On April 10 + 11, Dance Victoria concludes its 29th season of The World’s Best Dance with the Canadian premiere of Boca Tuya, a New York-based contemporary dance company led by visionary choreographer Omar Román de Jesús. While the company has toured extensively throughout the United States and South America, this Canadian debut marks a significant milestone and reflects Dance Victoria’s commitment to programming that pushes artistic boundaries, celebrates diverse voices, and ignites curiosity.
A queer Puertorriqueño choreographer and Artistic Director, de Jesús has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting new voices in American dance. A recent Artist-in-Residence at 92NY Harkness Dance Center, he has received numerous honours, including the 2023 Dance Magazine Harkness Promise Award, the 2022 Princess Grace Award in Choreography, and the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship.
De Jesús began his training in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and performed with Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico before continuing at The Ailey School. His career as a performer has taken him across the globe with companies such as Ballet Hispánico, Parsons Dance, and Yin Yue Dance Company. Today, his choreographic work is commissioned internationally, shaped by a distinct, sophisticated voice that blends cultural memory, surreal imagery, and bold physicality.
But rather than claiming the spotlight, de Jesús values a creative process rooted in shared authorship and communal voice. In a cultural moment focused on whose stories are told, and who gets to tell them, Boca Tuya, which translates as “your mouth” or “your voice”, centres the lived experiences of its collaborators. The company’s creations are grounded in life, in community, and in the belief that contemporary art should lift the voices of those too often unheard.
Audiences in Victoria will experience this ethos firsthand. The company’s program will feature three vibrant works: Los Perros del Barrio Colosal, Like those playground kids at midnight, and Caress them in a way that hurts a little; all rooted in the rhythms, storytelling traditions, and cultural heritage of de Jesús’ native Puerto Rico. De Jesús himself performs in Like those playground kids at midnight, a tender and intimate duet exploring vulnerability, connection, and the evolving dynamics of a long relationship.
“Omar Román De Jesús’ duet Like those playground kids at midnight blew me out of the water. His style […] is slithery and acrobatic. Cat-like. The chemistry between De Jesús and fellow dancer Ian Spring was electric, and the innovative partnering was playful and tender and rubbed up perfectly against Jesse Sheinin’s eerie musical score. The closing image—one man swinging the other in mid-air—brought to mind a figure skating death spiral, then a roundabout at a playground and then deep fear, and finally, the dizziness of young love. When this piece is performed again, I will be there.” – THE OBSERVER
Curator’s Note
“Omar Román de Jesús aspires to “give dancers and audiences a platform to dream without boundaries.” That, I can vouch, is how it feels watching this company on stage. You are dreaming, and anything is possible. This mixed program of contemporary works includes the visceral and energetic Los Perros, an ensemble piece showcasing human nature through the eyes of street dogs; an exquisite duet, featuring de Jesús, for two male dancers; and a powerful finale that will see the Royal stage transformed by gently falling snow.” – Gillian Jones, Dance Victoria Executive Director
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