Meet our Faculty
Paulette H. Machicado Gonzales Director and Teacher
Paulette Machicado was born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia. She started her dance training at the Official Ballet School of Bolivia where she received scholarships in several years in recognition of her excellence in dance. Her training included classical technique, historical dances, character dance and physical conditioning. Upon her graduation she became a member of the Official Ballet Company of Bolivia where she danced as corps of ballet and soloist. She was also part of the professional contemporary dance company “Vidanza”, Principal Dancer at the dance company of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, guest artist at the National Folkloric Ballet of Bolivia and she was also a member of the Professional Dance Company “ARTE MÓVIDA” under the direction of Noreen Guzman de Rojas.
She was also part of international projects such as “Se buscan pretextos” by Fernando Hurtado (Spain), “Sobreposiciones” Manuela Berndt (Germany), “Ritmos Solares” by Konstantin Uralsky (Russia) and “Realidades” by Dayna Martinez (Germany) and Vincent Verburg (Netherlands). She also performed in international festivals such as Suma Qamana Festival (Washington D.C., USA), America do Sul Festival (Corumba, Brasil), FITAZ (La Paz, Bolivia), Circuito Argentino de Danza Contemporanea (Rosario, Argentina), International Dance Festival of the Center “Simon I. Patino” (Cochabamba, Bolivia), East meets West Festival (Rockland County, New York) and Jornada Cultural (Quito, Ecuador).
Some of the workshops she has attended include: 4th International Workshop of Contemporary Dance (REBECCA HILTON – AUSTRALIA), Workshop: Floor acrobatics, group acrobatics and scenic movement at “SIR. QUITO” (DANNY JUMBO: DIRECTOR / PABLO YÉPEZ “ INSTRUCTOR – ECUADOR), Workshop: Pantomime (Master class: Mime Bizot – FRANCE), Course in Introduction to Laban Notation (Master class: CLARISA FALCÓN – MEXICO), International Residence: Body and Performance (ELÍAS COHEN / SE-ROK PARK – JAPON), Workshop: Cultural Management (Master class: HAYDÉ LACHINO – MÉXICO), Workshop: Refresher course in Professional Classical Dance (Master class: CESC GELABERT – SPAIN), Composition and improvisation in contemporary dance (Master class: MARTIN LANZ LANDAZURI – MEXICO), Workshop: Forsythe technique and Improvisation Technologies (Master class: MANUELA BERNDT – GERMANY/ENGLAND), Contemporary Dance Workshop (Master class: RIINA SAASTAMOINEN – FINLAND), Contemporary Dance Workshop (Master class: FERNANDO HURTADO – SPAIN), Contemporary Dance Workshop (Master class: MARÍA JOSÉ RIVERA –BOLIVIA), workshop: Contemporary Dance, Introduction to Cunningham and Release techniques (Master class: ROSA MARÍA TORRES – ARGENTINA/E.E.U.U.), Workshop: Contemporary Dance and Graham Technique (Master class: ISABEL AILLON – BOLIVIA/MÉXICO), Workshop: Contemporary Dance and Authentic Movement (Master class: VINCENT VERBURG – HOLLAND / DAYNA MARTÍNEZ – GERMANY/BOLIVIA), among others.
She has also worked with kids of all ages, teenagers and adults, which allowed her to develop a unique point of view and approach to teaching dance. In this aspect, Ms. Machicado has performed duties not only as a teacher, but also as the director of the Dance Area at the Municipal School of Arts of El Alto (government-dependent institution). Some of the institutions where she was part of the staff include: Advanced Ballet technique teacher at the Official Ballet of Bolivia, Advanced Ballet technique teacher at E.M.D.A, Contemporary dance teacher for seniors at the “Academia de Danza Tradición y Talento”, Ballet technique teacher at Centro Integral de la Danza y Ballet Folklórico “Chela Urquidi”, Teacher at “Proyecto CONSTRUYENDO PUENTES”, Ballet technique teacher at the National Folkloric Ballet and Teacher at “Proyecto Educarte”.
As a choreographer, her original creation “Forgotten Memory” was the recipient of the Winner Award at the National Competition “EDUARDO ABAROA” – 2013 as “BEST CONTEMPORARY DANCE SOLOIST”. Other pieces she choreographed include: “Kusillo of the Andes” (Bendheim Performing Arts Center – New York), “Pascananita” (Rockland Community College Auditorium – New York), “Song of the Earth” (Peekskill, New York), “Pintame” (Port Chester, New York), “Fragua” (Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Bolivia), “Shy Being” (La Paz, Bolivia), among others.
Ms. Machicado is also an American Ballet Theatre certified teacher.
Mauricio Zenteno
Director and Teacher
He began his studies at the age of 12 with the founder and former director of the Official Ballet Company of Bolivia, Melba Zarate. In 2002, he was accepted as a student in the Official Ballet School of Bolivia, graduating only three years later. Upon his graduation, he was accepted at the Art Institute of Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he studied under the direction of Leandro Regueiro. At the end of the year, Mr. Zenteno was one of the three male dancers selected to represent the institute at a performance that took place at the Solis Theatre in Montevideo, Uruguay.
In 2007, he joined the company “Mariela Gonzales” where he dance the principal roles in the full length ballets Carmen, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. In 2009, he was accepted as a competitor in the Word Ballet Competition (Miami, Florida) and in 2010, he was also accepted in the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. That same year, he danced with Mystic Ballet (Mystic, Connecticut) where he had the privilege of working with choreographers such as: Gregor Thieler (Germany), Xanthe Geeves (Australia), Sergei Vanaev (Russia), Jozsef Csaba Hajzer (Hungary) and Sidra Bell (USA). Among the roles he danced in the United States, are Albrecht in Giselle, Prince in the ballet Snow White and Prince in A Mystic Nutcracker.
From 2012 to 2014, he worked for the Ballet of the Province of Salta, where he performed roles such as Petrouchka, Blue Bird, Pulcinella (Pierrot), Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty, among others. In 2014 he joined the National Dance Company/National Ballet of Argentina (Buenos Aires, Argentina) under the direction of Iñaki Urlezaga with whom he toured intensively throughout Argentina. In 2015, he performed the role of the Wolf in Peter and the Wolf with Ballet des Ameriques (New York) and he was also hired by Capezio School of Dance (La Paz, Bolivia) to perform the main role of The Nutcracker.
In 2016, Mr. Zenteno was invited by the Classical Ballet of UMSA (Mayor University of San Andres, Bolivia) to perform a pas de deux at the II International Festival of Interculturality in Sucre, Bolivia and he was also hired by “La Compania” (La Paz, Bolivia) to dance as Basilio in the full length ballet Don Quixote. That same year, Mr. Zenteno was hired by Ballet des Ameriques under “extraordinary ability” status in Port Chester, New York where he taught company class, danced with the company, and taught at the school.
Mr. Zenteno was also the winner of the Municipal Contest Melba Zarate (2011) with his contemporary choreography “Origen”, and he also won the national Bolivian competition Eduardo Abaroa 2015 (which is organized by the Ministry of Culture of Bolivia) receiving the award as the Best Soloist in Classical Dance.
Mr. Zenteno is also an American Ballet Theatre certified teacher.
