XIOMARA REYES
classical ballet and repertoire
(to be confirmed)
Xiomara Reyes was born in Havana, Cuba, and began her training at the Havana Vocational School of Ballet before continuing at Cuba’s prestigious National Ballet School, where she studied under influential teachers such as Loipa Araujo. Early in her career, she performed as a soloist with La Joven Guardia, the second company of the Cuban National Ballet.
In 1994, Reyes joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium, quickly rising to the rank of First Soloist. Her performances across Europe earned her recognition for her lyrical style and emotional depth. In 2001, she joined American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in New York as a soloist and was promoted to principal dancer in 2003. Over her distinguished career at ABT, Reyes performed leading roles in a wide range of classical and contemporary ballets, including Giselle, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Coppélia, Romeo and Juliet, and La Bayadère, among many others. Her performances were celebrated for their musicality, nuanced character interpretation, and technical finesse.
Following her retirement from the stage in 2015, Reyes turned her focus to dance education. In 2016, she was appointed Head of the Washington School of Ballet, where she led the school’s training programs with a vision rooted in excellence and artistic integrity. Drawing on her Cuban training, European experience, and American stage career, she brings a rich and holistic approach to dance education, nurturing not only the technique but also the spirit of young dancers.
RINAT IMAEV
classical ballet and repertoire
(to be confirmed)
Rinat Imaev was born in Ufa, Russia, and trained at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg. As a young dancer he performed with the Kirov Theatre (today the Mariinsky Theatre), and later went on to be Principal Dancer with the Sofia National Ballet in Bulgaria and the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium. Throughout his performing years, he also appeared as guest artist with multiple international companies, earning recognition for roles in Don Quixote, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, La Bayadère, Paquita, La Fille mal gardée, and other classics.
After retiring from full-time performance, Imaev transitioned into teaching and mentorship. He served for 15 years as a company teacher with American Ballet Theatre, and from 2016, he became senior faculty at the Washington School of Ballet, where he led the Men’s Professional Training Division.
Imaev is frequently in demand worldwide as a guest teacher at major ballet companies and schools in Europe, Asia, and beyond. He remains deeply committed to preserving the classical ballet tradition while guiding dancers to develop individual artistry and technical strength.
BENEDICTO CIEZA
classical ballet and repertoire
Benedicto Cieza is a choreographer and classical dance teacher of Spanish origin. He began professional dance studies in Madrid in 1982 under the direction of Luis Ruffo, and shortly after, he became a dancer in the Ballet Clásico y Contemporáneo de Madrid. At the same time, he continued his training as a student of Gilbert Meyer, a dance teacher at the Paris Opera. The following year, he met the prima ballerina, Menia Martinez, during her arrival at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi, the home of the Royal Ballet of Wallonia, with whom he collaborated for more than 30 years.
In 1993, he became a full member of the dance company of the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie. Three years later, he founded his own company (Cie Cieza) and began choreographing his first works. He choreographed and performed in Dimension Tango, Ritos, and Boléro. In 2000, he partnered with Latin dance choreographer Fernando Ortega, and together they opened the multidisciplinary dance school Alcazar in Brussels. Later, Temptations came to life. This performance, based on the Christic myth, was met with great success from the Belgian audience. In 2003, he partnered with his first mentor, Luis Ruffo, for the first edition of the 'Gala Européen de la Danse' in Madrid. For five years, this experience was repeated annually in Brussels, where European dancers from various backgrounds were invited to present excerpts from their recent works.
In 2013, Benedicto co-founded the 'Conservatoire de la Danse de Bruxelles' with Menia Martinez and Jean-Pol Dimmers, in the former premises of the Maurice Béjart’s Ballet du XXième siècle, where he worked for 10 years as a teacher and assistant to the artistic director. In January 2023, he created his own structure: Studio B. ASBL.
In 1993, he became a full member of the dance company of the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie. Three years later, he founded his own company (Cie Cieza) and began choreographing his first works. He choreographed and performed in Dimension Tango, Ritos, and Boléro. In 2000, he partnered with Latin dance choreographer Fernando Ortega, and together they opened the multidisciplinary dance school Alcazar in Brussels. Later, Temptations came to life. This performance, based on the Christic myth, was met with great success from the Belgian audience. In 2003, he partnered with his first mentor, Luis Ruffo, for the first edition of the 'Gala Européen de la Danse' in Madrid. For five years, this experience was repeated annually in Brussels, where European dancers from various backgrounds were invited to present excerpts from their recent works.
In 2013, Benedicto co-founded the 'Conservatoire de la Danse de Bruxelles' with Menia Martinez and Jean-Pol Dimmers, in the former premises of the Maurice Béjart’s Ballet du XXième siècle, where he worked for 10 years as a teacher and assistant to the artistic director. In January 2023, he created his own structure: Studio B. ASBL.
CHRISTIAN FARA
Contemporary dance
After having perfected his classical training in 2004 with Giuseppina Perantoni and Valeria Satta, a contemporary one with Daniela Zuccolotto and Laura Lepori and a modern jazz one with Clelia Bazzoni, Christian Fara continues his training with Gianni Rosaci, former artistic director of the Opera in Rome, and Arturo Cannistrà, former artistic director of Aterballetto. He also travelled in England and Germany in the Contemporary Professional Course of the Balletto di Toscana with Cristina Bozzolini, Simonetta Giannasi, Barbara Baer, Farida Faggi , Lucia Geppi and Silvia Chirico (classical), with Deanna Losi and Fabrizio Monteverde (contemporary) and Arianna Benedetti, Giulia Molinari, Daniele Cervino, and Ivan Mattioli (modern and hip hop). In the same period he follows during three years the training course ‘Kaos Professione Danza’ with Katiuscia Bozza, Eugenio Scigliano, Elena Scotti, Armando Santin, Victor Litvinov (classical) and with Roberto Sartori, Eugenio Buratti, Simona Haag, Enrico Morelli, Elisa Davoli (contemporary).
The professional experiences include the role of solo dancer of the ‘Janas’ Company (2004-2005), the interpretation of ‘The Scream’ by Giuseppina Perantoni (2005-2006) and he enters the Company ‘KAOS Balletto di Firenze’ as a permanent solo dancer. In 2006-2007 he dances ‘Brigata Sassari’ by Arturo Cannistrà at the Teatro Verdi, Cagliari, ‘The Cramping Rhymes’ by Arianna Benedetti, Ballet of Tuscany, Florence, ‘The Nutcracker’ directed by Gianni Rosaci and Giuseppina Perantoni, ‘Quarto stato’ by Giuseppina Perantoni, Teatro Verdi Theater, Cagliari.
Professionalism as a choreographer definitely takes off in 2010, when he signs his first choreography for the company KAOS Balletto di Firenze: ‘Se Solo Fossi Qui’ and ‘Koob’. In 2011 he created the choreography ‘Amore + Psiche’ and in 2012 he created ‘Appleal’. In 2014 he radically changed the approach to the stage with the choreography ‘Storia di un Diverso Any’, where, together with the masters Robeto Sartori and Michele Pogliani (director of Codarts Rotterdam), he staged the show of the ‘Ereti’. He also collaborates with Michele Pogliani in the production of ‘Once Upon A Time’, where he presents his choreography inspired by ‘Alice In Wonderland’. He also had the choreographic direction for the show ‘Chiara Luce’ in the Vatican.
During the years he won numerous first prizes in internationally Dance Competitions and also received several awards for critics for Best Choreography and Best Choreographic talent. He also holds numerous stage and workshops throughout Italy and Europe. Currently he is an invited teacher for numerous stage and workshops throughout Italy and Europe and is also engaged in numerous professional training projects.
Professionalism as a choreographer definitely takes off in 2010, when he signs his first choreography for the company KAOS Balletto di Firenze: ‘Se Solo Fossi Qui’ and ‘Koob’. In 2011 he created the choreography ‘Amore + Psiche’ and in 2012 he created ‘Appleal’. In 2014 he radically changed the approach to the stage with the choreography ‘Storia di un Diverso Any’, where, together with the masters Robeto Sartori and Michele Pogliani (director of Codarts Rotterdam), he staged the show of the ‘Ereti’. He also collaborates with Michele Pogliani in the production of ‘Once Upon A Time’, where he presents his choreography inspired by ‘Alice In Wonderland’. He also had the choreographic direction for the show ‘Chiara Luce’ in the Vatican.
During the years he won numerous first prizes in internationally Dance Competitions and also received several awards for critics for Best Choreography and Best Choreographic talent. He also holds numerous stage and workshops throughout Italy and Europe. Currently he is an invited teacher for numerous stage and workshops throughout Italy and Europe and is also engaged in numerous professional training projects.
OLIVIA GRASSOT
Contemporary dance
Olivia Grassot (Belgium) is a freelance movement artist. She graduated from the Rambert school of Ballet and Contemporary dance in London, 2019. Since then, Olivia performed works from Brandon Lagaert, Karolin Stächele, Roberta Ferrara, Lin Wen- Chung, Cheng Yi-wen, Magnus Westwell, Oscar Schlemmer, Jason Mabana - Around the UK, Europe and China. She has worked with different companies such as DAGADA dance company, Equilibrio Dinamico, Royal Opera House, B21 Company, Matsena productions and Kennedy Muntanga Dance Theatre.. Alongside performing, Olivia creates her own work, teaches and choreographs around Europe and the UK. She is currently working on her project ‘HIDDENTITY’. She performed an extract at the Brussels Dance contest 2023 and was awarded with the First prize of the Jury -Performance and the special Peeping Tom award. She co-choreographed with the collective AOmaon. She also worked as a rehearsal director for DAGADA dance company Matsena productions, KMDT and Magnus Westwell.