Orlando Pena: director
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Owner / Artistic Director
- 1997-2020 - Artistic Director/Choreographer at Ovations Dance Academy Inc., Bohemia, NY
- 2013-2020 - Artist in Residence at East Woods School
- Principal Dancer (Soloist) Windermere Ballet Theatre
- Touring Companies: A Chorus Line, Music Man, Oklahoma, Andrew Webber's Starlight Express - Bochum, Germany
- Member of The Actors Equity Association
- Committee Member at Patchogue Theater
- Board Member of The Brookhaven Arts Council and Humanities
- Honoree of Patchogue Village Contributor of the Arts
- Sachem School District, NY
Orlando Peña's Complete bio
Mr. Orlando Peña is the former Artistic Director/Choreographer of Ovations Dance Academy, Inc. of Bohemia, NY from 1997-2020, and was an Artist in Residence at East Woods School in Oyster Bay, NY for seven years. Additionally, he founded Ovations Dance Repertory Company, a non-profit organization, in 1997.
A member of The Actors Equity Association, Mr. Peña has toured the United States and Europe performing and choreographing with numerous dance companies. His ballet credentials quickly progressed from a corps de ballet to a principal and soloist with The Windermere Ballet Theatre under the direction of the late Sally Hammond. After the company, he continued touring with A Chorus Line, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express in Bochum, Germany.
Since founding Ovations Dance Academy, Mr. Pena has trained and guided students who have been accepted to The Vail International Dance Festival, The Rock School in Pennsylvania, American Ballet Theatre of Alabama and Bermuda, USDAN, Alvin Ailey, The Boston Ballet, American Academy of Ballet, The Joffrey School, and the Orlando Ballet. His students can be seen on both Broadway and National Broadway Tours, cruise ships, national commercials, and HBO movies in featured roles.
Ovations Dance Repertory Company established a reputation in the tri-state area for the pre-professional quality of musical theatre productions. Since 1997, it produced over 20 musicals in addition to the yearly Nutcracker Suite productions, all under the direction of Mr. Peña.
Most recently, as Artistic Director of the fashion show for the charity event, "A World of Pink," Mr. Peña helped raise $100k for breast cancer survivors. Prior to that, he directed and choreographed "Did You Talk to Him Today?" which raised $30,000 for local homeless charities. Mr. Peña also directed the Dr. Patrick Dineen Memorial Foundation, who’s meaningful mission is to bring happiness to both children and adults who are battling cancer in the forms of gifts, granting wish requests, and much more. Mr. Peña has served as a volunteer of The Patchogue Theater Committee as well as a Board Member of The Brookhaven Arts Council and Humanities.
In December of 2019, Mr. Peña was honored with a proclamation from Mayor Paul Pontieri of The Village of Patchogue, NY for twenty years of his contribution to the arts within the community. Mr. Peña has also worked with Sachem School District on Long Island to bring performing arts into the schools within the district.
During the Covid-19 closure in New York, Mr. Peña made a decision that it was time to be closer to his family in Tampa. The universe opened a new door for him, and he sold his business and home on Long Island to create a new path in the Sunshine State.
With his exuberant energy and love for his students and the arts, it is no wonder why Orlando is highly respected and admired in the industry. Come meet him and get to know him for yourself!
A member of The Actors Equity Association, Mr. Peña has toured the United States and Europe performing and choreographing with numerous dance companies. His ballet credentials quickly progressed from a corps de ballet to a principal and soloist with The Windermere Ballet Theatre under the direction of the late Sally Hammond. After the company, he continued touring with A Chorus Line, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express in Bochum, Germany.
Since founding Ovations Dance Academy, Mr. Pena has trained and guided students who have been accepted to The Vail International Dance Festival, The Rock School in Pennsylvania, American Ballet Theatre of Alabama and Bermuda, USDAN, Alvin Ailey, The Boston Ballet, American Academy of Ballet, The Joffrey School, and the Orlando Ballet. His students can be seen on both Broadway and National Broadway Tours, cruise ships, national commercials, and HBO movies in featured roles.
Ovations Dance Repertory Company established a reputation in the tri-state area for the pre-professional quality of musical theatre productions. Since 1997, it produced over 20 musicals in addition to the yearly Nutcracker Suite productions, all under the direction of Mr. Peña.
Most recently, as Artistic Director of the fashion show for the charity event, "A World of Pink," Mr. Peña helped raise $100k for breast cancer survivors. Prior to that, he directed and choreographed "Did You Talk to Him Today?" which raised $30,000 for local homeless charities. Mr. Peña also directed the Dr. Patrick Dineen Memorial Foundation, who’s meaningful mission is to bring happiness to both children and adults who are battling cancer in the forms of gifts, granting wish requests, and much more. Mr. Peña has served as a volunteer of The Patchogue Theater Committee as well as a Board Member of The Brookhaven Arts Council and Humanities.
In December of 2019, Mr. Peña was honored with a proclamation from Mayor Paul Pontieri of The Village of Patchogue, NY for twenty years of his contribution to the arts within the community. Mr. Peña has also worked with Sachem School District on Long Island to bring performing arts into the schools within the district.
During the Covid-19 closure in New York, Mr. Peña made a decision that it was time to be closer to his family in Tampa. The universe opened a new door for him, and he sold his business and home on Long Island to create a new path in the Sunshine State.
With his exuberant energy and love for his students and the arts, it is no wonder why Orlando is highly respected and admired in the industry. Come meet him and get to know him for yourself!
Ovations Staff and Guest Artist:
Inof not posted yet.
Seth Finney: (Acro)- Started his movement in sports with Taekwondo. A full-time staff member at Finney’s Tiger-Rock Martial Arts. He found sport tricking which blends martial arts gymnastics and breakdancing. He has been teaching both since 2016.
Junie Marsh (Ballet) is a Caribbean-born, California-raised, dance teaching artist, wife and mother. She holds a BFA in dance choreography from Arizona State University. She has taught technique classes for the past 16 years in New York including ballet, movement therapy, ballroom,. She is the business owner of Enhance Your Dance, instructing private lessons for weddings, and a certified breath work practitioner. Her career as a performer lead her to working with companies such as Delfos Danza Contemporanea of Mazatlan, Pilobolus Dance Theater, Kennedy Dancers, Kathleen Dyer with KDNY, and Vissi Dance theater, touring abroad. She's excited to dance a grow with the Tampa community. Thursday class 9:30-11
Guest Artist: Kenny Michae Murray:
Guest Artist: Kenny Michae Murray: