also went on tour as a Bhangra dancer in “The Indian Pakistani Peace Tour.” Meridith graced the cover of Newsweek in 1994 when her photo was chosen to represent the face of the magazine’s cover story. She danced with the company “Dance into Light” and is currently a member of “The Pink Tutu Ballet Company”. Meridith has been teaching children the art of dance for more than a decade. She loves to share her joy, respect, passion, and love for dance with young dancers.
Rebecca Tsivkin(Ballet, Adventures in Dance) is a member of the Royal Academy of Dance in London, where she received a teaching degree after completing an intensive three-year program. She has taught in Montessori schools and ballet academies on the East and West Coasts, and she was a guest teacher at the California State University at Fullerton and the University of New Hampshire. She is a judge for the Performance Awards of the American Academy of Ballet, and is on faculty at a ballet summer school program at Purchase College.
Mariangela Lopez (Pre-Professional Ballet, Adventures in Dance Coordinator) is a native of Caracas, Venezuela. She is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory (BFA in Dance, 1999). In 2001, Mariangela became a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies. She has done extensive outreach teaching, and in 2005 she worked with Gina Gibney Dance to develop a curriculum specially designed to teach movement to children living in shelters. ...READ MORE...
From 2005-2008, she was a teaching artist at Tisch School of the Arts, Undergraduate and Graduate Summer School. Mariangela is a certified yoga teacher and holds a certification in Foundations of Dance Education from Dance Education Laboratory (DEL), NYC. She is also currently on faculty at the Harkness Dance Center and the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, NYC. In addition to teaching and performing nationally and internationally, Mariangela has been presenting her work as a choreographer in NYC, Europe and Latin America, and creates works for her own dance company, Accidental Movement. Mariangela is the Program Coordinator for the Adventures in Dance Program at Ballet Hispanico.
Meridith Szalay (Ballet, Modern, Adventures in Dance)received her BFA in Dance from The University of California, Santa Barbara. After graduating in 2002 with honors Meridith attended American Dance Festival on full scholarship at Duke University. The highlights of Meridith’s performing career include the lead role in the dance drama “Dreams of a Picture Bride,” The Little Orchestra Society’s production of “Peter and the Wolf”, she was a “Hot Box Girl” in “The Heights Player’s” production of “Guys and Dolls." ...READ MORE...
Meridith was a lead dancer in the Bollywood film “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and also went on tour as a Bhangra dancer in “The Indian Pakistani Peace Tour.” Meridith graced the cover of Newsweek in 1994 when her photo was chosen to represent the face of the magazine’s cover story. She danced with the company “Dance into Light” and is currently a member of “The Pink Tutu Ballet Company”. Meridith has been teaching children the art of dance for more than a decade. She loves to share her joy, respect, passion, and love for dance with young dancers.
Rebecca Tsivkin(Ballet, Adventures in Dance) is a member of the Royal Academy of Dance in London, where she received a teaching degree after completing an intensive three-year program. She has taught in Montessori schools and ballet academies on the East and West Coasts, and she was a guest teacher at the California State University at Fullerton and the University of New Hampshire. She is a judge for the Performance Awards of the American Academy of Ballet, and is on faculty at a ballet summer school program at Purchase College.
Michael Fielder’s (General Program Jazz) performance credits stretch from Broadway to television. Michael performed on Broadway as well as in the National Tour of the 2008 Tony award winning musical “IN THE HEIGHTS.” Other credits include: Off Broadway “Mambo Kings” the musical, Paper Mill Playhouse’s “Carnival”, Metropolitan Opera in “Samson et Delilah” and the Public Theatre’s “Skin of our Teeth”. Regional credits include: Swing, All Shook Up, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Michael also worked with talented artists such as The Back Street Boys, Liza Minnelli, Don Omar, and Mariah Carey. ...READ MORE...
He’s also graced the silver screen in Walt Disney’s “Enchanted” with Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey and “El Cantante” with Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Choreography credits include: SYTYCD L.A. and Canada, Disney Cruise Lines “The Golden Mickey’s,” AMAS Theatre “Latin Heat,” Broadway Dance Center, Ballet Hispanico, and the Joffery Ballet School. Michael is often collaborating with professionals from around the world to promote Latin Jazz through workshops in public schools, universities, community centers and prestigious dance facilities worldwide.
