Faculty

Javier Torres

Managing Director

From Cuba, Javier is considered one of the best Cuban dancers of his generation, a driven artist with a knack for dance and its business. A former Premier Dancer with Cuban National Ballet & Northern Ballet and a demonstrated history

of working in the performing arts industry. His over two decades of professional experience and artistic expertise span the entire spectrum from acclaimed professional dancer to executive cultural manager.

He is passionate and skilled in Research, Dance Education, Dance Leadership, Communication & Business strategy.

He is a Vice-Chair with Serendipity-UK, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO).

He holds a BA Hons in Business Management and Leadership Practices and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Cumbria. He is demonstrably an adaptable and competent professional, unfazed by the demands of the dance industry.

Aydmara Cabrera

Head Of Training Programmes

Aydmara Cabrera began her ballet studies at the age of nine at the National Ballet School in Havana and became a principal dancer at the National Ballet of Cuba , under the direction of Alicia Alonso. Cabrera’s professional dance experience includes international

ballet festivals and worldwide tours, performing lead roles in all classical and contemporary ballets with the National Ballet of Cuba and Ballet Hispanico of New York. She studied with iconic teachers such as Alicia Alonso, Loipa Araujo, Josefina Mendez, Joaquin Banegas, and Ramona de Saa. In the course of her career, Cabrera partnered with some of the most famous male dancers of our time, including José Manuel Carreño, Carlos Acosta, Orlando Salgado, Lienz Chang, Jorge Vega and José Zamorano, before moving to the United States and directing her own school in Miami. She has also been invited to teach at many internationally recognized schools, including Princeton Ballet School, developing a training curriculum that incorporates much of her Cuban roots.

Ludovic Ondiviela

AATH+18 Artistic Lead

Originally from France dancer and choreographer Ludovic Ondiviela is a former dancer of The Royal Ballet. Ondiviela was born in Perpignan, aged 11 he entered the Paris Opera Ballet School

and aged 13 he Marseille Studio Ballet Colette Armand, before training at

The Royal Ballet Upper School on a Prix de Lausanne scholarship.

Other awards included -Silver medal at the 2000 Concours International de Danse, Paris - Gold medal at the Roseta Mauri Competition in 2002.

In his graduation year he performed the lead role in Christopher Wheeldonʼs Le Voyage and the first movements Principal couple in Kenneth MacMillanʼs Concerto at the Schoolʼs annual matinee.

Ondivielaʼs repertory with the Royal Ballet included Bronze Idol (La Bayadère), Hans-Peter/Nutcracker (The Nutcracker), Tom Thumb (Tales of Beatrix Potter), Alain (La fille mal gardée), Kolia (A Month in the Country) Puck (The Dream). Symphonic Variations, Swan Lake Pas de trois, Les Patineurs- Blue Boy

He also created principal roles in Alastair Mariottʼs Children of Adam , Wayne Macgregor”s Chroma, Infra. Limen, Carbon Life , Christopher Weeldonʼs Alice in Wonderland

Since leaving the Royal Ballet Ludovic has choreographed - Dopamine, you make my levels go silly- Ballet Black -Lost- Ballet Ireland -Cassandra -Royal Ballet, Royal Opera house -4 times 4 -Gandini Juggling - Sliver Of Sky - Amnesty International, SW (Royal Ballet, ENB, Rambert) - Activia commercial directed by Jordan Scott

- Julien Davidʼs catwalk- Paris Fashion week - La Ronde (ROH rehearsal and development) - Giselle- Ballet Ireland/ Edinburgh festival -Insomniac Fables- Makeshift Company, Helsinki - untitled- Scottish Ballet (rehearsal and development) Huis Clos Montreux Festival (Paris Opera)

- Systeme AI Men In Motion/ Ukrainian National Ballet at Saddlerʼs wells

Ludovic has also completed a professional drama training course at the Actors Temple in London learning the Meisner technic of Acting.

Ludovic has taught ballet and choreography classes for Danceworks London, Vanessa palmer school of Dance. Royal Ballet School, Ballet Ireland. Ballet Black.

Luanda Pau

Afrocuban Teacher

From Cuba, Luanda comes from a legendary dance family in Havana. Her mum Rosa Baquero was the artistic director and choreographer of the famous Cabaret ``Parisien & Tropicana de Cuba``, and

her da is the legendary Afro-Cuban dance Maestro Domingo Pau.

Before starting her dance career, Luanda was in athletics. In 1991 she began her studies at the National School of Arts, where she remained until 1994. Later she entered the renowned National Folkloric Ballet of Cuba (NFBC), where she danced as a soloist and principal dancer. She is a master in the role of Oya and Yemayá. She was also a solo dancer in the cabaret show at the Casino de Montecarlo in Monaco.

She graduated with a bachelor's in cultural activities and sports & education and has an extensive history working with children and adults as an independent dance teacher.

Nolie Wagner

Executive Assistant & Admin Coordinator, Safeguarding Lead

From her early foundations of training pre professionally under Gelsey Kirkland and American Ballet Theatre, Nolie remained grounded in the lessons that are delivered through our bodies in her life ouside of

dance.

While earning her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at Marymount Manhattan College, Nolie worked as a representative for an NGO at the United Nations advocating for women and children in sub-Saharan Africa whose bodies undergo the brunt of the effects of climate change. Upon graduating in 2019, she was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to teach English and coordinate community programming for the US Embassy in Uzbekistan. While there, she designed a creative movement workshop for women experiencing domestic violence to practise bodily autonomy and self compassion.

Following her time at the United Nations and in Uzbekistan, Nolie moved to London to pursue her Master’s of Science in Social and Cultural Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. There, she researched and wrote her dissertation on how the body internalises social norms to expand the theory of Social and Cultural Psychology to include bodily reality.

Now, as Acosta Dance Foundation’s Executive Assistant and Administrative Coordinator, Nolie is thrilled to return to her dancing roots where she will fulfil the foundation’s administrative needs and help make bodily connection through dance accessible to all people.

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Faculty

Javier Torres

Managing Director

Aydmara Cabrera

Head Of Training Programmes

Ludovic Ondiviela

AATH+18 Artistic Lead

Luanda Pau

Afrocuban Teacher

Nolie Wagner

Executive Assistant & Admin Coordinator, Safeguarding Lead

Past, Present & Future AATH Guest Teachers

Nehemiah Kish

Guest Teacher

Loipa Araujo

Guest Teacher

Melanie Bouvet

Guest Teacher

Matz Skoog

Guest Teacher

Marianna Gomez

Guest Teacher

Kim Amundsen

Guest Teacher

James Forbat

Guest Teacher

Harry Theodora

Guest Teacher

Christopher Marney

Guest Teacher

Alejandro Virelles

Guest Teacher

Zenaida Yanowsky

Guest Teacher

Vanessa Palmer

Guest Teacher

Work with us