Natalia Alonzo-Brillante

Photo: Kristin Lodoen.

Natalia Alonzo-Brillante, was born in Bushwick, Brooklyn and began her journey with dance at the age of three. Her background includes extensive training in classical ballet, modern dance, and Flamenco. Alonzo-Brillante studied ballet with the late David Howard, Nancy Bielski, Marina Stavitskya, Michael Vernon, and Anna Lederfeind, among others. She studied contemporary dance at the Martha Graham School and has spent over 30 years of her career learning and performing the technique and repertoire of Isadora Duncan. Alonzo-Brillante trained in flamenco and classical Spanish dance with the late Jose Molina, Mariano Parra, and Liliana Morales.

After graduating high school Alonzo-Brillante continued her professional training at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance while completing a BA in foreign languages at Hunter College. Upon completion of her dance studies, she was invited to partake in the premier historic reconstruction of Martha Graham’s 1934 ballet Panorama in which she performed with the Graham Company for two consecutive seasons at New York’s City Center as well as the Spoleto Festivals in the United States and Europe.

Alonzo-Brillante danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet at Lincoln Center for 5 years in productions of La Traviata, Turandot, Tannhauser, I Vespri Siciliano, and Carmen. Her performing career also includes work with numerous local dance companies including Dances by Isadora, Catherine Gallant Dance, The American Bolero Dance Company, Danzas Espanolas, the Off-Broadway production Flamenco Extravaganza, and Ballet Fiesta Mexicana, among others. Some of her favorite performance memories are dancing in the great outdoors at Jacob’s Pillow, Lincoln Center Outdoors, Bethesda Fountain Terrace, Historic Greenwood Cemetery, Prospect Park, and The Yard at Martha’s Vineyard.

Alonzo-Brillante is an ABT Affiliate Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT National Training Curriculum. She began teaching in 1994 at Ballet Academy East and Discovery Programs in NYC. In 1996, at the age of 25, she accomplished her childhood dream of opening American Youth Dance Theater. Since then, the school has undergone four expansions and continues to grow. Over the years, Alonzo-Brillante’s greatest joy as a teacher has been seeing children of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of ability discover the gift of self-expression through dance and music. It has been a special and joyful experience to witness students growing from the toddler programs all the way through high school graduation, and seeing how involvement in the arts helps children develop into disciplined and dedicated young adults with a strong sense of respect for self and others.

Along with directing American Youth Dance Theater, Alonzo-Brillante has also guest taught and conducted multicultural dance performances and lecture demonstrations in public and private schools throughout New York City through programs including Young Audiences and Arts Connection.