PEDRO PABLO PENA - FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Pedro Pablo Peña was born in Cuba and began his ballet training with Ana Leontieva, Joaquin Banegas, Jose Pares and Azary Plisetsky.  He also studied modern dance with Ramiro Guerra and experimental dance with Luis Trapaga. Mr. Peña danced for Havana’s Opera Ballet, the National Ballet of Cuba, Musical Theater of Havana, where he also served as Choreographic Director, and was founder and director of the First Choreographic Workshop in Havana. Mr. Pena has held the position of Ballet Master and Choreographer for Creation Ballet Company and the Afro Cuban Ballet. For seven consecutive years he was the Choreographer for Univision’s TV Show “Sabado Gigante Internacional” and was selected by Warner Brothers as Choreographer for the film “The Specialist”. Most recently Mr. Peña was invited by Ballet Concierto Dominicano, the National Ballet of Panama and the Odeon Theater of Vienna, Austria, to set his choreographic work “Fusion”.  Mr. Pena is General Director, Creation Art Center, Founder and Director of the International Ballet Festival of Miami, recognized as one of the premiere Dance events in the US, and Artistic Director of the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami.

He has been recognized and awarded for his work by the ACCA, Fesela and the Inter-American Chapter of Hadassah.  In 2003, Mr. Peña was honored by Miami’s Art Magazine “Pregones” with the “Contradanza” award for his continuous work in the development of the dance in Miami and the Preservation of the Cuban Heritage in exile.

Mr. Peña has been honored for more than his artistic achievements. On September 26, 2005, Miami-Dade County proclaimed “El Dia de Pedro Pablo Peña”. On that same day the City of Miami presented Mr. Peña with the “Key to the City”, an honor bestowed on him for his tireless work for the arts in our community.

MAGALY SUAREZ - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Magaly Suárez is an exceptional dance professional with over 25 years of international experience. Born in Cuba, she graduated with honors from the Cuban National Ballet School in 1980. Throughout her outstanding career, Ms. Saurez has formed excellent dancers, many of whom hold principal and soloist positions in the finest US, European, and Latin American ballet companies. Guest dancers Rolando and Daniel Sarabia, Octavio Martin and Andres Estevez are some of her notable former students.

Ms. Suárez teaches her own methodology based on the Cuban School and is an expert in classical ballet technique, pointe, pas de deux, male and female variations, character dance and full-length ballet staging. A very successful coach, she has trained many students for international ballet competitions. Currently, Ms Suárez is the owner and Director of The Art of Classical Ballet School, a two-studio facility with state-of-the-art dance floors, in Pompano Beach, Florida. The School’s objective is to offer world-class training in classical ballet, as well as the Cuban Classical Ballet tradition, to students from our community and around the country at affordable prices.

IBIS MONTOTO - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Ibis Montoto is a professional of the dance since 1976. Born in Cuba, graduated from the National School of Arts and joined the well known Cuban National Ballet. In 1988 she completed her Bachelor degree in Arts, by the University of Havana where graduated with Gold Diploma with specialization in Classical ballet.

During her 20 years of ballet mistress experience she participated in many galas performances, international events, coached professional dancers to international competitions, and was invited to be judge in important contests.

In 1995 Ms. Montoto was invited to Brazil where trained students and teachers with the Cuban methodology. She was ballet mistress in the Ballet of Goias State, Company Paulista of Dance, and Special Company of Classical Dance.

Since 2006 she teaches in The Art of Classical Ballet in Pompano Beach under the direction of Magaly Suarez and is the Assistant Director of the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami under the Artistic Direction of Pedro Pablo Pena and Magaly Suare, together with Ms. Suarez she choreographed Giselle, Swan Lake, and other performances.