CHOREOGRAPHERS (2021)
KURT A. DOUGLAS
Kurt A. Douglas is a graduate of New York’s LaGuardia High School of Music Art & the Performing Arts. Originally from Guyana, South America, Douglas earned a B.F.A. in dance from Boston Conservatory and an M.F.A. in dance from Hollins University in association with the American Dance Festival, Frankfurt Conservatory of Performing Arts, and the Forsythe Company. After graduating from the Conservatory, Kurt joined the Limón Dance Company, where he performed in many of Limón’s most influential works.
Kurt received a 2002 Princess Grace Award and was honored by an invitation
to perform for the royal family of Monaco. In 2007, Douglas became the first African American to portray Iago in The Moor's Pavane, José Limón's most famous work. Kurt was named one of Dance Magazine’s "Top 25 to Watch” in the January 2006 issue. He danced from 2002 to 2007 in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and joined Ballet Hispánico from 2005 to 2006 under the direction of Tina Ramirez. In 2009, he joined the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company during their 40th anniversary season, touring throughout the United States and Asia. In 2011 he began touring with the Tony Award-winning musical A Chorus Line throughout the United States, Japan, Singapore, and Australia.
Kurt Douglas joined the Boston Conservatory at Berklee faculty in 2015 where he is an instructor of technique, repertory, critical theory, and pedagogy for modern dance. Kurt also serves as artistic director for the Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Summer Dance Intensive. Kurt reconstructed A Choreographic Offering for the Limón 71st Anniversary Season in 2017, and he continues to reconstruct and stage Limón's work all over the world. Kurt also serves on faculty with the Limón for Kids Program and the Limón Institute in New York City, the official school of the Limón Dance Foundation.
In 2017, Kurt was invited to perform for the Boston Conservatory’s 150th Anniversary Gala at Symphony Hall hosted by Alan Cummings. Some guest artist credits include Aszure Barton & Artists, Prometheus Dance Company, Thang Dao Dance Company, Buglisi Dance Theatre, Dzul Dance Theatre, and the Sean Curran Dance Company.
Douglas remains deeply invested in his teaching practices, conducting Limón Dance workshops in Haiti, France, England, Australia, and Mexico, and across the United States in New York City, Boston, Salt Lake City, Portland, Philadelphia, and Sioux Falls. He has also taught workshops at institutions such as Harvard University, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Southern Methodist University, the Juilliard School, SUNY Purchase, SUNY Brockport, Skidmore College, and Festival Ballet Providence School.
ALEX LANTZ
Alex Lantz began choreographing during his time training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. He created original works for the First Steps competition in 2008 and 2009, winning first place in 2009 as well as the Royal Winnipeg School Award. That same year, Alex was featured at the Assemblée Internationale in Toronto. In 2010, Alex choreographed a new work for the On The Edge show, an Aspirant Show for the Trainee Division at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. After moving to Providence to join Festival Ballet Providence as a Company Dancer, Alex choreographed for the Up Close On Hope spring series at Festival Ballet in 2013.
To read more about Alex's ballet career, click here.
photo by Dylan Giles.
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DARA NICOLE
Dara Nicole is a dancer and choreographer in her fifth season with Festival Ballet Providence. She is originally from Florida, where she trained under Peter Stark and Ivonne Lemus at Next Generation Ballet at the Patel Conservatory.
After her training Dara found freelance work for a year with Brandon Ballet and The Sarasota Opera, and then danced for Nashville Ballet’s second company for two years before joining Festival Ballet Providence. Dara's choreography has been seen at the Rhode Island Women's Choreography Project, and she is currently creating a new piece for Festival Ballet Providence's Up Close On Hope. Dara is so excited to expand her choreographic voice by working with the artists of Revolve.
VIKTOR PLOTNIKOV
Born in Kharkov City, Ukraine, Viktor Plotnikov trained at Kiev Ballet Academy and graduated from Vaganova Ballet Academy under Veniamin Zimin and Inna Zubkovskaya. From 1987 to 1990, he was a soloist at Donetsk Ballet Company in Ukraine, and then performed as guest artist and principal dancer with Mississippi Ballet and Tulsa Ballet from 1990 to 1993. Plotnikov was a principal dancer at Boston Ballet from 1993 to 2006, where he performed major roles in classical and contemporary ballets by many prominent choreographers and toured extensively nationally and abroad. As a choreographer, Plotnikov has created works for companies including Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Pittsburg Ballet Theatre, Richmond Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and Bolshoi Theatre’s Choreographic Workshop. He has served as resident choreographer for Festival Ballet Providence since 2003. Plotnikov co-directed and co-produced Boston Ballet’s Raw Dance series and has received numerous international choreography awards.
JORGE RULLÁN
Jorge Rullán began dancing at the age of 15 at Philadelphia Dance Theatre under the direction of Joy Delaney Capponi. During his time at the school, he performed roles in many classical ballets as well as original works by Joy Capponi, Gary Jeter, Patricia Brown, Ruka White, and Melissa Chisena. Jorge went on to join Festival Ballet Providence as a trainee. During his time there, he received the opportunity to choreograph his first work on the main company, 3·23. Shortly after, Jorge went on to join Cincinnati Ballet, where he danced in ballets such as Cinderella, Lady of the Camellias, The Nutcracker and contemporary works. While there, he assisted the associate artistic director in choreographing a piece for the second company.
Rullán is currently back in Philadelphia where he has been a guest artist with Opera Philadelphia, Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Dancers, and Drexel University. He has also created original works for Philadelphia Dance Theatre which include All Things Considered, Mi Isla, Vivid Dreams, and assisted in creating “Steps and Strings” a program in collaboration with a string quartet and freelance dancers in the Philadelphia area.