Acclaimed Choreographer and Artistic Director of Charlotte Ballet, Alejandro Cerrudo will teach choreographed works from his repertoire. Cerrudo has created over 25 works that have been performed by professional dance companies around the world. His contemporary choreography has been described as “silky, cerebral, spellbinding,” “inventive and rapturously beautiful…, wholly absorbing and emotionally compelling.” Learn to embody the movement language that stuns audiences and critics alike, as Alejandro Cerrudo joins us in the studios to teach one of his acclaimed works.

Students should arrive warm for this class.

Alejandro Cerrudo was born in Madrid, Spain. His professional career includes work with Victor Ullate Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater 2, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC). Cerrudo became HSDC’s first-ever resident choreographer in 2008 and held that position until 2018. Cerrudo’s body of work has been performed by over 20 professional dance companies around the world. Honors include an award from the Boomerang Fund for Artists (2011) and the Prince Prize for Commissioning Original Work from the Prince Charitable Trusts (2012) for his acclaimed, first evening-length work, One Thousand Pieces. In 2014, he was awarded the USA Donnelley Fellowship by United States Artists. Also, Cerrudo was one of four choreographers invited by New York City Ballet’s Wendy Whelan to create and perform original duets for Restless Creatures. In 2017, Cerrudo was invited by Daniil Simkin to choreograph a site-specific performance for the Guggenheim Rotunda, a Works & Process Rotunda Project commission, featuring Daniil Simkin and original costumes by Dior. Cerrudo’s Sleeping Beauty, created with Ballet Theater Basel in 2016, was nominated as “Production of the Year” in Switzerland in the “Tanz, Jahrbuch 2016” by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. In 2020, Cerrudo was appointed Pacific Northwest Ballet’s resident choreographer, with that, he became the first artist in the company’s history to have the honor of holding that title. Independently, he directed and choreographed his show, “It Starts Now,” which premiered in 2020 at The Joyce Theater in New York. In 2022, Cerrudo was appointed Artistic Director of Charlotte Ballet.

An exploration into the movement vocabulary of the Indian classical dance form “Kathak”, focusing on its subtle aesthetics.

The class will include:

• brief introduction of the artform
• introduction of the core technique including footwork, spins, unique stances, and storytelling aspects.
• compositions including fluid movement patterns focusing on elements that define the grace and beauty of the dance form.

Born and raised in India, Tanu Sharma is a dance artist and a choreographer. She received her Master’s in Kathak dance from BVDU, India. She received her Master’s in Computer Science from NCSU, USA. She also received her Senior Diploma in vocal music from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, India. Over the years she has taught, choreographed and performed at various local, national and international events and venues including Stewart Theatre, Resist Covid/ Take 6 ! at the Nasher Museum, Durham Arts council, Cary Arts Center, National Dance Day at Greensboro Downtown Parks, local temples, NABC (Las Vegas), Raaga Revival etc. During her undergraduate years, she served as the prime dancer and artistic director for the dance team at IET, India.

She has taught dance to all ages and has participated in several cultural outreach programs and lecture demonstrations. She has served as a judge for local and international dance competitions. She has also participated in several cultural fundraising events e.g. “Dancing with the Carolina Stars” at the Carolina Theatre of Durham, and organized fundraising events for several years for the “Two Cents of Hope” student organization at NCSU. During her journey as a dancer, she has explored varied dance styles like Indian folk, jazz, ballet, contemporary, modern, and Hip-hop. She is a longtime yoga practitioner aiming to deepen her movement practice.

She believes in a lifelong pursuit of learning and gathering knowledge while exploring creativity and pushing boundaries. She believes that art has a deep impact on our lives and is meant to make us better human beings while helping us explore our inner expression. She lives in Cary with her family.