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GRAND PRIX DANCE OPEN AMERICA
UNITED STATES, MIAMI
MAY 11 - 14, 2023
AT THE
SOUTH MIAMI DADE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
DEADLINE MARCH 1st
Judges and Masterclasses
Grand Prix
Dennis Nahat
International Acclaim Artist
Dennis Nahat began his dance training at age 8 in Detroit, Michigan under the tutelage of Jeff and
Enid Ricardeau and Kay Bliss. At age 17 he was awarded a full scholarship in dance with a
minor in music at the Juilliard School of Music, studying under Martha Hill, Martha Graham, José
Limón, Donald McKayle, Anna Sokolow, Antony Tudor, and Louis Horst. Nahat was a charter
member of City Center Joffrey Ballet and later a principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. He
performed on Broadway in the original SWEET CHARITY, and HOW NOW DOW JONES
productions and choreographed, Broadway Musicals, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA,
JUMPERS, and GOOD TIME CHARLEY along with many off Broadway musicals and stage
productions.
Nahat co-founded both the School of Cleveland Ballet (1972) and Cleveland Ballet (1976)
with the late Ernie (Ian) Horvath. Nahat later assumed sole Artistic Directorship (1983), a position
he held for 40 years. He created the longest running and most successful co-venture in the country
between San Jose, California and Cleveland, Ohio (1985). This company, previously San Jose
Cleveland Ballet was later named Ballet San Jose (2000). His choreographic credits of over 104
works extend from ballet, to Broadway, to television, to film. Nahat’s groundbreaking ballet BLUE
SUEDE SHOES, with music by Elvis Presley, was seen on PBS and received two Emmy
nominations.
He unveiled his new Theatre Ventures International School and Productions in 2012.
Nahat created an original production in China entitled YULAN, a multi-media international
extravaganza premiering in China in 2012, then in the Unites States in 2013 along with
NUTCRACKER / THE TERRACOTTA PRINCE, two moths later, also in 2013.
Currently, with Lea Vivante McKayle, Executor/Artistic Director, Nahat serves as
Associate Artistic Director/Producing Manager to THE DONALD McKAYLE LEGACY. The late
Professor Donald McKayle, recipient of dozens of honors and awards in every aspect of theater
and his illustrious career, has been named by the Dance Heritage Coalition "one of America’s
Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: the first 100." McKayle was Nahat’s mentor and teacher at the
Juilliard in 1963. From then on to today, Nahat has strives to produce his works and teaching all
the while McKayle has inspired the dance world and thousands of artists worldwide.
Through TVI, Nahat produced and stage-managed the new International Performing Arts
of America (IPAA) premiere performance in San Jose, CA on August 26, 2018 - 2021 with
formidable dancer/choreographer and new artistic director, Yang Yang. The IPAA Festival featured
diverse dance groups from America, Silicon Valley and other countries. As well, CASH was again
presented in Sacramento and Folsom, CA – created by choreographer and former ballerina,
Sunny Mitchell, this cavalcade of Johnny Cash music, dance and friends is a show stopper with
17 dancers/singers and live musicians. Country at its best!
In 2015, Nahat joined AKYUMEN Technologies, Silicon Valley’s newest hi-tech company,
producing and hosting the inaugural opening and unveiling innovative products and is
Entertainment Advisor. AKYUMEN is the world’s first Smartphone with built in Projector, and
more...
Among Nahat’s passions are dance training, cooking and gardening.
Enid Ricardeau and Kay Bliss. At age 17 he was awarded a full scholarship in dance with a
minor in music at the Juilliard School of Music, studying under Martha Hill, Martha Graham, José
Limón, Donald McKayle, Anna Sokolow, Antony Tudor, and Louis Horst. Nahat was a charter
member of City Center Joffrey Ballet and later a principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. He
performed on Broadway in the original SWEET CHARITY, and HOW NOW DOW JONES
productions and choreographed, Broadway Musicals, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA,
JUMPERS, and GOOD TIME CHARLEY along with many off Broadway musicals and stage
productions.
Nahat co-founded both the School of Cleveland Ballet (1972) and Cleveland Ballet (1976)
with the late Ernie (Ian) Horvath. Nahat later assumed sole Artistic Directorship (1983), a position
he held for 40 years. He created the longest running and most successful co-venture in the country
between San Jose, California and Cleveland, Ohio (1985). This company, previously San Jose
Cleveland Ballet was later named Ballet San Jose (2000). His choreographic credits of over 104
works extend from ballet, to Broadway, to television, to film. Nahat’s groundbreaking ballet BLUE
SUEDE SHOES, with music by Elvis Presley, was seen on PBS and received two Emmy
nominations.
He unveiled his new Theatre Ventures International School and Productions in 2012.
Nahat created an original production in China entitled YULAN, a multi-media international
extravaganza premiering in China in 2012, then in the Unites States in 2013 along with
NUTCRACKER / THE TERRACOTTA PRINCE, two moths later, also in 2013.
Currently, with Lea Vivante McKayle, Executor/Artistic Director, Nahat serves as
Associate Artistic Director/Producing Manager to THE DONALD McKAYLE LEGACY. The late
Professor Donald McKayle, recipient of dozens of honors and awards in every aspect of theater
and his illustrious career, has been named by the Dance Heritage Coalition "one of America’s
Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: the first 100." McKayle was Nahat’s mentor and teacher at the
Juilliard in 1963. From then on to today, Nahat has strives to produce his works and teaching all
the while McKayle has inspired the dance world and thousands of artists worldwide.
Through TVI, Nahat produced and stage-managed the new International Performing Arts
of America (IPAA) premiere performance in San Jose, CA on August 26, 2018 - 2021 with
formidable dancer/choreographer and new artistic director, Yang Yang. The IPAA Festival featured
diverse dance groups from America, Silicon Valley and other countries. As well, CASH was again
presented in Sacramento and Folsom, CA – created by choreographer and former ballerina,
Sunny Mitchell, this cavalcade of Johnny Cash music, dance and friends is a show stopper with
17 dancers/singers and live musicians. Country at its best!
In 2015, Nahat joined AKYUMEN Technologies, Silicon Valley’s newest hi-tech company,
producing and hosting the inaugural opening and unveiling innovative products and is
Entertainment Advisor. AKYUMEN is the world’s first Smartphone with built in Projector, and
more...
Among Nahat’s passions are dance training, cooking and gardening.
