STAFF
Arthur
Avilés
he/him/his
Artistic Director
Arthur Avilés is an internationally renowned gay New York-Rican dancer/choreographer, born in 1963, Jamaica Queens. Raised in Brentwood Long Island and Bronx Park East. He is the founder of his contemporary dance company, Arthur Avilés Typical Theatre (AATT) and co-founder with Charles Rice-González of BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance.
Charles
Rice-González
he/him/his
Executive Director
Charles Rice-González, born in Puerto Rico and reared in the Bronx, is a writer, long-time LGBTQ activist, and co-founder with Arthur Aviles of BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance. He is an Asst. He is a professor at Hostos Community College – CUNY where he teaches in the English Department. His novel, Chulito, received recognition from the American Library Association and the National Book Critics Circle.
Marcus
Gualberto
he/him/his
Deputy Director
Born in Manila, Philippines, Marcus Gualberto is a freelance director and an advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality for theatre artists on and off stage. Marcus co-founded Regeneration Theatre and directed The Shadow Box, As Is, and Small Craft Warnings. Recent: world premiere of Deny We Were by Joe Moe (The Wild Project); Nélida Tirado's autobiographical flamenco-infused dance theatre piece Dime Quién Soy? (Hostos Center for the Arts). Marcus currently lives in The Bronx.
Cora
Hyatt
they/them/theirs
Development Associate
Cora Hyatt is, among other things, a poet, artist, and BAAD’s Development Associate. Originally hailing from southern Indiana, they spent the last 4 years in Portland, Oregon before moving to New York. They are a graduate of the University of Portland, where they majored in English and German studies. Their passions include their cat Disco, arts accessibility, and iced lattes.
Heather
Robles
she/her/ella
Artistic Programming Manager
Heather Robles is a nondisabled queer Latinx cis woman of Indigenous Mexican descent and a dance educator, teaching artist, producer, and advocate for mental health in the dance field. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Alma Dance Company, and the Executive Director of the New York Dance & Performance Awards, The Bessies. A Brooklyn-based choreographer and performer, she has worked with many artists including Yvonne Rainer, Sidra Bell, Pavel Zûstiak, Nathan Trice, DANCENOISE, André M. Zachery, Buglisi Dance Theater, Soluq Dance Theater, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Suzzanne Ponomarenko Dance, and The Equus Projects. Heather is also an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Marymount Manhattan College.
Kamila
Sanchez
she/her/hers
Programming Assistant
Kamila Sánchez Viñas is pursuing an associate's degree in the Liberal Arts and Sciences program at Hostos Community College with the goal of continuing undergraduate studies in the STEM field. She is passionate about representing marginalized Hispanic American and Caribbean identities in the United States. Kamila has assisted in the planification and execution of various events and community services in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. These experiences have been part of her training in programming and production. Currently, Kamila works as a programming assistant with a focus on culture, dance, and art through equity and social respect.
Alexander
M
he/him/his
Alexander M is a proud Queens native now residing in the Bronx where he works as BAAD!’s dynamic Marketing and Communications Associate. He is a CUNY alum, where he majored in Digital Communications and Culture at Baruch College. With a background working with community organizations, Alexander focuses on aligning branding efforts with the values of diverse audiences. When not laser-focused at his desk, you can overhear him sharing his hot takes on the latest pop culture happenings.
Marketing & Communications Associate
Chanel
Samuels
she/her/hers
Chanel Samuels is an NYC native with a love for all things art - trying her hand at everything, including filmmaking, painting, and creative writing. As a SUNY Purchase alum, Chanel is very excited to again be immersed in a community that prides itself on inclusion and self-expression in the performance arts space. She is eager to play a key role in supporting the operational excellence of BAAD!
Administrative Assistant
Felipe
Maysonet
he/him/his
Consultant: Development & Cultivation
Felipe Maysonet is the Development and Cultivation Consultant at BAAD! Felipe holds a degree in Public Relations, Media Communication, and Journalism, all of which allow him to bring his eclectic, gritty, and innovative experiences to his field of work. He is a member of the Ballroom community, the “House of Xtravaganza,” and is a mentor to those who seek equality and introspection. In addition, he has volunteered with advocacy groups fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights, women's rights, HIV/AIDS awareness, disability rights, and social/criminal justice reform. Combining his passion for the arts and his community, he is proud to have joined BAAD’s mission of expanding opportunity in the arts for the LGBTQIA+ and B.I.P.O.C communities.
