
WES
CHAPMAN
ABT / ALABAMA BALLET
ABT / ALABAMA BALLET
A native of Union Springs, Alabama, Chapman graduated from Alabama School of Fine Arts in 1983 with the Duane Dushion Award and the Prix d'excellence de Danse Award. After dancing for Alabama Ballet for one season Chapman joined American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1984 as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to Soloist in 1987 and to Principal Dancer in 1989. With ABT, Chapman performed all the leading roles in the ballet repertoire and in works by many of the twentieth century's master choreographers: George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Jiri Kylian, Fredrick Ashton, Mats Ek, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Merce Cunningham and Antony Tudor. Chapman has appeared in Dance in America, the film Dancers and the documentary Ballet as well as numerous television shows.
In 1996, Chapman was named Artistic Director of Alabama Ballet. He also founded the Alabama Ballet School, the apprentice pre-professional training program, Alabama Ballet Summer Program and Gorham's Bluff Summer Residency. Chapman received the Distinguished Career Award from the University of Alabama in 1998, Birmingham Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 in 2004, and was named Alabama Arts Ambassador by Governor Bill Riley in 2007. Chapman restaged for Alabama Ballet many of the full-length classical ballets including Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and Coppelia. Chapman acquired Balanchine's The Nutcracker, starred in Alabama Public Television's Jekyll and Hyde, and the Making of Romeo and Juliet.
Mr. Chapman returned to ABT as ballet master in 2006 before being named Artistic Director of ABT II in 2007-2011. Chapman oversaw the ABT Summer Intensive at the University of Texas Austin, hosted ABT's Works and Process at the Guggenheim Museum, Young People's Ballet Workshop and ABTKids. Beginning in January 2012-April 2013 Chapman was engaged as Artistic Advisor for Ballet San Jose in California. During the fall of 2013 Chapman served as Artist in Residence for Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and stages Costa Rican National Nutcracker and hosted the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS in June of 2014. August of 2014 marked the launching of "Revolutionary Principals of Movement" teaching method. Mr. Chapman is now partner and master teacher for RPM, holding teacher training workshops in Palm Beach, Florida.
Dance Theater of Harlem
Charmaine Hunter began her formal dance training at the Hartford Ballet School. Charmaine moved to New York City to study with Arthur Mitchell, Artistic Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem while continuing her formal education at the Professional Children's School. She rose through the ranks quickly eventually becoming principal dancer and one of the company's leading ballerinas.
Among the highlights of Charmaine's career are command performances for European royalty and historic engagement at London's Royal Opera House. She also performed for luminaries such as Quincy Jones, Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, Cicely Tyson, President and Mrs. Clinton, President and Mrs. Bush, Mr. and Mrs. Colin Powell, just to name a few.
Ms. Hunter eventually relocated to Las Vegas Nevada in order to work in Casting with the Cirque du Soleil. She was also invited to teach on the production of A New Day at the Coliseum in Caesars Palace, which featured Celine Dion. While in Vegas, she Co- founded the Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater with dancer Bernard Gaddis formerly of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. LVCDT is a multi-cultural institution that attracts professional dancers and students from around the world.
Charmaine later accepted a full time faculty position with Texas Ballet Theater. She directs the Professional Division and teaches in the Academy of Texas Ballet Theater in Fort Worth, Texas under the guidance and leadership of Ben Stevenson O.B.E. Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater and Director Emeritus of Houston Ballet.
COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
Desmond Richardson was the first African-American principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, and is hailed by The New York Times as one of the greatest dancers of his time. Nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the original Broadway cast of Fosse and deemed a standout in the Tony-Award winning production After Midnight, Richardson is highly esteemed by the concert dance and American theater community. He appeared in Twyla Tharp's Broadway production Movin' Out, and had his singing debut in Burt Bacharach's and Hal David's The Look Of Love, choreographed by Ann Reinking and Scott Ellis.
Richardson has appeared on celebrated stages across the world, namely The Metropolitan Opera, The Kennedy Center, Paris Opera, The Bolshoi Theatre, The Mariinsky Theatre, The State Kremlin Palace, Teatro Massimo, and Teatro alla Scala. He has been a member and invited guest of prestigious companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Frankfurt Ballet, Royal Swedish Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Washington Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, to name a few.
