Xiomara Reyes, Head of The Washington School of Ballet, performed as a soloist and principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre for 14 years. She was born in Cuba, studied at Cuba’s National Ballet School, and later joined The National Ballet of Cuba, where she performed in the corps de ballet and as a soloist. She has also performed principal roles with the Joven Guardia de Cuba, under the direction of Laura Alonso, and leading roles as a soloist with the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium for seven years.
Ms. Reyes’ awards include the Gold Medal for the Best Soloist at the International Ballet Competition of Chiclayo, Peru; Best Couple Prize at the XIV International Ballet Competition Varna; Silver Medal at the Cinquième Concours International de Danse de Paris; and Second Prize at the International Ballet Competition of Luxembourg. She has danced internationally as a Guest Artist with numerous companies. In 2015, she danced the role of Katherine in The Washington Ballet’s premiere of Septime Webre’s Sleepy Hollow. The same year, she retired from American Ballet Theatre in the title role of Giselle. She continued to perform as a Guest Artist in national and international performances.
Ms. Reyes is also passionate about teaching and inspiring the new generation of dancers. Since 2013, she has been co-directing IBStage, a summer intensive in Barcelona, Spain, which aims to connect renowned professionals of the dance field with young talented dancers. In 2015, she directed From Studio to Stage in Hartford, where she staged Giselle, and she continues to give masterclasses internationally.