Leadership & Team

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 & Northrn 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.

Team

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

Education & Community Programmes Artistic Programmer Manager

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.

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Lead Marketing & Content Creation Officer

BIO COMING SOON

Juliette Lee

Senior Development Officer

After graduating with a degree in Politics & Spanish at the University of Bristol, Juliette was selected to be part of the competitive Charityworks graduate scheme, designed to leadership talnt and fill skills gaps in the

non-profit sector. Through this she was employed as People & Development Assistant at Poplar HARCA, an award-winning social housing association in Tower Hamlets.

Despite having spent most of her life living on the island of Anglesey in North Wales, she credits her passion for Latin and Afro-Latin music and dance to the 4 years she lived in The Dominican Republic. In her final year of university, she was elected as President of the Student Union’s Salsa Society.

In her role as Development Officer, she will have responsibilities across the breadth of fundraising with a key role in developing and maintaining strong relationships with new and current donors, as well as developing a variety of fundraising initiatives.

Nolie Wagner

Executive Assistant & Admin Coordinator

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.

Victor Francis

Operations Manager

Victor with a background in accounting but a passion for business management, embarked on his professional journey after completing his studies.

His career unfolded at a burgeoning furniture company, where he assumed the role of office manager. In this dynamic environment, Victor embraced a multi-disciplinary role, requiring hands-on involvement across various departments, including marketing and IT.

Driven by a keen eye for opportunities and a love for the cultural movement, Victor encountered the vibrant atmosphere at ADC, a local organisation. Captivated by the prospect of contributing to this new and dynamic entity, he eagerly joined ADC, aspiring to be an integral part of its growth and success.

Heian Perón Araujo

Acosta Danza Academy Coordinator

Born in Havana, Cuba, Heian spent her childhood between Moscow, Berlin and Havana. In 1994 she moved to Mexico, where she continued her secondary and high school studies. In 2002 she graduated with a

achelor's in Psychology from the Autonomous Metropolitan University. She holds Master studies in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and a Doctorate in Fundamentals and Development of Psychoanalytic from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. She is part of the Acosta Danza founder's group and the Company's manager. She also coordinates the Acosta Danza Academy operations between Cuba and the UK.

Aymara Vasallo

Acosta Danza Academy Director

Graduated from the Alejo Carpentier Ballet Elementary School and the National Ballet School in Havana-Cuba, Aymara is a retired professional dancer and now a ballet teacher. She danced at the NationalBallet of Cuba

under the artistic-technical direction of Alicia Alonso, where she reached the category of First Soloist. In May 2017, she graduated with a Degree in Dance Art from the University of the Arts (ISA).

She worked as a ballet teacher at the National School of Ballet Fernando Alonso from 2016 to 2019. Since her retirement as a dancer in 2018, she began working at the Acosta Danza Academy as a ballet teacher and assistant director. In September 2022, she became the Acosta Danza Academy Director.

Yma De Almeida

Education & Community Programmes Coordinator

Ymá is a dance artist and researcher from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, renowned for her multidisciplinary approach to contemporary dance. She trained at prestigious institutions such as the London Contemporary Dance School, Trinity Laban, and Independent Dance. Ymá holds a BA in Psychology, an MA in Film Studies, and is completing an MA in Creative Practice: Dance Professional. Her dedication to social justice was evident during Brazil's military regime when she worked as an advocate in public mental health institutions. Her art is profoundly influenced by her studies in Psychology, Politics, Visual Arts, and Tanztheater, and she has a keen interest in fostering connections within communities, seamlessly integrating her diverse academic and cultural experiences. Ymá has participated in and contributed to various international cultural projects and events, including the UN World Summit for Sustainable Development, the Euro Mediterranean Programme, and Big Dance 2016 in Trafalgar Square, among many other significant cultural events. Through her work, she showcases her belief in the arts as a universal language. Currently, Ymá is exploring the concept of Bardo, examining the role of dance in the processes of living and dying, and investigating transitional and interconnected spaces within the human experience. As an independent dancer, she remains committed to thoughtful engagement and the transformative potential of the arts.

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