Gustavo Ramirez Sansano

Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, born in 1978 in San Fulgencio, Spain, was Artistic Director of Luna Negra Dance Theater from 2009 until 2013, and now combines his work as a freelance choreographer with Proyecto Titoyaya, the Spanish dance company he founded in 2006 with Veronica Garcia Moscardo. Sansano has been the recipient of numerous awards for his choreography, including first prize at the 1997 Ricard Moragas Competition in Barcelona, 2001 Prix Dom Perignon Choreographic Competition in Hamburg, Germany, and Valencia performing arts awards for best dance show and choreographer in 2005 and 2019. Sansano was chosen by the magazine Por la Danza for its 15th anniversary issue, as one of the “Fifteen Choreographers to Watch”. Dance Magazine featured Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, then Artistic Director for Luna Negra, as “25 to Watch” in 2011, he was named a “Chicagoan of the Year in Arts & Entertainment” by the Chicago Tribune in 2012, and in June 2017 was chosen by the Associació Professionals Dansa de la CV (APDCV) for its 30th anniversary as “Outstanding Valencian choreographer”. He has been commissioned to create works for Alvin Ailey, Nederlands Dans Theater, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Luzerner tanz Theater, Ballet BC, Atlanta Ballet, and Ballet Hispánico. As a dancer, Sansano was part of the prestigious companies such as Víctor Ullate Ballet – Comunidad de Madrid, Nederlands Dans Theater II, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Also doing original works by Jacopo Godani, Hans van Manen, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Johan Inger, Paul Lightfoot, and Victor Ullate. Sansano created a few operas with Chicago Opera Theater conductor Andreas Mitisek, Opera Omaha, Opera Philadelphiawith, and Bard SummerScape both with James Darrah. He has worked with Luis Crespo and also collaborated with other artists including David Delfin, Angel Sanchez, Nicolas Fischtel, Bregje van Balen, Branimira Ivanova, and Gelson Amaran. Sansano has been invited to teach and choreograph numerous schools, universities and companies including Centro Coreográfico Galego, Scottish Dance Theatre, Conservatorio Superior de Danza de Valencia, Springboard Danse Montréal, The Juilliard School, Escuela Municipal de Música y Danza de Torrevieja, Institut del Teatre de Barcelona, DAF Dance Arts Faculty, California Institute of the Arts, Butler University, Escuela Moderna de Música y Danza, Ballet de Santiago, Copenhagen Contemporary Dance School, and The School at Jacob’s Pillow.