Caridad Martinez Graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana, Cuba. She studied with, Fernando & Alicia Alonso, Joaquin Banegas, Azary Plisetski, Ramona de Saa, Karemia Moreno, and Jose Pares. As principal dancer of the National Ballet of Cuba she performed in the most important theaters in Europe, North and South Americas and Asia, with a repertory that included Coppelia, Las Fille Mal Gardeé, La Sylphide, Pas de Quatre, Don Quixote, Les Corsaires, Apollo, Papillon and Times Out of Mind. Works created specifically for her included Plasmasis, Muñecos, Dolores Santa Cruz en Cecilia Valdes and Cimarron, among others. After leaving the National Ballet of Cuba, Martinez created and led The Havana Ballet Theater through a theater creative concept that transformed the performing arts in Cuba during the 80s. She also went on to choreograph for the Hispanic Heritage Awards, and for the acclaimed Julian Schnabel film Before Night Falls. She coached La Joven Guardia group, integrated by the most talented young Cuban dancers, under the direction of Laura Alonso. Martinez was also Director of the Cuban Ballet School in Veracruz, Mexico and was distinguished with the honorary membership of the Dance Educators of Mexico and Dance Educators of America. She has received numerous awards for her dance and theater choreographies, including an award from The Association of Writers and Artists in Cuba for two consecutive years. In New York, Martinez has shared her expertise as Director of the Brooklyn Ballet School and Conservatory, Director of the Ballet & Curriculum Training Program at Ballet Hispanico, and faculty and Summer Program Director at the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center. She has guest taught for the Alberta Ballet School in Canada, Annarella Conservatory in Leiria, Portugal and Goh Academie School in Vancouver, Panama, Dominican Republic, Mexico and most recently as special guest of JKO School Director, Cynthia Gregory, to share the Cuban Ballet Methodology with teachers and students at the Raising the Barre series at ABT, as well as been featured in Pointe Magazine. Martinez currently serves as faculty member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Ailey/Fordham and Certificate programs, coach of Classical works for Dance Theater of Harlem, serves on the board of Ballet Beyond Borders and is working on an oral history project about her life and career under the auspices of the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU with Elizabeth Schwall.