David Fernandez
Artistic Advisor, NYDT Ohman School of Ballet
Onstage
David’s most acclaimed choreography, Five Variations on a Theme, was created for New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Joaquin De Luz. The work premiered as part of the acclaimed Kings of the Dance tour. It was performed to standing ovations in NYC, LA, London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Kiev, and Odessa. Other notable choreography commissions include pieces created for leading dancers of the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Kings of the Dance Tour, Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, Youth America Grand Prix Gala Concert, and many others.
On Film
David is an award-winning filmmaker: His latest dance-on-film accomplishments include the Los Angeles Olympus Film Festival Award for Best Public Service Announcement. David’s award-winning short, Moving Though It — Phases of an Emergency Through Dance, uses a revolutionary approach of making a public service announcement through dance. Created and directed by David Fernandez, the project was commissioned and sponsored by the NYC Emergency Management and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.
Other film festival achievements include:
- Moving Through It; Official Selection Best Short Competitions, 2019
- White Shirt, Black Tie, Black Pants XXS, Director, and Choreographer. The short premiered at the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center in 2012
- Objects in Mirror are Closer Than They Appear, Director and Choreographer. Premiered at Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center in 2007
- Icarus APR, Director, and Choreographer. Premiered at Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center in 2009
In the Classroom
In addition to teaching at the Ohman School of Ballet since 2020 and sitting as New York Dance Theatre’s first Associate Director, David teaches and choreographs for Summer programs including Palermo Ballet Summer Intensive in Italy, New Zealand School of Dance and Academia de Danza Franck in México and is a teacher and filmmaker for the Westport Academy of Dance.
New Works
His newest works are for the Harvard Ballet Company, Dance film for New Jersey Ballet / Premier Spotlight, Virtual gala Center Stage presented by the Washington Ballet, Virtual performance for the Columbia Repertory Ballet, Resident Choreographer at IHeartDance NYC, Choreographer at American Repertory Ballet in Princeton, NJ., Choreographer of Opera Grand Rapids Pirates of Penzance 2022.
Ask la Cour
Artistic Advisor, NYDT Ohman School of Ballet
Ask la Cour was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and began his dance training at the age of eight at the Royal Danish Ballet School. He became an apprentice in 1998 & joined the Royal Danish Ballet 2 years later as a member of the corps de ballet. Mr. la Cour later joined New York City Ballet in 2002, was promoted to the rank of soloist in 2005 and became a principal in 2013 where he continues to perform featured roles.
While at Royal Danish Ballet Mr. la Cour performed featured roles in several of August Bournonville’s ballets, Napoli (Pas de six) A Folk Tale (Pas de sept), John Cranko’s Onegin (Lensky), Peter Martins’ Hallelujah Junction (Lead), John Neumeier’s The Odyssey (Telemachus) and Alexei Ratmansky’s Turandot’s Dream.
Other Performances
He performs and teaches throughout most of Europe, Asia & the United States. Is currently on the guest teacher faculty of Manhattan Youth Ballet and continues to give Bournoville seminars at New York University.
Co produced – Career Transition For Dancers 2014
Choreographies
Britten Re:imagined, Into Silence, Change of Heart (pas de deux), Forever and Purple Battalion for Manhattan Youth Ballet plus restaging his mom’s children’s ballet, The Ugly Duckling.
Honors
Royal Danish Theatre Award 1998, Edith Allers Memorial Award 2001, Birger Bartholin’s Memorial Award 2001, John Roager’s Memorial Award 2001 and a grant from Vibeke Roervig Foundation in 2013.
Biography
View Mr. Ask la Cour’s complete biography here.
Daniel Ulbricht
Artistic Advisor, NYDT Ohman School of Ballet
Daniel Ulbricht was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and began his dance training at the age of 11 at the Judith Lee Johnson Studio of Dance, studying with Lenny Holmes. He also studied at Les Jeunes Danseurs with Javier Dubraq and attended the Chautauqua Summer Dance Program, training with Jean Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride. In 1999, Mr. Ulbricht was invited by the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, to continue his training during their Winter Program. As a student at SAB, Mr. Ulbricht performed with New York City Ballet as a Jester in Peter Martins’ The Sleeping Beauty. In December 2000, he became an apprentice with New York City Ballet and in November 2001 he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. In January 2005, Mr. Ulbricht was promoted to the rank of soloist and principal dancer in May 2007.