Lourdes Lopez
Miami City Ballet Artistic Director
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Lourdes Lopez has become one of the ballet world’s most prominent and accomplished
contributors. Dance Magazine named her a 2018 recipient of its prestigious Dance Magazine
Awards, choosing Lopez for her “…admirable stewardship of Miami City Ballet, building
upon the company’s Balanchine legacy while also embracing the local culture and
community of Miami,” and as “…an exemplary leader, someone whom dancers look up to
and are inspired by.” In 2017, the magazine also named her one of “The Most Influential
People in Dance Today”.
She became Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet in 2012, bringing with her a nearly
40-year career in dance, television, teaching and arts management. As a Soloist and
Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet, Lopez danced for two legends of the art form,
George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. Under Lopez’s direction, Miami City Ballet has
become one of the country’s premier ballet companies. According to The New York Times,
“This troupe [is] at the forefront of all those dancing choreography by George Balanchine
today…. Bold, light, immediate, intensely musical, the dancing of Miami City Ballet flies
straight to the heart.”
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1958 and raised in Miami, Lopez began taking ballet lessons at the
age of five, on the recommendation of a doctor. At the age of 11 she received a full
scholarship to the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City
Ballet, splitting the year between Miami and New York City. At fourteen, she moved to New
York permanently to devote herself to full-time studies at SAB, and shortly after her
sixteenth birthday, joined the corps de ballet of New York City Ballet.
Under the direction of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, her star rose quickly at New
York City Ballet. In 1984, she was promoted to Soloist, performing countless featured roles
including Balanchine’s Violin Concerto, Liebeslieder Walzer, Firebird, Serenade, Symphony in
C, Agon, The Four Temperaments; and Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering, Glass Pieces, Fancy
Free, In the Night, Four Seasons and Brandenburg.
Upon retirement, Lopez joined WNBC-TV in New York as a Cultural Arts reporter, writing
and producing feature segments on the arts, artists and arts education. She was also a
full-time senior faculty member and Director of Student Placement, Student Evaluation and
Curriculum Planning at New York’s Ballet Academy East. She served on the dance faculty of
Barnard College and guest taught at numerous dance institutions and festivals in the
United States.
In 2002, Lopez became the Executive Director of The George Balanchine Foundation,
which works to educate the public about dance and to further the art of ballet, with a
special emphasis on the work and achievements of George Balanchine. In this position, she
oversaw the 2004 Balanchine Centennial Celebration, a worldwide festival honoring the
choreographer and his legacy. Lopez co-founded The Cuban Artists Fund, which supports
Cuban and Cuban-American artists in their endeavors.
In 2014, Lopez was elected to serve on the Ford Foundation’s Board of Trustees and is
presently starting her second term, marking the first time an artist was elected to serve on
its board. In 2011, she received the prestigious Jerome Robbins Award for her years in
dance. She has served as a dance panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts.
In 2017, she received an award from the American Immigration Law Foundation honoring
Cuban Americans for their accomplishments and contributions to American society. She
also co-founded Morphoses with Christopher Wheeldon in 2007—a New York-based dance
company aiming to revitalize dance through innovative collaborations with important
artists from the worlds of music, visual arts, design, film and fashion; and by inviting
younger and broader audiences to engage in and actively experience dance.
In 2019 she was honored with Ballet Hispánico’s “Toda Una Vida” Lifetime Achievement
Award and in 2021 she was awarded the prestigious “Una Vida para la Danza (A Life for
Dance) by the International Ballet Festival of Miami.
Lopez is married and is the mother of two daughters, Adriel and Calliste.
Lourdes Lopez has become one of the ballet world’s most prominent and accomplished
contributors. Dance Magazine named her a 2018 recipient of its prestigious Dance Magazine
Awards, choosing Lopez for her “…admirable stewardship of Miami City Ballet, building
upon the company’s Balanchine legacy while also embracing the local culture and
community of Miami,” and as “…an exemplary leader, someone whom dancers look up to
and are inspired by.” In 2017, the magazine also named her one of “The Most Influential
People in Dance Today”.
She became Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet in 2012, bringing with her a nearly
40-year career in dance, television, teaching and arts management. As a Soloist and
Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet, Lopez danced for two legends of the art form,
George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. Under Lopez’s direction, Miami City Ballet has
become one of the country’s premier ballet companies. According to The New York Times,
“This troupe [is] at the forefront of all those dancing choreography by George Balanchine
today…. Bold, light, immediate, intensely musical, the dancing of Miami City Ballet flies
straight to the heart.”
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1958 and raised in Miami, Lopez began taking ballet lessons at the
age of five, on the recommendation of a doctor. At the age of 11 she received a full
scholarship to the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City
Ballet, splitting the year between Miami and New York City. At fourteen, she moved to New
York permanently to devote herself to full-time studies at SAB, and shortly after her
sixteenth birthday, joined the corps de ballet of New York City Ballet.
Under the direction of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, her star rose quickly at New
York City Ballet. In 1984, she was promoted to Soloist, performing countless featured roles
including Balanchine’s Violin Concerto, Liebeslieder Walzer, Firebird, Serenade, Symphony in
C, Agon, The Four Temperaments; and Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering, Glass Pieces, Fancy
Free, In the Night, Four Seasons and Brandenburg.
Upon retirement, Lopez joined WNBC-TV in New York as a Cultural Arts reporter, writing
and producing feature segments on the arts, artists and arts education. She was also a
full-time senior faculty member and Director of Student Placement, Student Evaluation and
Curriculum Planning at New York’s Ballet Academy East. She served on the dance faculty of
Barnard College and guest taught at numerous dance institutions and festivals in the
United States.
In 2002, Lopez became the Executive Director of The George Balanchine Foundation,
which works to educate the public about dance and to further the art of ballet, with a
special emphasis on the work and achievements of George Balanchine. In this position, she
oversaw the 2004 Balanchine Centennial Celebration, a worldwide festival honoring the
choreographer and his legacy. Lopez co-founded The Cuban Artists Fund, which supports
Cuban and Cuban-American artists in their endeavors.
In 2014, Lopez was elected to serve on the Ford Foundation’s Board of Trustees and is
presently starting her second term, marking the first time an artist was elected to serve on
its board. In 2011, she received the prestigious Jerome Robbins Award for her years in
dance. She has served as a dance panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts.
In 2017, she received an award from the American Immigration Law Foundation honoring
Cuban Americans for their accomplishments and contributions to American society. She
also co-founded Morphoses with Christopher Wheeldon in 2007—a New York-based dance
company aiming to revitalize dance through innovative collaborations with important
artists from the worlds of music, visual arts, design, film and fashion; and by inviting
younger and broader audiences to engage in and actively experience dance.
