Artistic Director

Enrique Cruz DeJesus trained at Alpha Omega under the artistic direction of Co-Founder Ronn Pratt and Andy Torres while simultaneously studying at the Darvash School of Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem. As a dancer he worked with several modern dance companies and notable choreographers such as Eleo Pomare, Talley Beatty, Gary DeLoatch, Martial Roumain and George Faison. During this time, he began what became an active career as a choreographer, singer, actor and teacher in theater, film and concert dance and in 1998 became the Artistic Director of Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company.

Mr. Cruz DeJesus’ artistic goal is to devote his directing and choreographing styles to enhance concert dance with a liberal take on popular, urban contemporary, traditional and theatrical forms that create dramatic modern dance works that are equally accessible and entertaining to all audiences.

Under his direction, Vice Magazine said of the company “the works performed gave the viewer many gestures and poses choreographed for maximum effect that also looked exhaustively rehearsed and flawlessly executed. They are highly experimental in their own right as dance companies go, but they add a freshness to the tapestry of dance styles moving forward and affirming life, making even the most demanding choreography look and feel fun.”

Mr. Cruz DeJesus teaches master classes and workshops locally and nationally and served as choreographer and teacher at Howard University, George Washington University, North Carolina Central State, Durham University, Florida A&M University, DC Arts and the NYC Arts Connection. His work as a teaching artist has been recognized by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for his dance education work with inner city youth and has been further acknowledged by the New York State Council on the Arts where he served as a panelist.

He choreographed and staged The James Merrit production “From Africa to America” starring Award winning actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee and was the assistant director and choreographer for the workshop musical “Collapsing Universe” at Theater for the New City. He has choreographed productions of “Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night”, “Linnea” and “Jeremiah” off-Broadway at the Storm Theater, “Satin Slipper” at the Theater of Notre Dame, and “Radio Seranade” at the Medicine Theater in NYC. His work has been seen locally in the industrial marketing campaign for Wise snack products throughout NYC and nationally featured on the PBS documentary “Mi Mambo” based on the Harbor Conservatory in East Harlem, NY.

Mr. Cruz DeJesus continues to work in theater, film, and concert dance with theater credits that include national tours of Dreamgirls and Jesus Christ Superstar; the original production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem Variations performed at the Opera Omaha Theater; the New York City Shakespeare Festival’s Measure for Measure, produced by Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe; the European tour of Evita; the original workshop production of the Tony Award winning musical The Life, in which he was written as himself; Man of La Mancha at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey; Guys and Dolls performed at the Dallas Theater Center; The Who’s Tommy at Cherry County Playhouse in Michigan; South Pacific at Barrington Stage Theater in Massachusetts; Camila, Evita, and Miss Saigon at the Walnut Street Theater; Ragtime and the King and I at Fulton Opera House in Pennsylvania; Two Gentlemen of Verona the musical at Centerstage in Baltimore, MD; Aida at ArtPark; Black Nativity at the Duke Theater in NYC; Miss Saigon and Smokey Joe’s Café at the Virginia Musical Theatre; and Evita at Arvada Arts Center in Colorado.