Ballet Hispánico
Vilar Performing Arts Center
Limón Dance Company
2024
NATALIE CLEVENGER
NATALIE CLEVENGER (Dancer, She/They), received her BFA in dance from the University of Arizona in the fall of 2018, where she was awarded the Gertrude Shurr award for excellence in modern dance. Upon graduation, Natalie joined Dance Kaleidoscope and is now a member of the Limón Dance Company.
2024
Kieran King
KIERAN KING (Dancer, He/Him) from Dallas, Texas, began dance training at Collin College and continued his studies at the University of Oklahoma. Kieran joined Dance Kaleidoscope in 2019, under David Hochoy’s direction. This is Kieran’s first season with the Limón Dance Company.
2024
Olivia Mozie
OLIVIA MOZIE (Dancer, she/her) born in Greenville, SC, began dancing at 4 years old at the School of Carolina Ballet Theatre, continuing her education at the The SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. Olivia is a senior at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, studying under Kurt Douglas. This will be Olivia’s first season with Limón.
2024
Eric Parra
ERIC PARRA (Dancer, He/Him), is a first-generation Colombian-American artist hailing from Union City, NJ. Parra graduated from Montclair State University with a BFA in Dance Performance. Eric is currently a performing artist for Limón Dance Company and Camille A. Brown & Dancers.
2022, 2024
JOEY COLUMBUS
JOEY COLUMBUS (Dancer, He/Him) began his dance training in the Chicagoland area before obtaining his BFA in dance from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. He has performed with companies such as RIOULT and Company XIV as well as at the Metropolitan Opera.
2022, 2024
MJ EDWARDS
MJ EDWARDS (Dancer, They/Them), from Middletown, NY studied at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School and MOVE|NYC|. MJ then trained at the San Francisco Ballet School. They went further to study at The Juilliard School and joined the Limón Dance Company in 2021.
2022, 2024
Mariah Gravelin
MARIAH GRAVELIN (Dancer, She/Her) joined the Limón Company in 2019 where she has performed and taught nationwide. She holds a BFA from Alvin Ailey/Fordham University (2018). She is on faculty for the Limón Institute and can be found with her camera in hand photographing when not dancing.
2022, 2024
Johnson Guo
Johnson Guo (he/him), from Brooklyn, New York, began his dance training under Eliot Feld’s Ballet Tech Program at the age of 8. There, he had the honor of performing works by choreographers Eliot Feld, Brian Brooks, Julia Eichten, and Stephanie Terasaki at the beautiful Joyce Theater. Upon graduating from Ballet Tech, Johnson continued his dance education at the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase, where he was introduced to a vast variety of techniques such as, Graham, Cunningham, Gaga, DOVA, floor work, and Limón. Johnson has had the wonderful opportunity of performing works by Rena Butler, José Limón, and Eve Chan.
2022, 2024
Deepa Liegel
Deepa Liegel (she/her) is thrilled to rejoin the Limón Dance Company for the 2022 season. Deepa was born in Calcutta, India and raised in Seattle, Washington. She grew up dancing with Cornish Preparatory Dance, Leela Kathak Dance and Seattle Theatre Group. She got her BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Arts Management from Southern Methodist University. Professionally, she’s worked with Mark Morris Dance Group, The Metropolitan Opera, Broadway Bares and Delta Rae. Deepa is a certified classical Pilates instructor through Power Pilates, NYC. She’s represented by Jim Keith, Movement Talent Agency, NYC Division. Instagram: @deepaleaps.
2022, 2024
Frances Samson
Frances Lorraine Samson is a New York based artist originally from Toronto, Canada. She has been featured by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), TEDx and Harper’s Bazaar, and has had the honor of working for institutions such as The Juilliard School, SUNY Purchase College and the Danish National Academy of Music. Frances was a principal dancer with the Limón Dance Company from 2017-2023 and is currently on faculty for the Limón Institute. She has had the pleasure of collaborating with artists such as Kate Weare, Francesca Harper, Raúl Tamez, Kayla Farrish, Madeline Hollander and Aszure Barton. Frances most recently performed for Award-winning choreographers Twyla Tharp and Baye & Asa. She is the 2023 recipient of the Clive Barnes Award for Dance and is an unarmed actor combatant certified by The Society of American Fight Directors.