In 2019 she was honored with Ballet Hispánico’s “Toda Una Vida” Lifetime Achievement
Award and in 2021 she was awarded the prestigious “Una Vida para la Danza (A Life for
Dance) by the International Ballet Festival of Miami.
Lopez is married and is the mother of two daughters, Adriel and Calliste.
Li Anlin
Texas Ballet Theater
Assistant Artistic Director
Assistant Artistic Director
Mr. Li was born in Nanjing, China. At the age of 13, he went to Beijing to study at the Beijing Dance Academy and graduated to the Young Dancers Company. He first met and worked with Ben Stevenson while he was a student at the Academy. In 1982, he joined the National Ballet of China as a soloist and danced in many cities in China, Thailand and Hong Kong. In 1985, Mr. Li was invited by Ivan Nagy to join Ballet de Santiago in Chile as a soloist and was soon promoted to principal dancer. In 1989, Mr. Stevenson invited Mr. Li to join Houston Ballet as a soloist.
During his 21-year career as a dancer, Mr. Li was featured in many of Mr. Stevenson's ballets including The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Dracula, Three Preludes, Four Last Songs, "L," Swan Lake, Peer Gynt, Cleopatra, and Don Quixote among others. He also danced in ballets by many other choreographers including Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations, Manon, and Gloria; Ronald Hynd’s Papillon, The Merry Widow,and Rosalinda, John Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet, and The Taming of the Shrew; George Balanchine’s Serenade, Agon, Theme & Variations, and The Four Temperaments; Vicente Nebrada’s Coppelia and Doble Corchea, André Prokovsky’s Anna Karenina and The Three Muskateers, Jiri Kylian’s Sinfonietta; and Christopher Bruce’s Cruel Garden and Journey among others. In 2000, Mr. Li was named Ballet Master for Houston Ballet, and helped set and rehearse many of Mr. Stevenson's ballets. In 2003, Mr. Stevenson invited Mr. Li to be the Assistant Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater. He now stages and rehearses Mr. Stevenson’s ballets on Texas Ballet Theater and many other ballet companies around the world including Ballet West, Tulsa Ballet, Ballet de Santiago, Kansas City Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet and National Ballet of China.
Mr. Li was born in Nanjing, China. At the age of 13, he went to Beijing to study at the Beijing Dance Academy and graduated to the Young Dancers Company. He first met and worked with Ben Stevenson while he was a student at the Academy. In 1982, he joined the National Ballet of China as a soloist and danced in many cities in China, Thailand and Hong Kong. In 1985, Mr. Li was invited by Ivan Nagy to join Ballet de Santiago in Chile as a soloist and was soon promoted to principal dancer. In 1989, Mr. Stevenson invited Mr. Li to join Houston Ballet as a soloist.
During his 21-year career as a dancer, Mr. Li was featured in many of Mr. Stevenson's ballets including The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Dracula, Three Preludes, Four Last Songs, "L," Swan Lake, Peer Gynt, Cleopatra, and Don Quixote among others. He also danced in ballets by many other choreographers including Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations, Manon, and Gloria; Ronald Hynd’s Papillon, The Merry Widow,and Rosalinda, John Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet, and The Taming of the Shrew; George Balanchine’s Serenade, Agon, Theme & Variations, and The Four Temperaments; Vicente Nebrada’s Coppelia and Doble Corchea, André Prokovsky’s Anna Karenina and The Three Muskateers, Jiri Kylian’s Sinfonietta; and Christopher Bruce’s Cruel Garden and Journey among others. In 2000, Mr. Li was named Ballet Master for Houston Ballet, and helped set and rehearse many of Mr. Stevenson's ballets. In 2003, Mr. Stevenson invited Mr. Li to be the Assistant Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater. He now stages and rehearses Mr. Stevenson’s ballets on Texas Ballet Theater and many other ballet companies around the world including Ballet West, Tulsa Ballet, Ballet de Santiago, Kansas City Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet and National Ballet of China.
Rosario Suarez
Former Principal Dancer of the National Ballet of Cuba
and Ballet Master
Regarded in Cuba as the greatest and most popular ballerina of her generation,
Rosario Suarez was universally known for the profound artistry, versatility, and innovation
with which she performed ballet repertoire. Among her many achievements, Rosario won
the gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria in 1970. Over
a remarkable twenty- seven year career with the National Ballet of Cuba, she performed
principal roles in over 50 countries, to worldwide critical acclaim. In 1991, the Cuban
Ministry of Culture awarded her with La Orden Por La Cultura Nacional, recognizing
and honoring her artistic achievements.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Rosario began her ballet training at the Province Ballet
School, then continuing her studies at the National School of the Arts, with teachers
Joaquin Banegas, Fernando Alonso, Alicia Alonso, Menia Martinez, Ramona De Saa,
Jose Pares, and Karemia Moreno. When Rosario was only fifteen years old, Fernando
Alonso, the director of the National Ballet of Cuba, invited Rosario to join the Company,
thus launching her nearly three-decade professional career, which included a fifteen-year
tenure as Principal dancer. Rosario was also a principal dancer of Ballet Theater of
Havana, under the direction of Caridad Martinez.
Rosario’s performances in Coppelia, Swan Lake and Giselle have brought her the
highest acclaim. However, her roles in works by Cuban choreographers, such as Tarde en la
Siesta and Rara Avis, were performances that have also been said to have set the standard
for future generations of dancers.
Rosario’s interpretation as Odette-Odile in Swan Lake at the Theater of Les
Champs-Elysees in Paris in 1983, was a highlight of her career, as well as her
interpretation of The Sylphide and The Scotsman at the International Cervantine Festival in
Guanajuato, and Giselle, at a historic performance at the Teatro Albeniz in Madrid, which
brought roaring audiences to their feet. At that time, Rosario established herself as an
artist in Spain, participating in a number of festivals and teaching throughout the city. In
2000, at the debut of Anna Pavlova: Diálogos del Alma, within the setting of the Dance
Festival of Madrid, she performed the famous Death of the Swan by Fokine. While in Spain,
she worked at the Conservatory Real in Madrid alongside Virgina Valero, as well as with
Victor Ullate, Goyo Montero, Juan Carlos Santa Maria, Raul Cardenes and Ramon
Oller, and many others.
