Photo by Alex Boerner

ABOUT

In the ten years since its establishment in 2012, Malpaso Dance Company has become one of the most sought after Cuban dance companies with a growing international profile. Emphasizing a collaborative creative process, Malpaso is committed to working with top international choreographers while also nurturing new voices in Cuban choreography. The company tours with 11 dancers and is led by its original three founders; resident choreographer and Artistic Director Osnel Delgado, Executive Director Fernando Sáez, and dancer and co-founder Daileidys Carrazana.

An Associate Company of Joyce Theater Productions, Malpaso — together with The Joyce— has commissioned original works from a number of prominent North American choreographers, including Ron K. Brown (Why You Follow), Trey McIntyre (Under Fire), Aszure Barton (Indomitable Waltz), and Emmy-award winning Sonya Tayeh (Face the Torrent).

As a means of foregrounding Cuban choreographers, Malpaso has also recently world-premiered works by company members Beatriz Garcia (Being (Ser)) and Abel Rojo (Carrying Floor), bolstering the list of long-toured pieces by Artistic Director Delgado, notably, Ocaso as well as 24 Hours and a Dog and Dreaming of Lions, which are often accompanied live by Grammy award-winning, Cuban-American composer/pianist Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble.

Most recently the company added Fielding Sixes by the legendary, late Merce Cunningham - adapted for 8 dancers and re-staged by Jamie Scott with new costume and lighting designs by David Quinn and Manuel Da Silva, respectively - and Tabula Rasa by world-renowned Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin to its repertoire. Naharin traveled to Cuba in spring of 2018 specifically to work one on one with Malpaso dancers to crystalize the re-staging of this seldom performed, 30 year old master work.

Liquidotopie by Argentinian choreographer Cecilia Bengolea - commissioned by International Summer Festival Kampnagel out of Hamburg-Germany in summer 2018 - rounds out the Company’s active rep.

Most recently Robyn Mineko Williams created Elemental on the company as part of a collaborative program developed with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, which premiered at the Auditorium Theatre in March 2018. Next up, Malpaso will acquire a specially extended version of Mats Ek’s solo, Woman with Water.

LEADERSHIP

OSNEl DELGADO

Founder, Artistic Director, Dancer, and Choreographer

Osnel Delgado danced with Danza Contemporanea de Cuba from 2003 to 2011, before founding Malpaso. He has worked with choreographers Mats Ek, Rafael Bonachela, Kenneth Kvarnström, Ja Linkens, Itzik Galili, Samir Akika, Pedro Ruiz, Isidro Rolando and George Cespedes, among others. Delgado has created works for DCC, Rakatan and Ebony Dance of Cuba. Delgado is a 2003 graduate of the National Dance School of Havana, where he is also a professor of dance studies.

FERNANDO SÁEZ

Founder and Executive Director

Fernando Sáez graduated from the School of Performing Arts at the Superior Institute of Arts (ISA) in Havana in 1988. He is also a founder and actor of Estudio Teatral de Santa Clara, was the head of the sociocultural development project in Las Terrazas, Pinar del Rio from 1993 to 1997, and has served on the staff of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba since 1998. He is also a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

DAILEIDYS CARRAZANA

Founder, Associate Artistic Director and Dancer

Daileidys Carrazana graduated from the National Ballet School in Havana in 2003. She was a member of Danza Contemporanea de Cuba from 2003 to 2011, before founding Malpaso with Osnel Delgado. Daile has worked with choreographers such as Mats Ek, Jan Linkens, Samir Akika, Pedro Ruiz and Isidro Rolando, among others.

Photos by Todd Rosenberg

COMPANY MEMBERS

Beatriz Garcia Diaz

(Dancer) is a graduate of the Superior Institute of Arts (2016) and the National Ballet School in Havana (2008). She was a member of Danza Teatro Retazos until 2014. She has worked with choreographers such as Isabel Bustos, Miguel Azcue, Irene Kalbusch, Pepe Hevia, Trey McIntyre, Aszure Barton, Sonya Tayeh, and Ohad Naharin, among others. She joined Malpaso in June 2014.

ARMANDO GOMEZ

(Dancer) was born in 1994 in Camagüey City. He graduated as a ballet dancer and teacher from the Arts Academy Vicentina de la Torre in 2013. He was a member of the Contemporary Dance Company Endedans from 2013 to 2016 and Lizt Alfonzo Dance Cuba from 2016 to 2017. He joined Malpaso Dance Company in 2017.