Amanda Marquez (General Program Jazz) received her earlier training with the School of the Garden State Ballet in New Jersey in classical and contemporary ballet, modern dance and theater. She continued and expanded her training in Jazz, Contemporary, Ballroom and Mambo in California and New York. ...READ MORE...
Amanda worked for various choreographers throughout the Bay Area and has taught and performed nationally and internationally over the past 10 years. She is currently a part of Sekou Mcmiller’s Proyecto Descarga and Descarga Latina with Nelson Flores here in New York. She holds a BA in Sociology from San Jose State University and certification in Ashtanga Yoga from Greenpath Yoga in San Francisco. Amanda is also represented by MSA talent agency (NY/LA).
Siomara “Cee Cee” Bridges (General Program Hip Hop)earned a BA in Dance Education from CUNY Hunter College as a Jody Arnhold Mother’s Day Scholarship honoree. She has been teaching different fusion styles of dance and creative movement to youth and adults since she was a teenager at places such as the Astoria School of Fine Arts, The Dalton School, Mambo 101 Studios and the Ridgewood Bushwick Youth Council. In the spring of 2011, Siomara was selected to develop and co-teach a curriculum on “Urban Dance in America” in partnership with the Costa Rican Ministry of Culture. She developed a lecture/demonstration-style historical timeline of social dances in urban America and facilitated workshops across a number of cities in Costa Rica for three weeks. ...READ MORE...
As a performer, her love of hip hop and modern dance styles have led her to work with artists such as Camille Brown, David Capps, Monica Bill Barnes, Robin Dunn, and Tweetie; she has performed at the National Black Theater, Dixon Place, The Ailey School, The Kaye Theater, Triskilion Arts, and Dance Theater Workshop.
In addition to teaching in the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance, Siomara is Site Coordinator for the Education & Outreach Department. She began working with Ballet Hispanico as an Education & Outreach Intern just as she graduated from college in the summer of 2010. She quickly went from an intern to the Reservations Coordinator for Ballet Hispanico’s Annual Performances for Young People Showcase and shortly thereafter began working in her current position. Siomara is currently developing her own program titled Move Bridges Dance Project designed to give individuals opportunities to explore movement, create, and reflect in a safe space. Siomara is very interested in the intersection of movement/performance, community engagement, education and increasing access to the arts which she feels is paramount in her current roles at Ballet Hispanico.
Alexis Rose(General Program Teen Hip Hop) is a choreographer, dancer and teacher and worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. Most recently she introduced Hip Hop to the students of the Perry-Mansfield Conservatory. As an instructor, Alexis has shared her high energy and talent teaching national and international workshops in Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX, Washington D.C., Sydney, Australia, Steamboat Springs, Colorado and more. ...READ MORE...
Dancing since the age of 6, Alexis studied at the Long Island High School of Performing Arts, Broadway Dance Center, Peridance Capezio Center and most recently the world renowned Ailey School. She has trained and performed with choreographers such as Robin Dunn, Karen Arceneaux, Q Pittman and Calvin Wiley of CALVINOGRAPHY. At the age of 17, Alexis was hired to choreograph five high school musicals as well as local talent breakthrough artists. Currently Alexis works as an artist development coach, choreographer and currently teaches hip-hop and street jazz. She is the creator of her own workshop, “Rock’n Stilettos,” at Alvin Ailey Extension. “Your passion begins in your heart and displays through your soul.” Alexis’ goal is to inspire others to believe in their passion of dance.
Columbine Macher(General and Pre-Professional Modern - Limón) has worked with several choreographers in New York, such as such as Zeeva Cohen, Amanda Miller, Maxine Steinman, Susan Hefner, and with Eleo Pomare (1987-1999). Currently on the faculty at the Ailey School and Ballet Hispanico, she has also taught at the Limon Institute, at various universities in the United States, and in the Netherlands, Finland and South Korea. Before coming to New York in 1986, she received her dance training at the Folkwang Hochschule in Germany under the direction of Pina Bausch. She holds an M.F.A. from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Columbine has been dancing with Maxine Steinman for nine years.