Rosario’s career brought her to Miami, where she served on the faculty at New
World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis. She then established her
own company, Ballet Rosario Suarez, and an affiliated dance academy dedicated to the
preservation of the Cuban Style of Ballet. In 2002, she created her first choreographic
work, Cecilia Valdes, with great success. Her final performance took place in Miami in
2010, as the star of the ballet theater production “La Ultima Funcion,” based on a poem
by Abilio Estevez and directed by Lilian Vega. In 2012, Rosario was named one of the
top 100 Latinos in Miami with the greatest cultural impact.
Rosario’s career also took the form of film appearances, as she was featured in a
documentary directed by Marisol Trujillo, Mujer Ante el Espejo, inspired by the experience
of maternity of ballerinas; a short for the School of Cinematography, Two Gladys For You,
directed by Aaron Yelin; a documentary about Pablo Neruda, and Stolen Verses, by
Orlando Rojas. She appeared extensively, via modern interviews and archival
performance footage, in a documentary of her own life, directed by Orlando Rojas, Queen
of Thursdays, which won the award of Best Documentary at the Miami Film Festival.
Rosario is recognized as a versatile interpreter who builds her characters around
expressive musicality. Her constant search for freedom throughout the course of her
career has inspired her work, and she is an artist and performer who has reached critical
acclaim, winning over the hearts of audiences all over the world. In 2008, Rosario joined
the Miami Conservatory/Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, where she trained future
generations in her role as Ballet Mistress. She continues to travel and tour as a teacher
and coach for students internationally. Behind Rosario’s fame, experience, and technique
is an unbridled passion to affect change in her students and help them unearth their full
artistic potential.
Rosario Suarez was universally known for the profound artistry, versatility, and innovation
with which she performed ballet repertoire. Among her many achievements, Rosario won
the gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria in 1970. Over
a remarkable twenty- seven year career with the National Ballet of Cuba, she performed
principal roles in over 50 countries, to worldwide critical acclaim. In 1991, the Cuban
Ministry of Culture awarded her with La Orden Por La Cultura Nacional, recognizing
and honoring her artistic achievements.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Rosario began her ballet training at the Province Ballet
School, then continuing her studies at the National School of the Arts, with teachers
Joaquin Banegas, Fernando Alonso, Alicia Alonso, Menia Martinez, Ramona De Saa,
Jose Pares, and Karemia Moreno. When Rosario was only fifteen years old, Fernando
Alonso, the director of the National Ballet of Cuba, invited Rosario to join the Company,
thus launching her nearly three-decade professional career, which included a fifteen-year
tenure as Principal dancer. Rosario was also a principal dancer of Ballet Theater of
Havana, under the direction of Caridad Martinez.
Rosario’s performances in Coppelia, Swan Lake and Giselle have brought her the
highest acclaim. However, her roles in works by Cuban choreographers, such as Tarde en la
Siesta and Rara Avis, were performances that have also been said to have set the standard
for future generations of dancers.
Rosario’s interpretation as Odette-Odile in Swan Lake at the Theater of Les
Champs-Elysees in Paris in 1983, was a highlight of her career, as well as her
interpretation of The Sylphide and The Scotsman at the International Cervantine Festival in
Guanajuato, and Giselle, at a historic performance at the Teatro Albeniz in Madrid, which
brought roaring audiences to their feet. At that time, Rosario established herself as an
artist in Spain, participating in a number of festivals and teaching throughout the city. In
2000, at the debut of Anna Pavlova: Diálogos del Alma, within the setting of the Dance
Festival of Madrid, she performed the famous Death of the Swan by Fokine. While in Spain,
she worked at the Conservatory Real in Madrid alongside Virgina Valero, as well as with
Victor Ullate, Goyo Montero, Juan Carlos Santa Maria, Raul Cardenes and Ramon
Oller, and many others.
Rosario’s career brought her to Miami, where she served on the faculty at New
World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis. She then established her
own company, Ballet Rosario Suarez, and an affiliated dance academy dedicated to the
preservation of the Cuban Style of Ballet. In 2002, she created her first choreographic
work, Cecilia Valdes, with great success. Her final performance took place in Miami in
2010, as the star of the ballet theater production “La Ultima Funcion,” based on a poem
by Abilio Estevez and directed by Lilian Vega. In 2012, Rosario was named one of the
top 100 Latinos in Miami with the greatest cultural impact.
Rosario’s career also took the form of film appearances, as she was featured in a
documentary directed by Marisol Trujillo, Mujer Ante el Espejo, inspired by the experience
of maternity of ballerinas; a short for the School of Cinematography, Two Gladys For You,
directed by Aaron Yelin; a documentary about Pablo Neruda, and Stolen Verses, by
Orlando Rojas. She appeared extensively, via modern interviews and archival
performance footage, in a documentary of her own life, directed by Orlando Rojas, Queen
of Thursdays, which won the award of Best Documentary at the Miami Film Festival.
Rosario is recognized as a versatile interpreter who builds her characters around
expressive musicality. Her constant search for freedom throughout the course of her
career has inspired her work, and she is an artist and performer who has reached critical
acclaim, winning over the hearts of audiences all over the world. In 2008, Rosario joined
the Miami Conservatory/Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, where she trained future
generations in her role as Ballet Mistress. She continues to travel and tour as a teacher
and coach for students internationally. Behind Rosario’s fame, experience, and technique
is an unbridled passion to affect change in her students and help them unearth their full
artistic potential.
Carlos Guerra
Director Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami
A native of Cuba, began his training at the Professional School of Ballet and Plastic Arts in Camaguey, Cuba. In 1996 he joined the Professional Ballet Company of Camaguey as a principal dancer and performed in such works as Swan Lake, Giselle, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, and Coppélia, among others. He was invited to dance as a soloist for the Ballet Company of Santiago in Chile in 1998, assuming and holding the rank of principal dancer for the following two years. He participated in the International Festival of Ballet in Havana and the International Latin Gala in Asuncion in Paraguay, and was awarded first prize in the Provincial Contest at the School of Ballet in Camaguey in 1995. He also received honorable mention in 1996 at the International Ballet Competition in Havana. He came to the United States through an invitation to appear on the famous Latin television program Sabado Gigante in 2000, and just a few months later he was invited by American ballet icon Edwrad Villella to join Miami City Ballet as a soloist. He was named principal dancer in 2003, and danced with the company until spring 2016. He now proudly steps into a new role as he joins his wife and dance partner, Jennifer Kronenberg, in both the co-Founding and the Artistic Direction of their new ballet company, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami.