Zee
Hanna
she/her/hers; they/them/theirs
Production & Tech Coordinator
Zee Hanna is a light designer and performer originally from Florida and currently working in Brooklyn. As a light designer, she aims to turn the atmospheric qualities of light into their own breathing character in support of and conversation with the rest of any performance. As a performer, her work explores grief and the countless living ghosts of our everyday lives, and she believes the best theatre has some combination of love, a haunting, and a blood ritual. She encourages her audience to join her in experiencing these aspects of her performances, to ask themselves what roles they play in the silent griefs of those around them in the hopes that we may all come closer together. Zee holds an MFA in theatre and performance from Sarah Lawrence College, and has light designed and performed at the Kraine Theater and The Tank.
BOARD
-
Barbara Berliner
she/her/hers
Chair
Barbara is a born and bred New Yorker who is passionate about enriching cultural life in the city and further afield. She is honored to be part of the BAAD! family since its inception in 1998.
-
Bryan Glover
he/him/his
Board Member
Bryan E. Glover is an independent arts producer of dance, performance art, theater, music, and film, as well as a seasoned manager for multiple nonprofit arts organizations. He is a founding member of the Obie award winning theater producing collaborative Harlem9, and served as a founding board member of Freedom Train Productions, the groundbreaking Black LGBT theater company based in Brooklyn in the mid 2000’s.
-
Christine Licata
she/her/hers
Board Member
Christine Licata is an Independent Curator and Arts Consultant. She has served as the Executive Director at No Longer Empty, Director of Community and Public Programs at The Bronx Museum, Director of Performing and Visual Arts at Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education, Associate Director of Visual Arts at the Boston Center for the Arts, and Chief Curator at Taller Boricua Galleries in Spanish Harlem. As an Art Writer and Critic, she has been published in exhibition and artist catalogs as well as written for Artlog, Degree Critical, PERFORMA 07 and Art on Paper. She has a BFA from Parsons The New School for Design and an MFA in Art Criticism and Writing from the School of Visual Arts. She is an active Board Member of The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center and The Literary Freedom Project as well as The Community Advisory Council and Steering Committee for El Museo del Barrio.
-
Ed Laboy
he/him/his
Board Member
I am a Native New Yorker with a Fordham Degree and Harvard Fellowship. The Degree and Fellowship would not have happened if James Baldwin had not insisted. I continue my education.
-
Elvin Garcia
he/him/his
Board Member
Elvin Garcia is a government affairs professional and community organizer with over 10 years of experience in local and state government, various political campaigns, and strategic project management. Currently, Elvin is the Director of NYC Affairs at Tonio Burgos & Associates, one of the top 50 public affairs firms in New York. Most recently, Elvin was a Presidential Fellow at Open Society Foundations (OSF), a two-year executive office residency focused on international social justice, human rights, and good governance. Elvin is a graduate of the Colin Powell School of the City College of New York, obtaining a Master of Public Administration (MPA).
-
Reginald Bullock Jr.
he/him/his
Treasurer
Reginald Bullock Jr. Mr. Bullock has been a board member since 1997. Mr. Bullock currently serves as General Counsel for One Brooklyn Health System. He was formerly General Counsel at Nassau University Medical Center and a Senior Associate General Counsel at Northwell Health between 2000 and 2014. Prior to working in-house, Mr. Bullock was a partner at Wood, Rafalsky and Wood engaged in corporate, real estate, finance, licensing transactions. He received his law degree from the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Bard College.
-
Timothy Dobney
he/him/his
Board Member
Tim is an Australian finance professional living and working in New York. Tim joined BAAD in 2017 and chairs the finance and audit committee.
-
Yoseli Castillo
she/her/hers
Secretary
Yoseli Castillo Fuertes is an Afro-Dominican lesbian poet and NYC public school teacher. She has been a LGBTQ+ and immigration rights activist for over 25 years in New York City. Her proudest achievement is to be Elena's mami.