Juan Carlos Penuela

A native of Cali, Colombia, Juan Carlos Peñuela began dancing at the age of 12 and was later invited as a soloist, to join Colombia’s National Company, Ballet de Cali, where he performed in a variety of leading roles.

Mr. Peñuela has also danced with the Ballet Arizona in Phoenix, Dance Theater of Harlem, Pennsylvania Ballet, Maximum Dance Ballet Gamon, Chamber Dance Project among others.

In 2001 and 2002, Mr. Peñuela was selected to represent his native Colombia by performing in the Festival Internacional de Ballet de Miami, featuring dancers from more than a dozen countries worldwide.

Juan Carlos has been guest Ballet Master and Repetitur with Compania Colombiana de Ballet – Incolballet in Colombia, Chamber Dance Project, Lexington Ballet, The Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York City, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Ena Ballet Company in Japan and Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts International Summer Intensive in Kent, CT. In 2011, he was invited to Malaysia where he was Guest Ballet master at their International festival, restaging Don Quixote and coaching artists from all over the world for their International Gala of the Stars.

Juan Carlos is currently Ballet Master of Ballet Hispanico Company in New York city as well Senior Ballet Master for the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance. Mr. Peñuela is part of the faculty of Joffrey Ballet School and Marymount Manhattan College and he holds certification in The American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum.

As a dancer and Ballet Master, Juan Carlos recognizes the importance of proper body mechanics and conditioning. He was certified to teach Pilates by Romana Kryzanowska. In his own words, “Training with Romana was a great experience, she gave me a sense of the movement in Pilates. She made me feel that there were no limitations that I could move as big as the universe. As technique goes, just with a word or with a small touch I could understand what she was looking for. Every time I was in a gathering with her she would talk to me in Spanish which was a nice gesture from her to me, I am sure she was happy to practice a language that she loves.”