Richardson, a Young Arts Finalist and Presidential Scholar, has received numerous awards including the Dance Magazine Award, Capezio Award, Ailey Apex Award, L.A. Ovation Award, Bessie Award, YoungArts Alumni Award, and most recently the Roosevelt “Rosey" Thompson Award presented by the Presidential Scholars Foundation. In the spring of 2109, Richardson received an honorary doctorate degree from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.
Richardson has been a celebrity guest performer and choreographer for productions across media such as the American Music Awards, the Academy Awards, City Center's Encores! series, Italy's AMICI, and international franchises of So You Think You Can Dance. Richardson has been featured by famed artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Elton John, and Aretha Franklin, and he appears in celebrated films such as the Oscar-Award winning Chicago, Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, and the recent independent film, Fall to Rise. He has worked with fashion icon, Tom Ford, Chic's Nile Rodgers, and recently contributed to Grammy-Award winning Jill Scott's video Back Together, which features dancers from COMPLEXIONS.
Internationally and domestically, he is a master teacher for dance programs such as the New York's All Stars Project, YoungArts Miami, United Way, The Pulse, NYCDA, and ASH. He served as co-creative director and choreographer with David Monn for the Park Avenue Armory Gala Masquerade. Richardson is currently guest artist in residence at USC's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and is the visiting adjunct professor of dance at Southern Methodist University.
COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
Dwight Rhoden (Founding Artistic Director/Resident Choreographer) has established a remarkably wide- ranging career, earning distinction from The New York Times as "one of the most sought out choreographers of the day."
A native of Dayton, Ohio, who began dancing at age 17, Rhoden has performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal and as a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As a performer, he has appeared in numerous television specials, documentaries and commercials throughout the United States, Canada and Europe and has been a featured performer on many PBS Great Performances specials.
In 1994, Rhoden, along with Desmond Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Together they have brought their unique brand of contemporary dance to the world for over two decades. CCB is widely considered "America's Original Multicultural Contemporary Ballet Company." Complexions is celebrated for its pioneering spirit, and the building of a universal brand that continues to challenge traditional ideas, and redefine possibilities in the dance arena. Under Rhoden's direction, Complexions has become a dance institution that is much in demand. CCB has lead the way in Contemporary Ballet in America, by removing traditional boundaries, and celebrating the beauty of differences - through courageous, innovative and cutting edge programming. Over the years, Complexions has remained consistent in delivering a profound passion for diversity that has framed its vision and become its hallmark.
For nearly 3 decades, Rhoden's choreography has been the lynchpin in the development of the Complexions repertory. Since 1994 Rhodens' work has filled some of the most prestigious theaters across the globe including, The Joyce Theater (NYC), The Bolshoi Theater (Moscow), The Mar,insky Theater (St Petersburg), Maison De La Danse (Lyon), The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (Los Angeles), BAM (Brooklyn) Cairo Opera House (Egypt), The Arts Center (Melbourne, Australia), The Auditorium Theater (Chicago), Telaviv Opera House (Israel), The ASB Theater (New Zealand), Holland Dance Festival, Grand Theatre De Geneva (Switzerland), Isle De Dance Festival (Paris), as well as others. CCB and Rhodens' work has been presented on five continents and in over 20 countries, including the USA, Canada, South America, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, The Baltic Region, Egypt, Israel, and the Middle East. "Musicality, innovation, purpose, consistency, a brilliant use of stage space and the ability to tell a story -- all these qualities make him (Rhoden) one of today's elect choreographers." (The LA Times)
Rhoden has created over 80 ballets for Complexions, as well as numerous other companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Arizona, The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Company, BalletMet, The Dance Theater of Harlem, Colorado Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, The Joffrey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, The Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadanco, Marinsky Ballet, Minneapolis Dance Theater, Phoenix Dance Company, Sacramento Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Ballet Nice' Mediterranean, Tulsa Ballet, The Washington Ballet, The San Francisco Ballet, Western Australian Ballet, Zenon Dance Company, among others.
