Carlos Agudelo, Artistic Director

Born in Colombia, South America, Mr. Agudelo began his training with the Atlantic Foundation for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, under the direction of Ruth Petrinovic. He received a scholarship to study at the Harkness Ballet School in New York City with David Howard. He danced with the Israel Classical Ballet in Tel Aviv, Israel. He danced with the International Ballet de Caracas under the direction of former Harkness Ballet dancer, Vicente Nebrada. With Ballet de Caracas, Mr. Agudelo toured all over the world including a season at City Center in New York. He performed in works by John Butler, Margo Sappington, Vicente Nebrada, George Balanchine and Alvin Ailey who coached him in Mr. Ailey’s ballet The River. He also danced with Ballet Hispanico of New York under the direction of Tina Ramirez, in works by Tally Beatty, Jeoffrey Holder, Lynn Taylor Corbett, and many other innovative choreographers. He has danced throughout Europe, the Philippines, Taiwan, Canada and Mexico. He has been Ballet Spartanburg’s Artistic Director since 1991. He developed Ballet Spartanburg’s pre-professional ballet program which feeds the company. His choreography includes: Nutcracker, Coppelia, Peter and the Wolf, Fairy Tales (The Magic Pearl), Lost Letters of Santa Agua, Tribute to Gershwin, Walking on Air, Altered States, Carmina Burana, The Hobbit, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and West Side Story. Under his direction, Ballet Spar­tanburg has performed at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, the Koger Center in Columbia, the Peace Center in Greenville, in Tryon and at the Foundation for the Performing Arts in Rutherford County, NC. Also under his direction, Ballet Spartanburg has performed his choreography in Operas for the Converse College Petrie School of Music including: Oh Susannah, La Traviata, Carmen, and Hansel and Gretel.