Jennifer Kronenberg
Artistic Director Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami
Jennifer was born in Queens, New York where she trained with Teresa Aubel, Nicholas Orloff, Norman Walker, and Barbara Walczack; continuing her studies on scholarship at the School of American Ballet before being chosen to join Miami City Ballet as an apprentice in 1994, at the age of 17. She moved steadily through the ranks achieving the title of Principal dancer, which she held with the company from 2001-2016. She has written a “From the Heart: Why I Dance” essay, published in DANCE Magazine’s April 2011 issue, the first edition of her book entitled “So, You Want to be a Ballet Dancer?” has been published electronically by Diversion Books, and the second edition has been published in paperback by The University Press of Florida. In addition, she currently serves on the Advisory Board for Florida’s own World of Dance Magazine. Ms. Kronenberg was a regular faculty member of the Miami City Ballet Summer Intensive Program, and has been an invited guest teacher with numerous schools throughout the United States and abroad, including Conchita Espinoza Conservatory of the Arts, Ballet East, Florida Dance Conservatory, The Cary Ballet Conservatory, Ballet Concerto, Ballet Chicago, Ballet Arts of Jackson Tennessee, El Ballet de Monterrey Curso de Verano, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, and Naples Dance Conservatory, among many others. She and her loving husband and dance partner, Carlos Miguel Guerra, are proud to be the co-Founding Artistic Directors of South Florida’s newest ballet company, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami.
Carlos dos Santos
Contemporary Acclaim Choreographer.
Carlos dos Santos, Jr. is a recognized dancer, choreographer and teacher. He has performed as a principal dancer with major U.S. and Brazilian dance companies, including the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and DanceBrazil (US); as well as Grupo Salto, Bale Folclorico da Bahia, and Bale Teatro Castro Alves (Brazil).
Mr. Dos Santos' choreographic credits include works for Colorado Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, American Dance Festival, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, DanceBrazil, New Jersey Dance Ensemble, Festival Ballet (CA), Cassiano Ricardo Foundation, and Sesi Minas Dance Company (Brazil), Cape town dance company (South Africa) Alvin Ailey 2, Joffrey Ballet 2, Houston ballet 2, CUNY residency choreographer, WKY University Residency choreographer, John Cranko School (Stuttgart Ballet school), Blake High School, Passo De Art(Brasil), Orlando Ballet School, Dallas Conservatory, National Ballet de Sodre(Uruguay) Dallas ballet School, with Dance Brasil he has created many projects, including his latest collaboration with award-winning composer, Tania Leon.
Mr. Dos Santos has taught at dance schools, colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and abroad and has served as a jury member and resident choreographer of Youth America Grand Prix international student ballet competCape town dance company (South Africa) Alvin Ailey 2, Joffrey Ballet 2, Houston ballet 2, CUNY residency choreographer, WKY University Residency choreographer, with Dance Brasil he has created many projects, including his latest collaboration with award-winning composer, Tania Leon.
Mr. Dos Santos has taught at dance schools, colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and abroad and has served as a jury member and resident choreographer of Youth America Grand Prix international student ballet compet as well as his own solo performances around the world. For many years Mr. Dos Santos has also been a resident choreographer of Youth America Grand Prix international student ballet and contemporary dance competition, staging works for YAGP alumni currently working with ABT and annual Grand Defilés featuring up to 350 dancers.
Mr. Dos Santos has been featured in numerous TV programs as an actor, dancer and model. His TV credits include appearances on PBS (US) and SBT TV (major Brazilian TV network), as well as coverage as a performer and choreographer in news programs around the world. His acting career included “Medea Materialis” for the New York Fringe Festival, “Dream on Monkey Mountain” with the Denter Center Theater Company, “Chaplin” with the Edison Souto Theatre Group, “Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands” with the Fernando Guerreiro Theatre Group, and “Yalorixa,” a popular Brazilian soap-opera.
Mr. Dos Santos has taught at dance festivals, schools and universities around the world, including the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, The Ailey School, Steps on Broadway, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance School and International Summer Institute, DanceBrazil, Academy of Colorado Ballet, Wells College, New Jersey Dance Ensemble, McAllen Ballet, “Open Look” Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Youth America Grand Prix Student Ballet and Contemporary Dance Competition, as well as master classes in the U.S., Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Czech Republic, Argentina, Brazil, and Russia.
Mr. Dos Santos' choreographic credits include works for Colorado Ballet, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, American Dance Festival, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, DanceBrazil, New Jersey Dance Ensemble, Festival Ballet (CA), Cassiano Ricardo Foundation, and Sesi Minas Dance Company (Brazil), Cape town dance company (South Africa) Alvin Ailey 2, Joffrey Ballet 2, Houston ballet 2, CUNY residency choreographer, WKY University Residency choreographer, John Cranko School (Stuttgart Ballet school), Blake High School, Passo De Art(Brasil), Orlando Ballet School, Dallas Conservatory, National Ballet de Sodre(Uruguay) Dallas ballet School, with Dance Brasil he has created many projects, including his latest collaboration with award-winning composer, Tania Leon.
Mr. Dos Santos has taught at dance schools, colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and abroad and has served as a jury member and resident choreographer of Youth America Grand Prix international student ballet competCape town dance company (South Africa) Alvin Ailey 2, Joffrey Ballet 2, Houston ballet 2, CUNY residency choreographer, WKY University Residency choreographer, with Dance Brasil he has created many projects, including his latest collaboration with award-winning composer, Tania Leon.
Mr. Dos Santos has taught at dance schools, colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and abroad and has served as a jury member and resident choreographer of Youth America Grand Prix international student ballet compet as well as his own solo performances around the world. For many years Mr. Dos Santos has also been a resident choreographer of Youth America Grand Prix international student ballet and contemporary dance competition, staging works for YAGP alumni currently working with ABT and annual Grand Defilés featuring up to 350 dancers.
Mr. Dos Santos has been featured in numerous TV programs as an actor, dancer and model. His TV credits include appearances on PBS (US) and SBT TV (major Brazilian TV network), as well as coverage as a performer and choreographer in news programs around the world. His acting career included “Medea Materialis” for the New York Fringe Festival, “Dream on Monkey Mountain” with the Denter Center Theater Company, “Chaplin” with the Edison Souto Theatre Group, “Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands” with the Fernando Guerreiro Theatre Group, and “Yalorixa,” a popular Brazilian soap-opera.
Mr. Dos Santos has taught at dance festivals, schools and universities around the world, including the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, The Ailey School, Steps on Broadway, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance School and International Summer Institute, DanceBrazil, Academy of Colorado Ballet, Wells College, New Jersey Dance Ensemble, McAllen Ballet, “Open Look” Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Youth America Grand Prix Student Ballet and Contemporary Dance Competition, as well as master classes in the U.S., Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Czech Republic, Argentina, Brazil, and Russia.