Mr Rhoden has also directed and choreographed for TV, film, theater and live performances including So You Think You Can Dance, E! Entertainment's "Tribute to Style", Amici, Cirque Du Soleil's Zumanity, and choreographed and appeared in the feature film "One Last Dance".
He has also worked with, and/or created works for such high-profile artists as Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson, ELEW, David Rozenblatt, Nicholas Payton, The Drifters, Paul Simon, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, U2, The Turtle Creek Chorus, and Patrick Swayze.
Rhoden was also commissioned to create a work for the centennial celebration of renowned collage artist Romare Bearden, choreographed a ballet for Diana Vishneva's Beauty In Motion, and has Directed and Choreographed The Great Gatsby Ballet for soloists of The Marinsky, Ukrainian National Ballet, and soloists from The United States.
"Rhoden's work is post-Balanchinean choreography,a new aesthetic in movement, stage, picture, and performance concepts reflecting a post- modern, techno-savvy worldview" (Dance Magazine).
Widely known as "a dancer's choreographer," Rhoden has worked with, coached and created for some of the most diverse artists spanning the worlds of ballet and contemporary dance including legendary dance artists Carmen De Lavallade, Misty Copeland, Wendy Whelan, Maria Kowroski, Diana Vishneva, Desmond Richardson, Sandra Brown, Jodie Gates, and Gus Solomons, to name a few.
Mr. Rhoden has served as Artist in Residence at universities around the United States including USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, New York University, Juilliard, UC Irvine, Skidmore College, The Boston Conservatory, and The University of Mississippi, where his 2004 Racial Reconciliation Project was credited as a catalyst for dialogue in a community that had been historically divided.
Mr. Rhoden is a beneficiary recipient of various honors and awards including the New York Foundation for the Arts Award, and subsequent induction into the NYFA Hall of Fame, The Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, and The Alvin Ailey Apex Award. Rhoden was nominated for a Benois De La Dance award for his libretto for Gatsby The Ballet, and received an Honorary Doctorate degree from The Boston Conservatory in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance.
ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET
Tara Birtwhistle graduated from the Professional Division of the RWB School in 1991 and immediately joined the RWB as a corps de ballet member. In 1995, she was promoted to soloist and in 2000 became a principal dancer.
Through-out Birtwhistle's twenty-year stage career she danced many roles, some of her favorites include Lucy in Mark Godden's Dracula, Rita Joe in Vesak's The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, The Cowgirl in Agnes de Mille's Rodeo, Myrtha in Giselle and Juliet in Rudi van Dantzig's Romeo & Juliet. She has been lauded for her soloist performances in Mauricio Wainrot's smash sensation Carmina Burana. Birtwhistle also left her mark as the evil yet charismatic Stepmother in Val Caniparoli's, A Cinderella Story.
Among the many accolades behind her name, Birtwhistle was designated "One of 100 Young Canadians to Watch in the New Millennium" in Maclean's magazine, she has received the Golden Jubilee Medal and Diamond Jubilee Medal from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in recognition for her stage career and her contribution to dance in Canada. Birtwhistle was also nominated for a Gemini Award for her stunning performance in Guy Maddin's Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary, a screen adaptation of the ballet.
Since retiring from the stage, Birtwhistle has been an integral part of the RWB's artistic team. As Ballet Master for 11 years, she has overseen many RWB productions at home and on tour. In 2017 she curated Our Story the Company's tribute to Canadian choreographers in celebration of Canada's 150th. At the end of the RWB's 2017-18 season, Birtwhistle was appointed Associate Artistic Director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
As Associate Artistic Director, Birtwhistle is a member of the senior leadership team of the organization, participating in strategic planning and serving as a key liaison with the Board of Directors. In collaboration with Artistic Director and CEO, Andre Lewis, Birtwhistle is responsible for casting, scheduling and overall management of the artistic team. She is also a significant contributor to the development and marketing functions, building connections between the RWB and its donors, supporters and patrons. Of particular note is her work as the artistic lead on all elements of the RWB's visual brand, including directing the stunning video that launched the Company's 80th Anniversary season.