Kevin Predmore (Pre-Professional Modern - Graham) is a former principal dancer with Buglisi/Forman Dance (now Buglisi Dance Theatre) and Pearl Lang Dance Theater and has been instrumental in the creation many of those companies works. He has performed internationally with the Martha Graham Dance Company and the Battery Dance Company and has been a member of Pascal Rioult Dance Company, Coyote Dance Company, Michael Mao Dance Company, Asiad Dance Theater, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, and Omega Dance Company. ...READ MORE...
Mr. Predmore has danced works by Moses Pendelton, Daniel Nagrin, Max Luna III, Brenda Banden-Semper, Maxine Sherman, and Theresa Maldonado. He co-produced "Profiles," an evening of solos and duets at the Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse. He choreographed “Waning with the Moon,” which premiered at the Marymount Theater, NY as part of the Martha Graham Choreographer's Project, and has been commissioned by the Singapore Dance Ensemble to teach, choreograph and perform. Mr. Predmore holds a B.F.A from Stephens College and an M.F.A. from S.U.N.Y. Purchase. He is currently on the faculty of The Ailey School where he also serves as Faculty Advisor for the Professional Division. He is a faculty member at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and he also teaches nationally and internationally.
Marnie Wood(Pre-Professional Modern - Graham): former soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company; Director Emerita and current faculty member of the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance; Reconstruction Coach for the Graham Company; Professor Emerita University of California Berkeley.
Rebecca Tsivkin(Ballet, Modern, Adventures in Dance) is a member of the Royal Academy of Dance in London, where she received a teaching degree after completing an intensive three-year program. She has taught in Montessori schools and ballet academies on the East and West Coasts, and she was a guest teacher at the California State University at Fullerton and the University of New Hampshire. She is a judge for the Performance Awards of the American Academy of Ballet, and is on faculty at a ballet summer school program at Purchase College.
Columbine Macher (General and Pre-Professional Modern - Limón)has worked with several choreographers in New York, such as such as Zeeva Cohen, Amanda Miller, Maxine Steinman, Susan Hefner, and with Eleo Pomare (1987-1999). Currently on the faculty at the Ailey School and Ballet Hispanico, she has also taught at the Limon Institute, at various universities in the United States, and in the Netherlands, Finland and South Korea. Before coming to New York in 1986, she received her dance training at the Folkwang Hochschule in Germany under the direction of Pina Bausch. She holds an M.F.A. from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Columbine has been dancing with Maxine Steinman for nine years.
Xavier Auza (General Program Ballroom Dance) studied at the Conservatorio de Artes Gatell in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has been teaching ballroom and Latin dance for almost 15 years. A former top competitor himself in American Style, Xavier is a member of the National Dance Council of America. He has worked at Fred Astaire Dance Studios and Pierre Dulaine Dance Center, coaching both professional and amateur dancers. ...READ MORE...
He also worked at American Ballroom Theatre for the Dancing Classrooms program where his schools took the championship trophy for three straight years. Currently, he is a Teaching Artist for Wingspan Arts and Creative Music Program, non-profit organizations that bring arts-in-education to public schools in the New York City area. In 2006, Xavier founded Avant Dance Project, a not for profit organization that in partnership with elite companies such as American Ballet Theatre, Martha Graham, Ballet Arts and others bring full scholarships to children with limited means but unlimited talent!
Yvonne Gutierrez (General and Pre-Professional Spanish & Salsa) is an instructor, coach, and choreographer of Cuban descent. She has a BS in Computer Science from Pace University and has been on the dance faculty of Henry Street Settlement since 1991, where she initiated their flamenco and salsa program. She is also a member of Flamenco Latino NYC. Under director and choreographer Luis Montero she appeared as guest artist in the Wilmington Opera House for the production RAICES: the History of Flamenco. ...READ MORE...