Esteban Aguilar

(Dancer) Before joining Malpaso in February 2016, Esteban studied dance at ISA (Superior Institute of Arts)'s Faculty of Dance and was a member of Danza Fragmentada Company (2002-2014). He has worked with choreographers like Aszure Barton and Osnel Delgado.

DUNIA ACOSTA

(Dancer) graduated from the Regional Dance School Manuel Munoz Cedeno in Bayamo in 2009. She was a member of Danza Libre de Guantanamo from 2010 to 2013 before joining Malpaso.

Heriberto Meneses Matachana

(Dancer) graduated from the Vocational Art School Alfonso Pérez Isaac in his home region of Matanzas in 2012 and the National Dance School in Havana. He joined Danza Contemporánea de Cuba in 2016. He has worked with choreographers such as Angels Margari, Anabel Lopez Ochoa, Billy Cowie, Miguel Altunaga, among many others. He joined Malpaso in 2020.

Leonardo Dominguez

(Dancer) graduated in 2016 as a dancer from the Professional Arts School Regino Boti in Guantánamo. He was a member of CoDanza Dance Company from 2016 to 2018 and worked as a dance teacher at the Elementary Dance School Raúl Gómez García in Holguín from 2017 to 2018. He joined Malpaso in September 2018.

Osvaldo A. Cardero Alcorta

(Dancer) graduated in 2017 from the Professional School of Art in Guantánamo City. He was a member of CoDanza Dance Company from 2017 to December of 2019. He joined Malpaso on April 1st, 2020.

Manuel Durán

(Dancer) is a 2009 graduate from the Regional Dance School Manuel Munoz Cedeno in Bayamo, Cuba. He was a member of Danza Libre of Guantanamo from 2010 to 2013 before joining Malpaso.

Daniela Miralles

(Dancer) graduated in 2018 from the National School of Arts in Havana as a dancer and dance teacher. She joined Malpaso Dance Company in June 2017.

Leyna González Silva

(Dancer) graduated from the National School of Arts in 2016. She was a dancer with Contemporary Dance of Cuba from 2012 to December 2020. She joined Malpaso in February 2021. She has worked with choreographers such as Anabel Lopez Ochoa, Billy Cowie, and Theo Clinkard, among others.

Iliana Solis

(Dancer) is a dancer and dance teacher who graduated from Raul Gomez García Art School in Holguín, Cuba. She was a member of Codanza Dance Company from 2006 to 2013. From 2006 to 2008 she also worked as professor at José Martí Pérez Arts Instructors School. She joined Danza Contemporánea de Cuba in 2015. She became a member of Malpaso Dance Company in 2019. Ileana has worked with choreographers such as Theo Clinkard, Billy Cowie, Lea Anderson, Fleur Darken and Anabel López Ochoa, among others.

Diana Rosa Hernandez

(Stage Manager) graduated from the National School of Arts with a degree in acting in 2008. She is a member of Teatro Espontáneo de La Habana and Mefisto Teatro. Hernandez worked in the HavanaBama collaboration between the University of Alabama and Cuba. She joined Malpaso in March 2014.

Steven Carlino

(Production and Company Manager) is an artist, writer, and performer who assists other artists in producing their own work. In NYC, he worked with the late Magnificent Fred Ho and the Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, the experimental theater collective Mabou Mines, and for ten years toured as the Production Manager for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Carlino is currently the Tour and Production Manager for both Aszure Barton’s Where There’s Form and for Malpaso Dance Company’s international tours.

Manuel Da Silva

(Lighting Supervisor) was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in South Florida where he developed a passion for theatre and the arts at a young age. Manuel attended The University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he received his BFA in Lighting Design and Technology. Now an NYC based lighting designer, Manuel has had the chance to work with several Off-Broadway theatre companies. He is a lighting designer at Arc3design where he works on projects spanning from architecture to dance.

Dailys Bacallao

(Ballet Master) graduated from the National Ballet School in 2007, and the Superior Institute of Arts in Havana as a ballet teacher in 2015. She was a dancer of Matanza's city contemporary dance company Danza Espiral from 2008 to 2014. She was professor at the National Ballet School and is currently teacher at the Superior Institute of Arts in Havana.

Photos by Todd Rosenberg and Daileidys Carrazana