2022, 2024
Jessica Sgambelluri
Jessica Sgambelluri (she/her) is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, where she received her BFA in Dance in 2014. During her time there she was selected to perform in the Yang Liping International Dance Festival in Kunming, China. Upon graduating, Jessica joined Graham 2 where she received the Pearl Lang Award and performed on TED Talks Live. Since then, she has worked with Odyssey Dance Theater, ARIM Dance, Caterina Rago Dance Company, The Metropolitan Opera, and Buglisi Dance Theatre. Jessica is also a part-time faculty member at The Martha Graham School, Peridance, and a Pilates instructor at Groundfloor Exercise. Jessica is ecstatic to be dancing her first season with the Limón Dance Company.
2022, 2024
Savannah Spratt
Savannah Spratt (she/her) joined the Limón Dance Company in 2016. Born and raised in Rochester, PA, she attended Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She collaborates often with Helen Simoneau Danse and the Merce Cunningham Trust, most notably performing in the Los Angeles installation of Night of 100 Solos. Savannah is a licensed GYROKINESIS Level 1 Apprentice and enjoys knitting in her down time.
2022, 2024
Lauren Twomley
Lauren Twomley (she/her), born in Brooklyn, New York, graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Arts Management. She has worked with renowned choreographers: Doug Varone, Sidra Bell, Dylan Crossman, Kevin Wynn, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Chafin Seymour, Francesca Harper, Kate Weare, Raul Tamez and Olivier Tarpoga, and has performed masterworks by Martha Graham, José Limón and Merce Cunningham. Lauren works with Soluq Dance Theater, is a dancer, rehearsal coordinator and social media manager for Peter Stathas Dance, and is a teaching artist for the José Limón Dance Foundation. She joined the Limón Dance Company in 2019.
2022, 2024
DANTE PULEIO
DANTE PULEIO (Artistic Director, He/Him), a widely respected former member of the Limón Dance Company for more than a decade, Puleio was appointed the sixth Artistic Director in the Company’s 77-year history, a position that originated with Doris Humphrey. After a diverse performing career with the Limón Dance Company, touring national and international musical theatre productions, television and film, he received his MFA from University of California, Irvine. His research focuses on contextualizing mid 20th century dance for the contemporary artist and audience. He is committed to implementing that research by celebrating José Limón’s historical legacy and reimagining his intention and vision to reflect the rapidly shifting 21st century landscape.
2022
Terrence Donzell Mitchell Diable
Terrence Donzell Mitchell Diable (he/him) (New York, NY) a graduate from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program, Diable has performed works choreographed by Paul Taylor, David Parsons, Martha Graham, Robert Battle, Aszure Barton, Matthew Rushing, Ohad Naharin and Fernando Melo. In 2011, Mr. Diable joined the Francesca Harper Project and in 2012 he collaborated with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He also danced for The Steps Repertory and, most recently, has been assistant to Matthew Rushing on his commission of ODETTA for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Diable joined the Limón Dance Company in 2017.
2022
Nicholas Ruscica
Nicholas Ruscica (he/him) is originally from Toronto, Canada where he began his training at Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre. Nicholas continued his studies at California Institute of the Arts, receiving his BFA in 2020 and was a four-year recipient of the President’s Merit Scholarship. After graduation, Nicholas joined Limón in 2021 and has been teaching Limón technique at the National Ballet of Canada, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Perpich Arts Highschool in Minnesota. As well, he has had the pleasure of working with artists and companies such as Peggy Baker Dance Projects, Human Body Expression, Raúl Tamez, Olivier Tarpaga, and TOES FOR DANCE.
2022
Robert M. Valdez Jr.
Robert M. Valdez Jr. (he/him), affectionately known as “Buddy”, received dance training at the San Francisco Academy of Ballet and the San Francisco School of the Arts. He earned a BFA from The Juilliard School under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. Some of the companies Valdez has performed with include Luna Negra Dance Theater, 360º Dance Company, Riedel Dance Theater, Jennifer Muller/The Works, Flexicurve, Armitage Gone! Dance, and ZviDance. Commercial work includes NYFW, Fashion/One TV, Comedy Central, and Janet Jackson’s Made for Now music video. Valdez also has certifications to teach yoga, the Feldenkrais Method®, and Latin social dancing.
2022
B. Woods
B. Woods (he/him), from Winston Salem, NC, BFA graduate of UNC School of the Arts (UNCSA), began a professional career dancing original works created by Duane Cyrus, Helen Simoneau, Eric Oberdorff, Zane Booker, Juel Lane and more. He soon performed and toured with the West Virginia Dance Company that featured works choreographed by Doug Varone. He is a recipient of the William R. Kenan Fellowship, which commissioned an original work he co-created, entitled “Skin-Deep”, at the Lincoln Center. Most recent collaborations include dances with StubbornMVMT, Olga Rabetskaya, and Variety Pack Collective. This is Brandon’s premiere season with the Limón Dance Company.