Leonard Cruz

Duke Visiting Professor of Dance

In this creative Lecture/Movement Discussion Leonard Cruz will lead participants through movement, storytelling, journaling and theatre exercises to examine the storyline of their lives. This Discussion is suitable for anyone interested in connecting art-making and life reflection, and is open for all students.

Leonard Cruz, Dancer, Choreographer, Community Activist, Guest Professor at Duke Univeristy
 
As an International Artist and Educator Leonard Cruz has throughout his life believed in three goals:

• to incorporate the rich and historical Southeast Asian thought and traditions into contemporary Western Dance and Improvisation
• to inspire mutual understanding between diverse peoples and cultures through movement within the University/School systems and the surrounding community
• to nourish the heart, mind, body and soul through somatic methods which strengthens and centers the body, mind and soul to efficiently move with total body awareness and control

Leonard Cruz was born in Pampanga, the Philippines and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He started dancing at the age of four learning Filipino and Hawaiian Folk Dances, as well as Ballet. In 1983 he was a Finalist in the Arts Recognition Talent Search Competition in Miami, Florida and was later named Presidential Scholar in the Arts where he performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree at U.C.L.A. in Dance in 1987 and in 2006 obtained his Master's of Arts Degree in Dance at U.C.L.A.

He has performed with Robert Wilson, Kei Takei's Moving Earth, Shapiro and Smith Dance, Sally Silvers, and for five years with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane and Co. In 1993 he moved to Germany and was a guest with Pina Bausch in Wuppertal and a member of the Folkwang Tanz Studio in Essen-Werden. From 1994-2001 he danced in the Bremer Stadttheater under the Directorship of Susanne Linke and Urs Dietrich.

He recieved the DanceWeb Prize in 1997 and 1998. Since 2001 Cruz has been freelancing in Essen, Germany. In 2004 Leonard was selected as Choreographer for the SIWIC Program in Zurich, Switzerland. He was also selected as a Bessie-Schoenberg Choreographer in Residence at the Yard in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts for 2005. In Germany he was named remarkable young choreographer from the critics in Ballett International/Tanz Aktuell 2005. He was also mentioned from 2004-2006 as one of 50 Important Choreographers in the German Tanz Platform. In summer 2006 he was an APPEX-Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles. Leonard is an M.F.A. Candidate at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee's Low Residency Program starting this summer of 2008.

He is grateful and thrilled to be a Guest Assistant Professor in Dance at Duke University this 2008-2009. In 1983 he was on full scholarship at American Dance Festival and lived and danced throughout the Duke Campus. In 1990, he returned as a Company Member of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane and Co. to perform at Duke for the ADF Festival. After 25 years, he is happy to be back and ready to share his Passion for dance with the Duke University community.