Other Performances
Mr. Ulbricht has performed internationally as a guest artist, and is the founder and director of Stars of the American Ballet. He is the co-founding director and producer of Dance Against Cancer.
Honors
Mr. Ulbricht was the Janice Levin Dancer Honoree for 2003-2004.
Teaching
Mr. Ulbricht is the Creative Director of NYCB’s Family Saturdays program. Additionally, he serves as artistic advisor to Manhattan Youth Ballet and is the artistic director of the New York State Summer School for the Arts in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Biography
View Mr. Daniel Ulbrict’s complete biography here.
Da ‘ Von Doane
Artistic Advisor, NYDT Ohman School of Ballet
Da’ Von Doane began his training at the Salisbury Studio of Dance, where he trained with Betty Webster, Tatiana Akinfieva-Smith and Elena Manakhova. At age 15, he began training at Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theatre and joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) ensemble soon after. Still at a young age, he performed with Ballet Noir at East River Park as part of Summer Stage and Jacob’s Pillow, Becket, Massachusetts. In the fall of 2009, Mr. Doane began dancing as part of Dance Theatre of Harlem and began touring with the company as part of its Dance for America tour.
As a guest artist, Mr. Doane has performed with the Classical Contemporary Ballet Theatre, and with choreographer Ja’ Malik in 2009’s E-Moves Emerging Choreographers Showcase. In the summer of 2010, he performed once again with Ballet Noir in the 200th Anniversary Chopin Celebration and the 2010 World Dance Gala in Kielce, Poland. Joining the newly reborn DTH in 2012, Da’ Von was featured as one of Dance Magazine’s Top 25 to Watch in 2014 and in the dance web series For the Love of Dance with Sarita Lou. Da’ Von can be seen in Estelle’s new video for the single “Conqueror” from her new album True Romance, directed by Paul Jung. With DTH, Mr. Doane can be seen in various roles from Black Swan Pas de Deux, staged by Anne Marie Holmes, “Act III Pas de Deux” from Raymonda, Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven by Ulysses Dove and Balanchine’s Agon and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.
He was also part of Nacho Duato’s Coming Together and works by other choreographers such as Robert Garland, Tanya Wideman and Thaddeus Davis, Helen Pickett, Donald Byrd, Bill Wilson, Arthur Mitchell, Darrel Moultrie, Francesca Harper, and John Alleyne. Da’ Von performed this year as part of the Vail International Dance Festival’s International Evenings of Dance, as well as the NOW: Premieres program alongside dancers from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and other companies. As an independent artist, he has performed with numerous companies and worked with choreographers from around the globe, including New York Dance Theatre as the Sugarplum Cavalier and original works by Frank Ohman. Da’ Von Doane has also created a number of original dance works curated and presented by Bryant Park, Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center, DTH, Periapsis Music and Dance, Gold Coast Dance Festival, the CUNY Graduate Center, Composers Now Festival, and Symphony Space.
Eric Otto
Artistic Advisor, NYDT Ohman School of Ballet
Eric Otto, Artistic Director & Head of Curriculum Toledo Ballet, was born and raised in Westchester County, New York. He began dancing at the age of seven with the School of American Ballet in New York City. He has danced professionally with the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and BalletX.
He was an original cast member of Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away, performing the leading role of Sid. Mr. Otto was invited to join the cast of Tharp’s Movin’ Out where he starred in the Broadway and First National Tour companies as James. He has appeared on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera and toured with Twyla Tharp for her 50th Anniversary.
Mr. Otto has performed an extensive repertoire, including ballets by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Jiri Kylian, Kenneth MacMillan, and Jerome Robbins. He has danced roles created for him by Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Lynne Taylor-Corbette and Matthew Neenan.
Eric served as the Artistic Director of the Peoria Ballet in Illinois. He has also been a Ballet Master for BalletX in Philadelphia and taught on faculty at Ballet Academy East and Peridance in NYC. He is on guest faculty with The Rock School for Dance Education and the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago. Eric Otto is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 6/7 and Partnering of the ABT National Training Curriculum.
As a choreographer, Eric has received commissions by Peoria Ballet Company, Albany Berkshire Ballet, The Joffrey Academy Of Dance, Saratoga Arts Fest, The Bruce Museum, Bucknell University and Skidmore College.