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George de la Peña began his career with American Ballet Theatre after graduating from George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet. He has worked with countless world-renowned choreographers from George Balanchine and Mikhail Baryshnikov to Twyla Tharp and Doug Varone. In 1978 he was chosen to portray Vaslav Nijinsky in the Paramount Pictures/ Herbert Ross film NIJINSKY. He followed that with numerous other projects for film and television as an actor where he worked with many distinguished artists, most recently, with Patrick Swayze in One Last Dance. Broadway musicals were also in his repertoire: Woman of the Year with Lauren Bacall and Raquel Welch, the Tony Award winning revival of On Your Toes with Natalia Makarova, and the highly acclaimed Lincoln Center Theater production of Graciela Daniele’s musical theater adaptation of the Gabriel Garcia Marquez short story Chronicle of a Death, Foretold. (Drama League Award) George is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Director’s Laboratory and Associate Professor at the University of Iowa.

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Mr. Robertson trained at the Joffrey Ballet School and School of American Ballet before joining the Joffrey Ballet in 1993, where he danced for over a decade. He has also danced for Miami City Ballet, David Parsons Company, Pennsylvania Ballet, Lar Lubovitch and Twyla Tharp.

During his tenure with the Joffrey, his principal roles included the Cavalier in Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Petruchio in John Cranko’s Taming of the Shrew, Death in Kurt Joos’ The Green Table and David Parson’s Caught. His portrayal of the Faun in the Joffrey’s reconstruction of Vaslav Nijinsky’s L’Après-Midi D’un Faune prompted the Chicago Sun-Times dance critic to write, “Robertson gives the finest performance I’ve seen, including that of Rudolf Nureyev for whom the Joffrey re-created this masterpiece in 1979.”

Mr. Robertson has appeared in film, television and on Broadway in Save the Last Dance, The Company, Law and Order, Movin’ Out and Dirty Dancing. He is also a member of the ballet company of the Metropolitan Opera, where he has worked with world-renowned directors and choreographers such as Anthony Minghella and Carolyn Choa, Julie Taymore, Christopher Wheeldon, and Alexei Ratmansky.

A versatile and prolific choreographer, he has created works for the Joffrey Ballet, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Milwaukee Ballet, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra among many others. He is also the Dance Director of Live Arts Collaboration. As the newly appointed Associate Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, he is committed to continuing the vision of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino.

Ms. Matos joined The Joffrey Ballet School in the winter of 2008 to direct the program for young children. Jo was trained at the School of the Hartford Ballet. She received a B.F.A. in Dance for Children from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford in 1996.Ms. Matos has 30 years experience, as a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and arts administrator at such prestigious institutions as Ballet Hispanico School of Dance in NYC,Dillard Center for the Arts in Fort Lauderdale FL., Arts Ballet Theater in Miami FL, theUniversity of Hartford, Hartt School, Hartford Ballet, Greater Hartford Academy of the Performing Arts, and the Connecticut Ballet Academy. Ms. Matos, as co-founder of “Dancing Day” a “Dancing with Disabilities” school with nowalls, has brought dance to disabled children and adults up and down the Eastern seaboard. Her work with autism and dance was featured in “PBS” documentaries in 1999 and 2004.

 A native Houstonian, Martin is former artistic director of Houston Metropolitan Dance Company in Houston, TX.  In 2003, he founded Dorrell Martin Dance Fusion.  The summer of 2003, the company made its first international debut performance in Veracruz Mexico.  He received Honorable mention for choreography at the World Jazz Congress.  He has taught and set works for the Joffrey Ballet’s pre-professional program, University of Louisiana, C.A.D Dance in New York City, Lamar University and dance companies in Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana.  His studies include Paul Taylor, the Ailey School, EDGE Performing Arts in Los Angeles, Steps on Broadway and 2 years at the New York State Summer Intensive with New York City Ballet.  He has worked with choreographers such as Kevin Wynn, Fred Benjamin, Liz Imperio of Los Angeles, Randy Duncan and Pattie Obey of Holland.