Roberto Villanueva is a Filipino–American dancer, teacher, artistic director, and producer. He performed with

Complexions Contemporary Ballet Complexions Contemporary Ballet is a contemporary ballet company founded in 1994 by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. The company, based in New York City, is a multicultural mix of classical and contemporary dancers. History Complexions Co ...

and Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company before founding BalaSole Dance Company.

Early life and career

Born and raised in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

The Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands, with a total area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers, which ar ...

after graduating early from

Colegio de San Juan de Letran The Colegio de San Juan de Letran (), also referred to by its acronym CSJL, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution owned and run by the friars of the Order of Preachers in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. I ...

, Villanueva moved to New York to study accounting at the

University of Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo (commonly referred to as UB, University at Buffalo, and sometimes SUNY Buffalo) is a public university, public research university in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo and Amherst, New York, United States. ...

. Taking an introductory dance class to fulfill physical education requirements led him to switch his concentration to dance. Two years later, he won the Dance Masters of America Competition and a special scholarship to the school of

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Founded in 1958, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is the largest modern dance company in the United States.Dance Data Project (October 2024) 2024 Largest Contemporary and Modern Companies Report Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ...

. Though acknowledged as a "powerhouse dancer", Villanueva was frequently passed over for work due to his short stature. Despite these restrictions, he was invited by

Desmond Richardson Desmond Richardson is an American dancer, actor and co-founder, and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He has mastered a wide range of dance forms including hip hop, classical, modern, classical ballet, and contemporary bal ...

to join Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He also performed with Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, where he worked extensively with

Eleo Pomare Eleo Pomare (20 October 1937 – 8 August 2008) was a Colombian-American modern dance choreographer. Known for his politically-charged productions depicting the Black experience, his work had a major influence on contemporary dance, especially Bl ...

. Following the death of his father, Villanueva acknowledged his disenchantment with the lack of greater artistic prospects and became a financial manager for fifteen years. During this period, he graduated with his Masters from the Public Administration Program from

John Jay College of Criminal Justice The John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay) is a public college focused on criminal justice and located in New York City. It is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY). John Jay was founded as the only liberal arts col ...

, and worked as cash fund manager for Wasserstein Perella & Co. and director of operations for the

American Bible Society American Bible Society is a U.S.-based Christian nonprofit headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As the American member organization of United Bible Societies, it supports global Bible translation, production, distribution, literacy, engag ...

. Frustrated by the continued dearth of representation in dance, Villanueva founded BalaSole Dance Company to "address the inequity of opportunities afforded talented dancers with unconventional attributes". Through BalaSole, he has presented artists from all over the world as well as his own work to great acclaim. In addition to his solo career, Villanueva has taught for

Ballet Philippines Ballet Philippines (BP) is a ballet company in the Philippines founded in 1969 by Alice Reyes with the support of Eddie Elejar and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Proficient in both ballet and modern dance,Jacinto, J. 2007. The Ballet Comp ...

, the

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo (commonly referred to as UB, University at Buffalo, and sometimes SUNY Buffalo) is a public university, public research university in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo and Amherst, New York, United States. ...

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...

, Glendale Community College, the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...

, and the school at Dance Masters of America. He is the Director of Dance for

College of Mount Saint Vincent The University of Mount Saint Vincent (UMSV) is a Private university , private Catholic university in New York City, United States. It was founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity of New York. The university serves over 1,800 students with p ...

, where his company is in residence. From 2012 through 2017, he led

Dance Theatre of Harlem Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) is an American professional ballet company and school based in Harlem, New York City. It was founded in 1969 under the directorship of Arthur Mitchell and later partnered with Karel Shook. Milton Rosenstock served ...

's Dancing through the Barriers program.

Personal life

In 2012, he was nominated for The Outstanding Filipino American in New York (TOFA-NY). In 2013 he received a "Distinguished Alumni Award" from the University at Buffalo's Theater & Dance Department.

References

External links

* , Villanueva's official website * BalaSole Dance Company's website {{DEFAULTSORT:Villanueva, Roberto Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century American educators 20th-century American ballet dancers 21st-century American educators 21st-century American ballet dancers Academic staff of the University of the Philippines American Bible Society American ballet teachers American male ballet dancers American organization founders American people of Filipino descent Colegio de San Juan de Letran alumni Dance Theatre of Harlem East Carolina University faculty Glendale Community College (Arizona) John Jay College of Criminal Justice alumni University at Buffalo alumni University at Buffalo faculty University of Mount Saint Vincent