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Corps de Ballet

Rui Cruz

Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rui Cruz grew up in a small town in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He began his dance training at the age of thirteen at Núcleo de Dança- Ador’art, and at fourteen he moved to the capitol of Rio de Janeiro, continuing his studies at Grupo Cultural de Dança-Ilha under the direction of Patrícia Marques. For five years he studied and participated in several national and international competitions. He won first place at the Festival de Danca de Joinville in 2019 the largest dance competition by number of dancers, as documented by Guinness World Records, he was also Top 12 at the Youth American Grand Prix Finals in 2020, 48th edition of Prix de Lausanne and the 49th edition of Prix de Lausanne, where he qualified as a finalist and received the Contemporary Dance Award by Minerva Kunststiftung.

At the age 19, Rui was named company apprentice at Miami City Ballet. He was extended an offer to join MCB as corps de ballet member shortly thereafter in 2021. 

In 2022 Cruz attended to Netherlands Dans Theater (NDT) Summer Intensive and also received the “Merito Legislativo” prize from Comendador Levy Gasparian’s Town

Roles Since Joining MCB

Ricardo Amarante
Delight

Margarita Armas
Análogo

George Balanchine 
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck, Divertissement)
Firebird
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® (Tea, Harlequin, Hot Chocolate) 
Jewels (“Diamonds”)
La Valse (First Couple)
Prodigal Son

John Cranko
Romeo and Juliet (Clowns, Montague Boys, Tarantella)

Amy Hall Garner
Resplendent Fantasy

Alonzo King
Following The Subtle Current Upstream (Soloist)

José Limón  
Chaconne

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Carmen (Rose Chorus)

Alexei Ratmansky
Concerto DSCH
Swan Lake (Neapolitan, Waltz, Globlets Dance)  

Jerome Robbins
West Side Story Suite

Jamar Roberts
Sea Change

Claudia Schreier
The Source

Pam Tanowitz
Coincident Dances

Twyla Tharp
In The Upper Room (Stomper)

Durante Verzola
PAGANINI, In Play (Pas De Trois)
Sentimiento

Cruz has an originated role in Ricardo Amarante’s Delight, Margarita Armas's Análogo, Amy Hall Garner’s Resplendent Fantasy, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Carmen, Pam Tanowitz's Coincident Dances, and Durante Verzola’s Sentimiento.