Daryl Gray
International Acclaim Choreographer.
Daryl Gray studied acting and music as a child and was also trained in a full dance
curriculum at the Harkness, ABT and SAB schools in New York City. He was a protégé of
Ballet Master David Howard and a soloist with the Brussels based Bejart Company and a
principal guest artist with dance companies in Classical and contemporary roles in the US,
UK and abroad. In addition, he made his professional debut as an actor at age 14 and went
on to perform as a Broadway cast member in Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and appeared in On
Your Toes and in other shows, touring internationally.
He began choreographing for the concert stage at a young age and has choreographed over
70 works on 5 continents for such companies as Joffrey, Bejart, Les Ballet Jazz de
Montreal, Batsheva Dance Company of Israel, Royal Ballet of Belgium, Northern Ballet
Theater UK, Atlanta Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theater, Ballet San Jose and Australia’s
Queensland Ballet. His many musical stagings have been seen at such theaters as; The
Koch Theater and Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Coconut Grove Playhouse, California
Musical Theatre, Playhouse 91 in Manhattan, Santa Fe Festival Theater, Playwrights
Horizons, Brooklyn Academy of Music, St. Louis Muny Opera, Chicago Civic Theater, the
Palladium as well as on CBS and PBS television. In addition, Mr. Gray has directed and
staged works for the New York G & S Players, “Carmen” at the New York City Opera, ice
dancing, video, high fashion, a Disney extravaganza featuring the music of Alan Menken,
industrial shows and televison, including A Celebration of the American Musical, which was
televised “Live from Lincoln Center”. He was chosen for the prestigious Dancebreak,
creating concert work at the Ailey Theater which lead to the creation of two original Off-
Broadway musicals “Andy Warhol Was Right” and “All About Harry” (Best
Choreography Award) for the New York Musical Theater Festival. His unique theatrical
Australian QB ballet production “Pirates of Penzance!” was voted “Best of the Bay” (San
Francisco) and was subsequently presented internationally in 26 cities by Columbia Artists.
Gray recreated two new updated productions in Orlando and for Ballet San Jose.
Recent credits: choreography and musical staging for The Merry Widow, The Tales of
Hoffman and Jekyll & Hyde for the St. Petersburg Opera, Director/choreographer Kiss Me
Kate at the Palladium theater. Pre-COVID: Pirates! the New Dance Musical directed and
choreographed by Gray was slated for London’s West End 2020, produced by Tony Award
winning producers Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W Batman. Upcoming: Handel’s Semele
for The St. Petersburg Opera and Rudra Bejart. His many teaching credits include; ABT
Intensive, The Metropolitan Opera, The United Nations, Harvard University, Washington
University, University of Missouri at St. Louis, Vassar, University of South Florida and
numerous Dance organizations and schools. He is a member of The Council of the Dance
(Paris), a Fulbright Fellow and a popular teacher worldwide. (Please scroll down for a list)
Teaching Credits Include:
Ballet and or Theater Dance and Choreography:
ABT Summer Intensive
Joffrey School in New York
School of American Ballet
Steps NYC
Ballet Academy East
Randolph College Of The Arts in Toronto
Goh Academy in Vancouver
Patel Conservatory of Tampa
Broadway Dance NYC
Studio Dancin’ of Japan
Dance Educators Of America – 12 US cities coastto-
coast/ 4 National Conventions
Dance Masters Of America – 17 cities in the USA
and Canada/ 2 National Conventions
Anne Reinking’s Broadway Theater Project
Harvard University
Vassar University
Washington University
Webster University @ St. Louis
Tampa University
Princeton School of Dance
University of South Florida
University of Missouri @ St. Louis
University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia
University of Norway
Nutmeg Conservatory of Dance
Ballet San Jose
Atlanta Ballet
St. Louis Ballet
Batsheva Dance Co. of Israel
National Ballet of Colombia
National Ballet of Norway
National Ballet of Yugoslavia
Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal
Universal Ballet of Seoul, Korea
Australia’ Queensland Ballet
Jeunne Ballet de France
Centre de Danse Classique, Cannes, France
Chicago Dance Teachers Association
Tampa Ballet
Hartford Ballet
Ballet Hawaii
The Metropolitan Opera in New York
The United Nations
Numerous private schools and much more..
curriculum at the Harkness, ABT and SAB schools in New York City. He was a protégé of
Ballet Master David Howard and a soloist with the Brussels based Bejart Company and a
principal guest artist with dance companies in Classical and contemporary roles in the US,
UK and abroad. In addition, he made his professional debut as an actor at age 14 and went
on to perform as a Broadway cast member in Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and appeared in On
Your Toes and in other shows, touring internationally.
He began choreographing for the concert stage at a young age and has choreographed over
70 works on 5 continents for such companies as Joffrey, Bejart, Les Ballet Jazz de
Montreal, Batsheva Dance Company of Israel, Royal Ballet of Belgium, Northern Ballet
Theater UK, Atlanta Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theater, Ballet San Jose and Australia’s
Queensland Ballet. His many musical stagings have been seen at such theaters as; The
Koch Theater and Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Coconut Grove Playhouse, California
Musical Theatre, Playhouse 91 in Manhattan, Santa Fe Festival Theater, Playwrights
Horizons, Brooklyn Academy of Music, St. Louis Muny Opera, Chicago Civic Theater, the
Palladium as well as on CBS and PBS television. In addition, Mr. Gray has directed and
staged works for the New York G & S Players, “Carmen” at the New York City Opera, ice
dancing, video, high fashion, a Disney extravaganza featuring the music of Alan Menken,
industrial shows and televison, including A Celebration of the American Musical, which was
televised “Live from Lincoln Center”. He was chosen for the prestigious Dancebreak,
creating concert work at the Ailey Theater which lead to the creation of two original Off-
Broadway musicals “Andy Warhol Was Right” and “All About Harry” (Best
Choreography Award) for the New York Musical Theater Festival. His unique theatrical
Australian QB ballet production “Pirates of Penzance!” was voted “Best of the Bay” (San
Francisco) and was subsequently presented internationally in 26 cities by Columbia Artists.
Gray recreated two new updated productions in Orlando and for Ballet San Jose.
