Celebritiz

A thrilling new addition has arrived in San Antonio’s Stone Oak area: Universe Dance School. What makes this new school particularly special are its two stellar founders, Gabriela Lugo Moreno and Miguel Alejandro López Jorge. Both began their dance studies in Cuba and have since established themselves as talented dancers and instructors in the United States.

This passionate couple realized their dream of finally having their own ballet and dance school, which officially opened on June 1, 2024, and is currently celebrating its one-year anniversary. We are immensely proud that they chose San Antonio to establish their vision. We recently had the opportunity to chat with them to learn more about their journey and their plans for the future.

Thank you both for agreeing to this interview. To start, where were you born, and how did you become interested in dance and ballet?

Gabriela: I was born in Havana, Cuba. From a very young age, I loved to dance; every time I heard music, it was enough to make me start moving. My parents, and especially my grandmother, noticed this. According to them, whenever I saw ballerinas on TV, I tried to imitate them. So, they decided to enroll me in a dance workshop at the National Theatre of Cuba. After a year, the dance teacher told my grandmother that I had more aptitude for classical ballet. That’s how I transitioned to the ballet workshop in the same theater with teacher Rosa Elena Álvarez. I started in the world of ballet at age four, driven by my desire to dance like the professional ballerinas I saw on television.

Miguel: From childhood, I felt a calling for dance. I participated in all artistic activities at school and always stood out for my dancing. At nine, I decided to try out for the Dance School, where I was accepted, taking my first steps in contemporary dance studies.

Where did you study dance?

Gabriela: I studied ballet at the National Ballet School of Cuba—five years at the elementary level and three years at the intermediate level. I was there from age 10 to 17, when I auditioned for the National Ballet of Cuba Company.

Miguel: I studied elementary dance for five years at the Vocational Art School of Santa Clara, followed by a year at the Samuel Feijóo Professional Art School. My last two years of intermediate level were completed at the National Dance School of Havana.

When did you arrive in the United States, and why did you settle in San Antonio?

Gabriela: I arrived in the United States four and a half years ago. We decided on San Antonio because we recognized it as a developing city with great opportunities for professional and artistic entrepreneurship.

Miguel: I arrived in the United States eight years ago. We both chose to start our lives in San Antonio due to the job opportunities that arose and the significant development the city is experiencing, which truly captivated our attention.

Tell us about your careers as dancers and instructors. Have you won any awards?

Gabriela: I began my professional dancing career in 2010 with the National Ballet of Cuba Company, graduating from the school with a Gold Diploma and participating in several national competitions. I won a silver medal in the Pas de Deux category and was a finalist in an international competition in South Africa. As a professional dancer with the company from 2010 to 2015, I performed soloist roles in choreographies such as “The Nutcracker” (Spanish dance and Flowers Waltz soloist), “Magissimo,” “Flora,” “Shakespeare and His Masks,” “Pictures at an Exhibition,” “Improntu Lecuona,” and other neoclassical pieces. From classical ballets, I danced “Giselle,” “Swan Lake,” “Don Quixote,” “La Fille Mal Gardée,” “La Sylphide,” “Coppélia,” and “Paquita.”

In 2015, I auditioned for the Acosta Danza company, becoming a founding member. There, I performed the Pas de Deux from the second act of “Swan Lake,” “The Dying Swan,” and a contemporary solo “Anádromos.” I was also invited by Carlos Acosta to participate in performances at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the “Carlos Acosta’s Farewell” program, where I danced the Pas de Deux from “Scheherazade” and a contemporary duet. At the company’s inauguration, I performed “Carmen” in Carlos’s version. I danced pieces like “Rooster” by Christopher Bruce, “Belle Letters” by Justin Parker, “Impronta” and “Niyinski” by Maria Rovira, “Alrededor no hay nada” and “Imponderable” by Goyo Montero, “Twelve” by Jorge Cresis, “100 años después” by Saburo Techikawuara, “Mundo Interpretado” by Juliano Nunes, “Soledad” by Rafael Bonachela, and “Paysage Soudain la Nuit” by Pontus, among others.

Then, in 2021, I arrived in San Antonio and began working at the San Antonio Ballet School. There, I have created classical and contemporary choreographies that have participated in several competitions with excellent results and won awards. Additionally, over the last two years, I have taught ballet and contemporary dance at the DeCruz Ballet School.

