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Balasole Founder and Fine Arts Instructor Roberto Villanueva Receives Distinguished Alumni Award

11/21/2013

Riverdale, N.Y. – Roberto Villanueva, Founder and Artistic Director of BalaSole, the University of Mount Saint Vincent’s dance company-in-residence, was honored with a “Distinguished Alumni” award from the University of Buffalo’s Department of Theatre and Dance, as an alumnus of their 40-year-old resident credited performance company on November 16, 2013.

Mr. Villanueva received the award for demonstrating a significant impact on dance as an art form; academic and artistic excellence; the potential to inspire and enhance the lives of future generations; worthiness of national and international recognition; and willingness to support artistic and educational endeavors.

“Your enthusiasm, outstanding mentorship of artists, and expertise in your field are most forceful combination of attributes – ones that will serve as examples of excellence for generations of working professionals who serve in the arts and in higher education,” according to the statement by the University of Buffalo’s Department of Theatre and Dance.

BalaSole is the only professional dance company in the United States whose mission is to be entirely inclusive of every individual’s unique traits. This October, the Company presented Visages at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in Manhattan. Its past seasons have been presented at venues including Baryshnikov Arts Center’s Jerome Robbins Theater, New York Live Arts, and Tribeca Performing Arts Center.

About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of  study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.