Recent credits: choreography and musical staging for The Merry Widow, The Tales of
Hoffman and Jekyll & Hyde for the St. Petersburg Opera, Director/choreographer Kiss Me
Kate at the Palladium theater. Pre-COVID: Pirates! the New Dance Musical directed and
choreographed by Gray was slated for London’s West End 2020, produced by Tony Award
winning producers Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W Batman. Upcoming: Handel’s Semele
for The St. Petersburg Opera and Rudra Bejart. His many teaching credits include; ABT
Intensive, The Metropolitan Opera, The United Nations, Harvard University, Washington
University, University of Missouri at St. Louis, Vassar, University of South Florida and
numerous Dance organizations and schools. He is a member of The Council of the Dance
(Paris), a Fulbright Fellow and a popular teacher worldwide. (Please scroll down for a list)
Teaching Credits Include:
Ballet and or Theater Dance and Choreography:
ABT Summer Intensive
Joffrey School in New York
School of American Ballet
Steps NYC
Ballet Academy East
Randolph College Of The Arts in Toronto
Goh Academy in Vancouver
Patel Conservatory of Tampa
Broadway Dance NYC
Studio Dancin’ of Japan
Dance Educators Of America – 12 US cities coastto-
coast/ 4 National Conventions
Dance Masters Of America – 17 cities in the USA
and Canada/ 2 National Conventions
Anne Reinking’s Broadway Theater Project
Harvard University
Vassar University
Washington University
Webster University @ St. Louis
Tampa University
Princeton School of Dance
University of South Florida
University of Missouri @ St. Louis
University of Queensland, Brisbane Australia
University of Norway
Nutmeg Conservatory of Dance
Ballet San Jose
Atlanta Ballet
St. Louis Ballet
Batsheva Dance Co. of Israel
National Ballet of Colombia
National Ballet of Norway
National Ballet of Yugoslavia
Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal
Universal Ballet of Seoul, Korea
Australia’ Queensland Ballet
Jeunne Ballet de France
Centre de Danse Classique, Cannes, France
Chicago Dance Teachers Association
Tampa Ballet
Hartford Ballet
Ballet Hawaii
The Metropolitan Opera in New York
The United Nations
Numerous private schools and much more..
Arantxa Ochoa
Miami City Ballet
School Artistic Director
Director of Faculty and Curriculum
Arantxa Ochoa was appointed Miami City Ballet School’s Director of Faculty and
Curriculum in June 2016.
Ochoa is one of the most celebrated ballerinas in the history of Pennsylvania Ballet. She
joined in 1996 as a corps de ballet member, was promoted to soloist in 1999 and to principal
dancer in 2001. In October 2012, after 16 years with the company, she retired from the stage
to take on a new role as the principal teacher of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet and
master lecturer at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
In September 2014 she was appointed director of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet. Under
her leadership the school gained national and international attention for training and
educating outstanding classical ballet dancers.
Ochoa was born in Spain and took her first artistic steps as a rhythmic gymnast. At age 11,
she moved to Madrid to study at the Centro de Danza with Victor Ullate. She continued her
studies at the Academie de Danse Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo, and three years later she
was accepted into the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York. She studied with
some of the best international teachers of the moment – Stanley Williams, Marika
Besobrasova, Suki Schorer, Wilhelm Burmann, Truman Finney and Adam Luders.
Her versatility as a performer and her great interpretive maturity gained her recognition
from critics and audiences and allowed her to dance every major role, from the greatest
works of classical tradition, to modern and neoclassical choreography. The New York Times
wrote about her, “Ms. Ochoa beamed like Audrey Hepburn. When a ballet is in the hands of
performers this good, you can sit, relax and bask in its beauties.”
Some of the ballets in her repertoire included: Odette-Odile in the world premiere of
Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and
Juliet, Swanilda in Coppélia, Lise in La Fille Mal Gardée, Katherina in The Taming of the
Shrew, and the title roles in James Kudelka’s The Firebird and Marius Petipa’s Giselle. Her
extensive repertoire of Balanchine ballets included the leads in Apollo, Agon, Bugaku, Ballo
della Regina, Concerto Barocco, Divertimento No. 15, A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Monumentum pro Gesualdo, Movements for Piano and Orchestra, Prodigal Son, Raymonda
Variations, Serenade, Theme and Variations, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Western Symphony
and Who Cares?. Ochoa has also danced leading roles in William Forsythe’s In the Middle
Somewhat Elevated, Jerome Robbins’ The Concert and In the Night, Twyla Tharp’s In the
Upper Room and Nine Sinatra Songs, and Peter Martins’ Fearful Symmetries and Waltz
Project.
Ochoa had the opportunity to participate in many galas and festivals throughout Europe,
including the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, The Stars of the New York Ballet in London,
the Sinatra Festival in Portugal and the Northwest Phalen Tanz in Germany. In 2012 she
organized a Gala of Stars to perform in Spain where she was awarded ambassador of
Valladolid’s Teatro Calderón.
During her tenure as director of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet, she taught Intermediate
and Advanced levels and oversaw all aspects of the training of the school. She carefully
constructed an eight-level curriculum, adding a pre-professional level comprised of
students chosen from the School’s most advanced level. Under her guidance, interest to
train in the school grew immensely and the turnout to the National Summer Audition Tour
tripled. Ochoa raised funds for student scholarships and established The Herbert and Joyce
Kean Scholarship Fund for Boys to provide full-tuition scholarships for boys ages 8 through
17. She produced an annual performance showcasing the whole school, a yearly highlight,
where the students had the opportunity to dance works by George Balanchine such as
Serenade and Raymonda Variations.
Arantxa Ochoa was appointed Miami City Ballet School’s Director of Faculty and
Curriculum in June 2016.
Ochoa is one of the most celebrated ballerinas in the history of Pennsylvania Ballet. She
joined in 1996 as a corps de ballet member, was promoted to soloist in 1999 and to principal
dancer in 2001. In October 2012, after 16 years with the company, she retired from the stage
to take on a new role as the principal teacher of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet and
master lecturer at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
In September 2014 she was appointed director of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet. Under
her leadership the school gained national and international attention for training and
educating outstanding classical ballet dancers.
Ochoa was born in Spain and took her first artistic steps as a rhythmic gymnast. At age 11,
she moved to Madrid to study at the Centro de Danza with Victor Ullate. She continued her
studies at the Academie de Danse Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo, and three years later she
was accepted into the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York. She studied with
some of the best international teachers of the moment – Stanley Williams, Marika
Besobrasova, Suki Schorer, Wilhelm Burmann, Truman Finney and Adam Luders.
