State of LA Danse Auditions

The Dance program announces open auditions for its annual faculty and guest artist concert State of LA Danse.  The dance concert is scheduled in Angelle Hall Ducrest-Gilfrey Auditorium on Thursday, November 15 - Sunday, November 18. There are five guest artists choreographing this semester: Gina Aswell, Brie Castro and John Rabalais, Alex McBride, Eric Rivera, and Clarice Young. Mr. Eric Rivera will hold auditions Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 5pm in McLaurin Hall. Registration will begin at 3:30pm. Mr. Rivera will be creating an original contemporary ballet for the production and will be in for a one-week intensive residency. Please read more below for more information on Mr. Rivera's extensive professional background:

Eric Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico, earned his MFA in Choreography from SUNY Purchase College. During his performing career he danced with Ballet Hispanico of New York for 13 seasons where he helped to create over 20 original works. He also performed with Minnesota Ballet as principal dancer, Ballet Theater of Pennsylvania, Ballet Teatro Municipal de San Juan P.R., Danza Jazz de San Juan and in the European tour of West Side Story. He has appeared as guest artist in different companies such as Connecticut Ballet, Thomas Ortiz Dance, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, Westchester Ballet and Brooklyn Ballet. Eric had the pleasure of performing choreographies of Ann Reinking, Mark Morris, José Limon, Kenneth McMillan, Margot Sapinton, Graciela Daniel, Kevin Wynn, Vicente Nebrada, Talley Beatty and George Balanchine.
His works have been presented by Dance Iquail, Ashani Dance, Convergence Ballet, Owensboro Dance Company, CSU Fullerton, Western Kentucky University, University of Richmond, Orange County College, Purchase College, Virginia Commonwealth University, L2 Dance Theater, ACDA Baja Region, ACDFA Gala at Little Rock, AR, NY Summer Stage and the show They Called it Rock. His television appearances include PBS’ Setting the Stage, NBC’s 20th Hispanic Heritage Awards, Hispanic Day Parade with Brenda
Blackmon, Puerto Rican Day Parade with Ernie Anastos and the documentary "Pedro Ruiz Home Coming" among others.

Eric taught at Western Kentucky University as an Assistant Professor of Dance. In his creative work as well as in his teaching, he is constantly exploring ways in which to share his Hispanic heritage. Mr. Rivera is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teachers
Training Intensive in Primary through level seven of the ABT National Training Curriculum.