Spotlight Artist: EDDY VILLALTA

This month’s spotlight artist is dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Eddy Villalta.

Eddy began his career with the German professor Hanz Zullig, instructor and director of the Folkwang Hosch Schule. Later, he studied the “Limon” technique with professor Rogelio Lopez in Costa Rica for 7 years. Entering the School of Classical Russian Ballet of Costa Rica, he trained under the supervision of Patricia Carreras for 11/2 years. He also trained under Pedro Martin Boza at The School of Ballet Cubano for 3 years. His dance studies also include 5 years of ‘Graham’ technique with Marcela Aguilar from The Place in England. He compliments his dance education with workshops in different areas of the theatre including ‘Buto’ theatre and Dance Therapy, with professors such as BillDeYoung (Michigan), Susan Kikuchi (Martha Graham Company) and Carlos Orta (Limon Company). Related studies also include acting, costuming, stage lighting and stage design. In 1998, while attending the VI USA International Ballet Competition, he enrolled in the “International Dance School’s Teacher Workshop” and studied under world re-knowned coach and teacher David Howard.

In his dance career, he was a Member of the company University Dance and a Principal Dancer with The National Dance Company of Costa Rica. Among being aGuest Artist with numerous groups in Costa Rica, he has performed in countries such as Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia and others. Dancing in many famous theatres, he worked for well-known choreographers Susanne Linke (Germany), Pedro Martin Boza (Cuba), Cristina Gigirey (Chile), Alberto Garcia (Mexico), Lynn Wimer (USA), and many more. Later, he performed with Ballet Mississippi and has appeared as Guest Artist for Lake Charles Ballet Society, Loyola University, and Dog and Pony Theatre Company,Anne Burr Dance Company, Third Eye Theatre and Tulane’s Summer Lyric Theatre.

Eddy has an extensive teaching career. He was a Teacher for the popular curriculum classes of ‘Dance Appreciation’ at The University of Costa Rica and went on to instruct several courses of dance at The School of Physical Education in Costa Rica. Later, he taught the ‘Graham’ technique at The National Dance Workshop (Costa Rica). Afterwards, he became Instructor of ‘Modern Dance’ at The Superior Academy of Classical Ballet of Costa Rica. Additionally, he has specialized training and experience in teaching ‘Dance Therapy’ for handicapped, retarded and older persons. Later, he concentrated his energy employed as a Dance Teacher for APAC, an artistic emphasis program of Jackson Public School Systems. By invitation, he was a Guest Instructor for University of Southern Mississippi. In New Orleans, Eddy worked as Dancer, Choreographer and Teacher for the New Orleans Dance. Eddy was later selected as a Modern Dance Instructor for NOCCA, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, inspiring upcoming young artists from the area. He has also instructed for New Orleans Recreation Department and New Orleans Ballet Association (NORD/NOBA). He currently teaches ‘Modern Dance’ with Young Audiences and ‘Ballet’ for New Orleans Dance Academy. He additionally works on motivation and movement with Down syndrome and autistic youth. Eddy is one of only two artist teachers selected in the state of Louisiana to work in a premiere national program of arts in education within the classroom.

As a Choreographer, he has staged dozens of different productions with University Dance Company, The National Dance Company of Costa Rica and with the modern dance group E.V.I.G.E. of which he was the Artistic Director. By invitation, he choreographed televised Miss Costa Rica pageants, as well as many other programs for both broadcast and live audiences. In 2003, Eddy went on to create “Sextet”, a critically acclaimed premiere at The Fahrenheit Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri. In New Orleans, Eddy re-staged productions of “Elicit” and “Sextet” with grants received from the Arts Council of New Orleans. In 2005 and 2006, Eddy helped to organize as well as choreograph and perform in the award winning “Confederacy of Dances” at the Contemporary Arts Center. His latest productions have evolved into the dance festival series “SOUTHERN VOICES: dance out LOUD”. The “SOUTHERN VOICES” dance festival has brought more than 200 dancers and artists to the New Orleans stage since its inception.

This month the Contemporary Arts Center will be hosting the seventh season of “SOUTHERN VOICES: Dance Out Loud.” The three day dance festival will feature both local and international companies. It will also be accompanied with free Master Classes taught by local choreographers.

Check out Eddy and Southern Voices January 30th- February 1st. EVENT DETAILS