AMERICAN BALLET THEATER
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Julio Bocca began his dance training with his mother at the age of four. He studied at the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colon where his teachers included Gloria Kazda, Jose Pares, Ninel Jultyeva, Karemina Moreno and Luis Aguilar. During that time, he danced with the Caracas Ballet Company performing the title role in Le Spectre de la Rose, among others. In 1983, he joined the Ballet del Teatro Municipal de Rio de Janeiro as a principal dancer and, in the same year, appeared with the ballet company at the Colon Theatre and with the International Ballet of Caracas.
In May 1985, he won the Gold Medal at the Fifth International Ballet Competition in Moscow. He has toured the former U.S.S.R., appearing with the ballet company in Novosibirsk, where he danced the Prince in The Nutcracker and Basil in Don Quixote, and with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and the Leningrad-Kirov Ballet, again dancing in Don Quixote.
Bocca joined American Ballet Theatre as a Principal Dancer in 1986. His roles with the Company include the title role in Apollo, Solor in La Bayadere, a Stepsister in Cinderella, the Duet from Concerto Six Twenty-Two, Conrad in Le Corsaire, Basilio in Don Quixote, Albrecht and Hilarion in Giselle, Des Grieux in Manon, Danilo in The Merry Widow, the pas de deux Other Dances, Arthur Saint Leon in Pas des Deesses, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Prince Desire in The Sleeping Beauty, Misgir in The Snow Maiden, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, James in La Sylphide, Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, the fourth variation in Variations for Four and leading roles in Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes, Etudes and Theme and Variations. Bocca created the leading role in Brief Fling.
Bocca made his Broadway debut in Fosse.
POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
Point Park University alumna Kiki Lucas begins her second year as an assistant professor of dance teaching Jazz Technique and Entrepreneurship for the Arts. Lucas spends her weekends traveling as part of Modas Dance faculty, as well as a freelance teacher and choreographer. Additionally, since 2002, she's taught for Point Park's International Summer Dance program.
In spring 2020, alongside Director Stephen Sposito, she choreographed Point Park's rendition of Pippin. Lucas was the resident choreographer of Houston Metropolitan Dance Company for eight years and a company dancer for 11 seasons in Houston. She recently spent a year in Miami presenting three full-length evening performances as the resident choreographer of Mosaic Dance Project.
She has worked with Robert Battle, Kate Skarpetowska, Peter Chu, Pattie Obey, Salim Gaulwoods, Sidra Bell, Larry Kegwin, Joe Celej, Jason McDole and Kiesha Lalama. Her choreography has been presented at Jacob's Pillow Inside Out Stage, The Kennedy Center, Houston Met Dance, Towson University, Marygrove College, Point Park University, University of Central Oklahoma, The Grier School and James Madison University
Paris Opera Ballet
Raised in Rambouillet, France, Isabelle Guérin began her ballet training at age 6 with local teachers. After attending the Conservatoire de Paris, where she was awarded the first Prize in 1977, she joined the School of the Paris Opera Ballet. One year later, at age 17, Ms. Guérin enrolled the Paris Opera Ballet. She is only "Quadrille" (the lowest rank of the Paris Opera Ballet hierarchy) when she is chosen by Kenneth McMillan to dance Spring Pas de quatre in his ballet The Four Seasons and by Pierre Lacotte to dance Sylphide's Scottish Pas de deux.
Still a corps de ballet member,Rudolf Noureev gave Ms. Guérin her first leading roles as soloist : Kitri in Rudolf Noureev's Don Quichotte. In 1984,
Ms. Guérin won the Silver Medal at the International Paris Ballet Competition.
On November 2, 1985, after having danced Bourmeister's Swan Lake version, Isabelle Guérin is promoted - on stage - to the rank of "Danseuse Etoile" (Principal dancer) by Rudolf Noureev.
Considered as one of the world's greatest ballerinas, Ms. Guérin danced an extensive repertory of leading roles, including full-length repertory ballets, heritage works as well as new works by foremost choreographers, among them Jerome Robbins,Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe and Angelin Prejlocaj Her triumph as Nikiya, in Noureev's new production of La Bayadère (1992), sealed her stardom.
