Victor Quijada

by Don Bondi

VICTOR QUIJADA  came to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in the 11th grade from East Los Angeles originally to be in the theatre program but was accepted in the dance program. His dance background at that time existed entirely of break (street) dancing.He soon showed and improved upon his nascent movement ability when Rudy Perez (teaching at the high school) decided to mentor him. He became an assistant to Rudy in the classroom and he along with 4 other students became the nexus for Kitetails, Rudy’s new company. Later Victor performed Rudy’s iconic Countdown and other dances by Perez. For one performance he danced with Elizabeth Streb when she was in Los Angeles at the Temporary Contemporary Museum.  He also performed in a piece choreographed by Don Bondi for Kaleidoscope just as he was about to be accepted in the Twyla Tharp touring company. Also, at that time, he spent a semester at California State University, Long Beach on scholarship, studying with Jeff Slayton.  Leaving college to tour with Twyla, he eventually moved  to New York City where he continued his dance studies with an emphasis in ballet. After a small set back with a broken foot he performed with Eliot Feld, and was accepted in Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal. Remaining in Montreal he started his own company, Rubberbanddance. Since establishing his company, he has gone on to receive choreographic commissions and honors becoming a sought after teacher and choreographer and of course a performer.

He has choreographed for Scottish Dance Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Peter Boal and Company to name a few.  And along with Anne Plamondon (a former ballet dancer with the Joffrey) his partner in dance and life, they have performed at Jacob’s Pillow, Rotterdam, Helsinki, Japan, Hawaii, Australia, and of course Los Angeles. He is nationally and internationally known having received the Princess Grace Awards’ choreographic fellowship, Britain’s National Dance Award for best modern repertory, Bonnie Bird North American Award, and the Peter Darrell Choreography Award in the United Kingdom.

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Categorized as: ARTIST, Ballet, Choreographer, Dancer, Modern, Teacher/Educator