HISTORY

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Founded in 2010 by Roberto Villanueva (Executive & Artistic Director), BalaSole Dance Company is a multi-genre, all-inclusive, and educational nonprofit dance organization dedicated to bridging gaps in the field of dance. Officially incorporated in July 2010, BalaSole has presented performances for the public at some of New York City’s most prominent venues, including Baryshnikov Arts Center’s Jerome Robbins Theater, The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), New York Live Arts (formerly Dance Theater Workshop), and Tribeca Performing Arts Center. BalaSole was also a former resident dance company of the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

BalaSole is the first and only hybrid dance organization in the U.S.--part professional dance company, part performance showcase--devoted to creating opportunities for underrepresented and overlooked dance artists. The company offers artists artistic freedom, mentorship, and a platform to express their own voices, while encouraging the cross-pollination of dance styles. Through one-on-one consultations, Roberto Villanueva helps artists find a meaningful balance between creativity and accessibility in their work.

Since its founding, BalaSole has produced 20 New York City concert seasons and featured over 210 dance artists, presenting works spanning ballet, modern/contemporary, experimental, postmodern, hip-hop, jazz, musical theater, flamenco, tap, and African dance--reflecting its core mission of inclusion, individuality, and diversity.

The mission of BalaSole Dance Company is to bridge the gaps that exist in the field of dance.  BalaSole Dance Company carries out its mission by:

• addressing various under-representations in the field in terms of personal artistic expression, genre, style, body type, age, gender, and ethnicity;
• giving dance artists a platform that encourages artistic freedom;
• providing technical, artistic, and career mentorship to dance artists;
• demystifying the professional field of dance;
• strengthening the relationship between the performance and academic arenas of dance;
• connecting dance to other artistic and non-artistic fields; and
• making the art of dance accessible to under-served communities. 

The company was established as a result of the following imbalances, which are contributing to the gaps in the field of concert dance:

• Insufficient opportunities given to dance artists to showcase their individual artistry.
• Generally only one genre or stylized form of dance used in a dance company’s repertoire.
• Typecasting restrictions that marginalize dance artists because of age, shape, size, ethnicity, and style.
• Low number of male dance artists entering the field.
• Insufficient multi-ethnic representation of dance artists in dance companies.
• Below average compensation given to a large number of dance artists working in smaller dance companies.
• Inadequate mentorship given to dance artists with regard to finding or honing their own artistic voice, and planning for their careers.
• Lack of artistic freedom and ownership given to dance artists in dance companies.
• Limited opportunities for male and female dance artists to become soloists in dance companies.
• Scarce opportunities for emerging dance artists to work alongside seasoned performers.
• Insufficient recognition of the commonalities between dance and other non-artistic fields.
• Low valuation of the professional field of dance in comparison to other non-artistic fields.
• Limited understanding of the professional field of dance within the general public.
• Unwarranted disconnect between commercial and concert dance, as well as between the performance and academic arenas of dance.
• Inadequate opportunities for group collaboration in dance companies.
• Low number of dance programs available to K-12 schools and other communities such as senior citizens living in senior centers, children and youth from low income families, and adults without formal dance training.

The vision of BalaSole Dance Company is to promote a balance in the field of concert dance where:

• the public can experience a dance concert filled with diversity and artistry;
• artists can demonstrate their individual artistic identity and potential;
• collaboration and mutual appreciation exist between dance and other fields; and the art of dance is accessible to everyone.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are critical elements of BalaSole Dance Company's core values. The company;

• believes diversity fosters innovation,
• respects individuality and accepts that everyone is different,
• welcomes and values artists with different experiences, backgrounds, attributes, abilities, and perspectives,
• eliminates barriers that prevent full participation of underserved and underrepresented populations,
• creates an environment where everyone is treated fairly and with dignity, and
• encourages collaboration and community building.