Israel Zavaleta Escobedo

Israel began his dance journey with his family’s company, Ballet Folklorico Texcoco de Noe Zavaleta, and took his first ballet class at the age of 10. He trained at Academia de la Danza Mexicana and furthered his studies through prestigious programs including Joffrey Ballet’s Summer Intensive and Idyllwild Arts Academy’s Summer Program.

 

He earned notable recognition in competitions, placing second at both the International Dance Competition Attitude and the Concurso Nacional de Ballet Infantil y Juvenil de México, and securing first place at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) semi-finals in Tampa. He also represented Mexico at the International Ballet Competition (IBC) in Jackson, Mississippi, and competed at the International Ballet and Choreography Competition (IBCC) in China. 

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Israel is certified by American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and teaches the Men’s Ballet Class for OBII, Trainees, and the Academy at Orlando Ballet School.

 

His repertoire includes numerous principal and soloist roles, such as Mowgli in Toni Pimble’s The Jungle Book, Jonathan Harker in Michael Pink’s Dracula, Nick Carraway in Artistic Director Jorden Morris’ The Great Gatsby, and Toulouse-Lautrec in Morris’ Moulin Rouge® – The Ballet, among others.