DavidPFranceTV INTERVIEW #3
ENRIQUE CRUZ DEJESUS
Artistic Director/Choreographer - Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company
New York City
For his third interview, David interviews Enrique Cruz DeJesus, the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company located in the East Village, New York City. David was a member of Alpha Omega from 2001-2007 when Enrique was transforming the company with the assistance of current Executive Director, Donna Clark and former Executive Director, the late Dolores “Dee Dee” Vanison-Blakely.
Enrique trained at Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company under the artistic direction of co-founder Ronn Pratt and Andy Torres while simultaneously studying at the Darvash School of Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem.
As a dancer he worked with several modern dance companies and notable choreographers such as Eleo Pomare, Talley Beatty, Gary DeLoatch, Martial Roumain and George Faison. During this time, he began what became an active career as a choreographer, singer, actor and teacher in theater, film and concert dance and in 1998 became the artistic director of Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company.
Enrique’s artistic goal is to bring his directing and choreographing styles to concert dance with a liberal take on popular and urban movement along with traditional and theatrical forms. The blend creates contemporary modern dance works that are equally accessible and entertaining to all audiences.
Enrique teaches master classes and workshops locally and nationally and served as choreographer and teacher at Howard University, George Washington University, North Carolina Central State, Durham University, Florida A&M University, DC Arts and the NYC Arts Connection. His work as a teaching artist has been recognized by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for his dance education work with inner city youth.
Enrique was awarded a SPARC grant and Manhattan Borough President ‘s grant for his work with seniors 65+ and has been further acknowledged by the New York State Council on the Arts where he served as a panelist.
Alpha Omega is located at 70 East 4th Street, NYC.
For more information, please feel free to contact Enrique at the following website:
http://alphaomegadance.org
Additional biographical information:
Enrique choreographed and staged The James Merritt production "From Africa to America" starring Award winning actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee and was the assistant director and choreographer for the workshop musical "Collapsing Universe" at Theater for the New City. He has choreographed productions of “Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night”, “Linnea” “Jeremiah” and “A Mid- Summer Night’s Dream” off- Broadway at the Storm Theater in addition to “Satin Slipper” at the Theater of Notre Dame in NYC. Additionally, he choreographed a production of “Carmen” for Teatro Circulo also in NYC. His work has been seen locally in the industrial marketing campaign for Wise snack products throughout NYC and nationally featured on the PBS documentary “Mi Mambo based on the Harbor Conservatory in East Harlem, NY.
Mr. Cruz DeJesus continues to work in theater, film, and concert dance with theater credits that include national tours of “Dreamgirls” and “Jesus Christ Superstar"; the original production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Requiem Variations” performed at the Opera Omaha Theater; the New York City Shakespeare Festival's “Measure for Measure”, produced by Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe; the European tour of “Evita”; the original workshop production of the Tony Award winning musical “The Life”, in which he was written as himself; “Man of La Mancha” at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and the Engeman Theater on Long Island; “Guys and Dolls” performed at the Dallas Theater Center; “The Who's Tommy” at Cherry County Playhouse in Michigan; “South Pacific” at Barrington Stage Theater in Massachusetts; “Camila”, “Miss Saigon” [Barrymore Nomination] and “Evita” at the Walnut Street Theater; “Ragtime” and the “King and I” at Fulton Opera House in Pennsylvania; “Two Gentlemen of Verona”, the musical at Centerstage in Baltimore, MD; “Aida” at ArtPark; “Black Nativity” [Drama Desk Nomination] at the Duke Theater in NYC; “Miss Saigon” and “Smokey Joe’s Café” at the Virginia Musical Theatre; and “Evita” at Arvada Arts Center in Colorado.