COACHING
- La Bayadère (Rudolf Noureev), Paris Opera Ballet: various casts of principals/soloists. - Don Quichotte (Rudolf Noureev) - Teatro alla Scala -The Norwegian National Ballet- Stanislavsky Ballet in Moscow ( complete ballet.)
-Other Dances (Jerome Robbins), San Fransisco Ballet - American Ballet Theater- The National Ballet of Canada-Paris Opera ballet-Vienna State Ballet- Stanislavsky ballet various casts of principals/soloists.
- Swan Lake (Rudolf Noureev), Vienna State Ballet: coaching soloists.
- Etudes (Harald Lander), Vienna State Ballet: coaching soloists.
"EN AVANT" FOUNDATION
- Member of the Advisory Board. - Masterclass sessions: New York, May 2014 - San Fransisco, April 2015 - New York, April 2015 and Paris
HONORS
- Recipient of the Pavlova Prize (Paris), 1988
- The Benois de la Danse (Moscow), 1993. - Awarded the French's government "Chevalier des Arts et Lettres" (1993) and "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur" in honor of her commitment to the world of ballet, (Paris 2011).
-The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards for the 2017/2018 season for the revival of Other dances (Jerome Robbins )with the San Francisco Ballet
OTHER PERFORMANCES
Ms. Guérin has performed as a guest artist with the Vienna Opera State Ballet, Berlin Ballet, Royal Ballet, Kirov, Bolchoï, Finland National Ballet, Twyla Tharp & Dancers, with the New York City Ballet (Balanchine Celebration 1993 and 2 seasons), Noureev and Friends, Teatro alla Scala - Milano, Palermo (Sicily)...
In August 2014, after more than 10 years away from performing, Ms. Guérin came back on stage with Manuel Legris in Patrick de Bana's "Farewell Waltz" (Shanghai Grand Theater).
In June 2015 Gala Noureev In Vienna -July 2015 Gala in China -August 2015 World Ballet festival in Japan
-June 2016 Gala Noureev in Vienna
-April 2017 Gala in Homage of Julio Bocca at the H.Koch Theater in NYC -August 2017 Gala in Japan "Legris gala"
-May 2018 Gala Petipa Bolshoi Theater -June 2018 Gala Noureev in Vienna
FILM & TV CREDITS
- Cinderella (Rudolf Noureev), Isabelle Guérin et al. Paris Opera Ballet, 1987. La Sept/SFP/Electra. - Yvette Chauviré, une étoile pour l'exemple (Istar & Dances at a gathering). Isabelle Guérin et al.
Documentary, Paris Opera Ballet, 1988. Films du Prieuré. - La Bayadère (Rudolf Noureev), Isabelle Guérin, et al. Paris Opera Ballet, 1996. NVC Arts. - Le Parc (Angelin Preljocaj), Isabelle Guérin et al. Paris Opera Ballet, 1999. Bel Air. - Dancer's dream, the great ballets of Rudolf Noureev - La Bayadère. Documentary, Paris Opera Ballet,
2002. ArtHaus Musik. - Notre-Dame de Paris (Roland Petit), Isabelle Guérin et al. Paris Opera Ballet, 2009. ArtHaus Musik.
- L'Arlésienne (Roland Petit), Isabelle Guérin et al. Paris Opera Ballet, 1997. TV movie. - Istar (Serge Lifar), Isabelle Guérin et al. Paris Opera Ballet, 1998. TV movie page2image24360
HUBBARD STREET DANCE / COMMON DANCE CHICAGO
KANSAS CITY BALLET
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ms. Holmes began her ballet training with Audrey Maduell and Lelia Haller. Under the direction of Harvey Hysell, she was a soloist with New Orleans Ballet. In 1983 she joined San Francisco Ballet and was promoted to soloist in 1990. She then moved to Birmingham, England where she was a senior soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet until her retirement in 2000.
Her repertoire includes over 100 ballets spanning both classical and modern genres, including principal and soloist roles.
