EXECUTIVE AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, FOUNDER
ROBERTO VILLANUEVA, born in the Philippines, is the Executive & Artistic Director and Founder of BalaSole Dance Company, where he has produced and directed 20 New York City concert seasons. With over 30 years of combined experience in dance and arts management, Roberto is a producer, director, choreographer, performer, adjudicator, and educator who has worked in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. In addition, he brings more than three decades of professional expertise in business, finance, nonprofit operations, organizational leadership, and arts administration.
Roberto currently serves as Director of Operations for the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Communications and External Relations division. He previously served as Director of Dance and adjunct professor at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, where he launched the institution’s dance minor program, and as Arts Education Outreach Administrator for the renowned and iconic Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), leading nationwide K-12 arts education and community engagement programs. He also held the position of Director of Operations for the American Bible Society.
In 2010, Roberto founded BalaSole Dance Company with a vision to create an inclusive and diverse platform that empowers artists seeking artistic freedom and mentorship, amplifies underrepresented voices, and celebrates diversity and individuality in dance. His mission is to inspire, educate, and connect audiences while encouraging dance artists to better articulate their value proposition and develop a holistic understanding of the business of dance.
Acclaimed nationally and internationally for his artistry, Roberto has been hailed by The New York Times “for the deftness and technical control of his dancing.” New York Magazine has described him as “a poetic dancer,” while the New York Daily News called him “a powerhouse dancer.” Internationally, the Swiss newspaper La Liberté described him as “breathtaking.” He has been praised as “a phenomenal dancer” (Huffington Post), “an extraordinarily gifted dancer” (Attitude Magazine), “a small powerhouse” (The Village Voice), “a mentor with a mission” (Back Stage New York), “an experienced performer” (TheaterScene.net), “an elegantly exquisite dancer” (BroadwayWorld.com), and simply “memorable” (Art Times).
He has performed at prominent New York City venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Baryshnikov Arts Center’s Jerome Robbins Theater, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), New York Live Arts/Dance Theater Workshop, and Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Roberto has worked with renowned choreographers such as Dwight Rhoden, Kevin Wynn, Milton Myers, and Eleo Pomare, and danced with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, Steeledance, Marie-Christine Giordano Dance, Pick of the Crop Dance, and Buffalo City Ballet.
Dedicated to education and mentorship, Roberto has been commissioned to teach master classes and create choreography for organizations and institutions including Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, Ballet Philippines, Airdance Philippines, University at Buffalo, East Carolina University, Glendale Community College, and University of the Philippines. He has served on the faculty of Dance Masters of America’s Teachers Training School and conducts seminars and workshops on audience engagement, creative process, design thinking through choreography, basic financial literacy, and strategic career planning.
Roberto received his BA in Dance Performance from the University at Buffalo and trained at both SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance and The Alvin Ailey School. He is certified in Fitness and Pilates instruction and was an AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® Certified Teacher in Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
He has worked with artists from renowned companies such as the Martha Graham Dance Company, Limón Dance Company, Elisa Monte Dance, Lucinda Childs Dance, Parsons Dance, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Philadanco, Joffrey Ballet, Les Ballets Trocadero De Monte Carlo, Donald Byrd/The Group, Ballet Frankfurt, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Twyla Tharp Dance, Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, The Isadora Duncan Dance Company, Giordano Dance Chicago, and Rockettes.
Roberto has served as a grant panelist for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, allocating city and state funding for Manhattan arts projects. He has presented at the University at Buffalo’s Coast to Coast Arts, Entertainment, and Media Symposium and the National Dance Education Organization’s Annual Conference.
He is the recipient of numerous awards, including a special scholarship from The Alvin Ailey School, the national title of Mr. Dance of America from Dance Masters of America, and the Harlem Stage Fund for New Work Award for the creation of his one-man show Pieces of Me: An Inside Look at a Dance Artist’s Journey. He has also been nominated for The Outstanding Filipino American in New York (TOFA-NY) Award in Arts & Culture and received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University at Buffalo’s Department of Theatre & Dance.
Roberto has participated in several Filipino-American community events in New York, including The Outstanding Filipino American in New York Award Ceremony, a benefit concert at the Philippine Consulate of New York for earthquake victims in Bohol and Cebu, Philippines, and Miss Philippines Quest USA, a franchise of Miss World Philippines.
(View excerpts of Roberto's performances)