Miguel: My career has been very long and intense, starting from my school days where I participated in all national and international competitions. I recall my first award was in a provincial competition when I was very young, receiving the award for best male interpretation—at the time, the most coveted award in the event. Later, I began to stand out by creating my own choreographies, and I started traveling all over Cuba, conducting my own artistic workshops around the island. In Havana, I worked on music videos with various renowned singers such as Gente de Zona, Marc Anthony, Los Van Van, Luis Enrique (singer of ‘Yo No Sé Mañana’), and El Mola, among other artists in the industry.

I continued to participate in all annual competitions, always earning great awards. The last competition I participated in as a student was not as a dancer, but as a choreographer of my own piece, which I staged for the National Dance School (ENA). That piece won the award for best ensemble work. Among other awards, there was a piece called “Sahel-Continente Épico.” That same year, within the same competition, an improvisation contest was held, which I entered and won first place. Later, I auditioned for the highly regarded dance company Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, directed by Miguel Iglesias. I then joined that great company, where I began dancing and excelling in my work. I performed many important pieces and traveled to Russia for a highly successful tour in Moscow. After that, we were in New York, where we had another successful run, dancing many choreographies by important choreographers.

Here in the United States, I began to excel in all dance schools, teaching classes and staging award-winning pieces for competitions. I gained prominence in Austin and then began working in Mexico, teaching my art and giving classes in Mexican academies, notably a workshop at the Monterrey School of Music and Dance. Later, I worked in Los Angeles, spending significant time with Jacob Jonas The Company, an excellent dance company with great global prestige. I also worked with Diavolo Company, a company that participated in the America’s Got Talent competition in Los Angeles, showcasing my work through various photos with many high-category photographers, including New York Times photographers.

I went on tours throughout the United States, dancing at the Arizona Dance Festival, followed by many video projects. After COVID-19, I started working via Zoom with many academies all over the world as everything became digital. Through the camera, I executed a very important project where I danced in a large space, like a parking lot, with cars arranged in circles with their lights on, and we danced in the center with face masks, respecting the six-foot distance. It was an event covered by all Los Angeles media. Later, I continued working in Texas, pursuing the idea of expanding my concepts by creating a dance school. I’ve been working as a choreographer since I was very young and truly enjoy choreographing and sharing my ideas and art with everyone. Now, launching this school, I believe in it and in my art to share with all.

What inspired you to open your own ballet and dance school?

Gabriela and Miguel: For a while, we had been thinking about opening our own ballet school, but we hadn’t decided because we know how challenging it is to start and run a ballet school here in the United States. However, many people approached us, encouraging us and giving us the idea, especially given our expertise in both classical and contemporary dance. Furthermore, we have extensive experience working in different ballet schools in San Antonio and with many students. We have always loved to teach and impart our knowledge and experiences as professional dancers. This eagerness and desire to offer children and adults everything we know about the beautiful world of Ballet and Dance in general was the driving force behind our decision to create our own school.

What types of dances do you teach at Universe Dance School?

Gabriela and Miguel: At our school, we will teach Ballet for ages 4 and up, progressing through different levels, including pointe classes and classical variations. We’ll also offer classes for adults aged 18 and up with no age limit. Additionally, we’ll have Contemporary classes at various levels, physical conditioning and stretching classes, improvisation classes, Salsa, Hip-hop, Cuban Folklore, and Spanish Dance. We will also offer private lessons for anyone interested.

What message do you want to convey to the public?

Gabriela and Miguel: First, we want to thank all the people who have helped us and who are helping us take this big, important step. From our families to our friends, the teachers who will be instructing with us, and everyone who has given us the push to bring this dream to fruition.

We invite everyone interested in themselves or their children learning and experiencing this incredible world of dance in its various forms to come and enjoy our classes, and the knowledge we eagerly and passionately want to share. We are open to the entire public and aim to provide a wonderful experience with the entire Universe Dance School team and all the people who want to make this project unique and special.

We encourage everyone to register on our website, www.universedanceschool.com. We look forward to seeing everyone with great enthusiasm to dance!

Thank you so much, Gabriela and Miguel, for sharing your time with us, allowing the public to get to know you better. We know they’ll be excited to enroll their children in Universe Dance School. We truly believe you will have resounding success.

For more information on classes, please call 210-685-0914.