She had the pleasure of working with choreographers of international fame on world premieres of: David Bintley's The Dance House- 1st Soloist, The Nutcracker Sweeties - Floreadoress, Shakespeare Suite - Lady Macbeth, and Carmina Burana; James Kudelka's The End, Terra Firma, Dreams of Harmony, The Comfort Zone, Baiser de la Fee - the Gypsy; Lisa de Ribere's Harvest Moon - Audrey; Mark Morris' Maelstrom; Val Caniparoli's Seeing Stars, Lamberena, Pulcinella, Connotations - the Red Couple; Stanton Welsh's Powder; Brenda Way's Krazy Kat - Krazy; Lila York's Sanctum, and Wayne MacGregor's Reverse Project.
After retiring from the stage, she worked in Education and Outreach for Birmingham Royal Ballet, bringing the company repertoire out into the community and into schools. Later she moved to London to become the Ballet Education Manager for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, where she implemented and managed numerous community and educational projects across the UK. Upon returning to the United States, she became Academy Director for Tapestry Dance Company and was a Professor of Dance at University of Texas at Austin. She completed her teacher training with David Howard and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and has taught students aged 6-80 for over 20 years in the US and UK. She holds a Master's Degree in Dance in Education and the Community from University of Birmingham, England. She is thrilled to be bringing her life experiences and passion for dance to Kansas City Ballet.
SAN FRANSISCO BALLET / DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM
Mr. Cooper is an in demand master teacher and choreographer. He is also currently co-founder and director of Modas Dance. He received most of his training at San Francisco Ballet and later spent 5 years in the company. He then joined The Dance Theater of Harlem as a principal dancer from 1995 until 2004 with whom he danced notable leading roles. His list of guest artist appearances includes lead roles in New York City Ballet, Washington Ballet, Royal Birmingham Ballet and more.
Mr. Cooper retired as a full time professional dancer in 2004. He then spent 6 years as a faculty member with one of the biggest dance conventions/competitions, New York City Dance Alliance. Mr. Cooper has also been a long-standing faculty member with Alonzo King's Lines Ballet.
In 2012 he started MODAS Dance, Modas Dance consists of a yearly summer and repertory program, bringing dance talent from around the world, in addition Modas designs dance workshops that tour nationally and internationally to an ever expanding network of schools. In 2016 they added a year round program in resident at the Santa Fe University of Art & Design.
Mr. Cooper continues to travel around the country and abroad teaching, choreographing and passing on his craft as a dance educator.
BALLET WEST ACADEMY
Born in Long Beach, California, Evelyn began studying ballet at 8-years-old. Cisneros later received full summer scholarships to the San Francisco Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. Upon graduation from high school she joined the San Francisco Ballet and soon began dancing principal roles from classical, to new choreography and the most contemporary ballets.
Cisneros has been featured on the covers of Dance Magazine, Ballet News, Hispanic Magazine, and received numerous awards for her community activism and artistic achievements. Awards include two honorary doctorate degrees. She has taught in summer intensive programs for the Kansas City Ballet and The Boston Ballet School and enjoys coaching dancers for ballet competitions. She has staged ballets for Val Caniparoli and Michael Smuin for the Pacific Northwest Ballet, State Theatre Ballet in South Africa, Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds England, Ballet Florida, Kansas City Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet and San Francisco Ballet.
Cisneros served as Academy and Artistic Director for Ballet Pacifica. She has also co-authored "Ballet for Dummies" with conductor Scott Speck. In 2010, Cisneros became the Principal of Boston Ballet School's Marblehead Location. Cisneros is married to Dr. Stephen Legate and is currently The Hiland Artistic Director for National Dance Institute of New Mexico in Albuquerque where she passes on the love of dance to the next generation.
MASTER TEACHER
Ballet Virginia
Rehearsal director Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Philadelphia Ballet
International Choreographer
Alonzo King LINES Ballet
Canada's National Ballet School
Program Advisor Pre Professional Division Ballet Hispanico School
Pacific Northwest Ballet
International Guest Teacher/ ABT/Joffrey Ballet
Pittsburgh Ballet
International Guest Teacher/ New York City Ballet
L’Ecole Superior de Ballet du Quebec / American Ballet Theatre
CHOREOGRAPHER - EDUCATOR - PHOTOGRAPHER - VISUAL ART DESIGNER
Joffrey Ballet School Jazz/ Contemporary - Trainee Director