Her versatility as a performer and her great interpretive maturity gained her recognition
from critics and audiences and allowed her to dance every major role, from the greatest
works of classical tradition, to modern and neoclassical choreography. The New York Times
wrote about her, “Ms. Ochoa beamed like Audrey Hepburn. When a ballet is in the hands of
performers this good, you can sit, relax and bask in its beauties.”
Some of the ballets in her repertoire included: Odette-Odile in the world premiere of
Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and
Juliet, Swanilda in Coppélia, Lise in La Fille Mal Gardée, Katherina in The Taming of the
Shrew, and the title roles in James Kudelka’s The Firebird and Marius Petipa’s Giselle. Her
extensive repertoire of Balanchine ballets included the leads in Apollo, Agon, Bugaku, Ballo
della Regina, Concerto Barocco, Divertimento No. 15, A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Monumentum pro Gesualdo, Movements for Piano and Orchestra, Prodigal Son, Raymonda
Variations, Serenade, Theme and Variations, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Western Symphony
and Who Cares?. Ochoa has also danced leading roles in William Forsythe’s In the Middle
Somewhat Elevated, Jerome Robbins’ The Concert and In the Night, Twyla Tharp’s In the
Upper Room and Nine Sinatra Songs, and Peter Martins’ Fearful Symmetries and Waltz
Project.
Ochoa had the opportunity to participate in many galas and festivals throughout Europe,
including the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, The Stars of the New York Ballet in London,
the Sinatra Festival in Portugal and the Northwest Phalen Tanz in Germany. In 2012 she
organized a Gala of Stars to perform in Spain where she was awarded ambassador of
Valladolid’s Teatro Calderón.
During her tenure as director of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet, she taught Intermediate
and Advanced levels and oversaw all aspects of the training of the school. She carefully
constructed an eight-level curriculum, adding a pre-professional level comprised of
students chosen from the School’s most advanced level. Under her guidance, interest to
train in the school grew immensely and the turnout to the National Summer Audition Tour
tripled. Ochoa raised funds for student scholarships and established The Herbert and Joyce
Kean Scholarship Fund for Boys to provide full-tuition scholarships for boys ages 8 through
17. She produced an annual performance showcasing the whole school, a yearly highlight,
where the students had the opportunity to dance works by George Balanchine such as
Serenade and Raymonda Variations.
Lidice Nuñez
Lidice Nuñez was born in Havana, Cuba. She studied and graduated from the National School of Art and the Superior Institute of Art of Cuba with Honors and became a first dancer and principal choreographer at the Contemporary Dance Company of Cuba.
She studied choreography in Paris under the auspices of the Brownstone Foundation and has the Ulpam Emshej Diploma Certification from the Hebrew University. She was a guest choreographer for the Mexico City Ballet Company, which was nominated for the Lunas Awards of the National Auditorium in 2017. She is also a member of the International Dance Council CID UNESCO.
Ms. Lidice has performed and created for several International Dance and Ballet Festivals in Havana and on worldwide tours.
Some of the most important international ballet and dance festivals include:
> International Dance Festival - Sintra, Portugal
> Dance Festival of Northwestfalia - Germany
➢ International Dance Festival - NRW, Germany
> International Festival - Padua, Italy
➢ II Dance Bienal, LE FENICE - Venice, Italy
> International Dance Season at the Harbourtfront Center -
Toronto & Ottawa, Canada
> Festival Les Meridiannes Toulouse, France
➢ International Dance Festival "Itálica" - Sevilla, Spain
> Netherlands Dance Festival - The Hague, Holland International Dance, among others.
Ms. Lidice was a professor at the Superior Institute of Art and at the National School of Dance in Cuba.
She is a member of the National Council of Performing Arts and also a member of the National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists.
Recently, she was invited to teach at the Feijóo Ballet school .
She has received numerous awards, including the high distinction awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba: Distinction for National Culture, in addition to the First award for choreography and interpretation awarded by the Art Criticism. Her work as a choreographer is registered in the Book of Honor of the Great Theater of Havana, awarded by a jury that was chaired by the famous Alicia Alonso.
Dancers such as,Matthew Rushing- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ; Miguel Altunaga-Rambert dance Company; Victor Alexander artistic director of the Ruth Page Center; Cervilio Amador-National Ballet of Cuba-Cincinnati Ballet ; Yacnoi Abreu-Ballet Preljocaj; Maray Gutiérrez- Hedwig dances ; Alexis Fernandez- La Macana; Alain Rivero- LaMov; Yaday Ponce- Carlos Acosta dance, and many others, have danced Ms. Lidice’s choreographies.
She studied choreography in Paris under the auspices of the Brownstone Foundation and has the Ulpam Emshej Diploma Certification from the Hebrew University. She was a guest choreographer for the Mexico City Ballet Company, which was nominated for the Lunas Awards of the National Auditorium in 2017. She is also a member of the International Dance Council CID UNESCO.
Ms. Lidice has performed and created for several International Dance and Ballet Festivals in Havana and on worldwide tours.
Some of the most important international ballet and dance festivals include:
> International Dance Festival - Sintra, Portugal
> Dance Festival of Northwestfalia - Germany
➢ International Dance Festival - NRW, Germany
> International Festival - Padua, Italy
➢ II Dance Bienal, LE FENICE - Venice, Italy
> International Dance Season at the Harbourtfront Center -
Toronto & Ottawa, Canada
> Festival Les Meridiannes Toulouse, France
➢ International Dance Festival "Itálica" - Sevilla, Spain
> Netherlands Dance Festival - The Hague, Holland International Dance, among others.
Ms. Lidice was a professor at the Superior Institute of Art and at the National School of Dance in Cuba.
She is a member of the National Council of Performing Arts and also a member of the National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists.
Recently, she was invited to teach at the Feijóo Ballet school .
She has received numerous awards, including the high distinction awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba: Distinction for National Culture, in addition to the First award for choreography and interpretation awarded by the Art Criticism. Her work as a choreographer is registered in the Book of Honor of the Great Theater of Havana, awarded by a jury that was chaired by the famous Alicia Alonso.
Dancers such as,Matthew Rushing- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ; Miguel Altunaga-Rambert dance Company; Victor Alexander artistic director of the Ruth Page Center; Cervilio Amador-National Ballet of Cuba-Cincinnati Ballet ; Yacnoi Abreu-Ballet Preljocaj; Maray Gutiérrez- Hedwig dances ; Alexis Fernandez- La Macana; Alain Rivero- LaMov; Yaday Ponce- Carlos Acosta dance, and many others, have danced Ms. Lidice’s choreographies.
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