Prior companies include: AllNations Dance Company, Eddie Torres Dance Company, Luis Montero Spanish Dance Company as well as Ballet Hispanico's second company. In the world of Mambo/Salsa, Yvonne has been rehearsal director/choreographer of the New York Copacabana Dancers and instructor at their official school, Dance On 2 Studio. "Herencia," her youth dance company, debuted at the Copacabana Night club. She also performed with the legendary Tito Puente, including a tour to Italy, under the direction of Eddie Torres. Yvonne has also taught for the New School University, Cache Dance Studios and Purelements, as well as workshops about "Dancing to the Music from the Soul.”
For REGISTRATION: Please contact the School Office at 212.362.6710.
Alda Reuter (General Program Latin Folk) Being exposed to different cultures at an early age, Alda Reuter developed a lasting interest in the performing arts. Her professional career has included the styles of Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Flamenco and Mexican Folkloric Dance. Also trained in music, Alda is an accomplished percussionist and has appeared with major artists in Mexico, Central America and the U.S. Upon her arrival to NY she became part of the renowned female afro Caribbean dance and percussion ensemble ¡Retumba! Alda is the artistic director and cofounder of "Mexico Beyond Mariachi," an organization that brings an appreciation of folklore, culture and traditions of Mexico through music and dance to thousands of young students and audiences of all ages.
Rebecca Bliss (General Program Afro Cuban)is a performer, choreographer, and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. She is currently on the dance faculties of Barnard College and Ballet Hispanico. Rebecca received her initial training in Modern and Ballet at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and later devoted over a decade to studying the African-based dances of Cuba. In addition to studying with artists from national dance companies (Conjunto Folklorico Nacional, Ballet Folklórico Cutumba, Yoruba Andabo, Afro-Cuba de Matanzas, Ban Rra Rra), she also studied with master teachers from the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana. ...READ MORE...
She completed an individualized master’s degree at New York University (2009) with a focus on performance and pedagogy related to her work in both Cuba and NYC. Previous teaching experience includes professional trainings (Ballet Hispanico Dance Company, Areytos Performance Works), workshops for Universities (Sarah Lawrence College, Rutgers University, Barnard College), and over a decade of work with after-school and community based programs. Rebecca was the 2003 recipient of the Brooklyn Arts Exchange “Pass it On” award for arts education.
Michelle Manzanales (Pre-Professional Company Repertory)is a choreographer and dance educator originally from Houston, TX. Noted as one of the year’s best in 2010 by Time Out Chicago Magazine, her piece Paloma Querida, “a Frida Kahlo portrait in movement,” was hailed as a "visual masterpiece" by Lucia Mauro of the Chicago Tribune and a “gorgeously designed, richly hallucinatory, multi-faceted vision of the artist…” by the Chicago Sun Times. Michelle is the Rehearsal Director for the Professional Company at Ballet Hispanico.
Pat Catterson (Pre-Professional Improvisation & Dance Making) With parents who were a professional ballroom dancing team and a paternal grandfather who was allegedly a tap dancer in vaudeville, Pat Catterson doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t dance. A 1996 Fulbright Scholar, she has received multiple grants from the NEA, the CAPS Program, the Harkness Foundation and the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation. Companies, individuals, and schools, have commissioned her work, including the Seattle Dance Project, Salt Lake’s Repertory Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Oregon, the Eglevsky Ballet, the Turku School of Art and Communication, Hofstra, Adelphi, Virginia Commonwealth, and Ohio Universities and LaGuardia High School for Music and Art & the Performing Arts. ...READ MORE...
Formerly on the faculties of Sarah Lawrence College, UCLA, the Juilliard School, Muhlenberg College, Barnard College, the Merce Cunningham Studio, and Marymount Manhattan College, she cares very deeply about the training of young dance artists and is a sought after guest teacher.. Early in her career, Ms Catterson performed with the Grand Union, James Cunningham's Acme Dance Co. and the Judith Scott Dance Co. Her most influential teachers were Honi Coles, Charles "Cooky" Cook, Frances Cott, Merce Cunningham, Viola Farber, Margaret Hills, Jocelyn Lorenz, Martha Myers, Bessie Schönberg, and Judith Scott. She earned her BA in psychology and philosophy from Northwestern University in 1968 and her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College in 2009.
 Eduardo Patino website.jpg)
