Angel “Tommy” Laza
Artisan Ballet Company Director
Artisan Ballet Instructor
Tommy started his ballet training at the Escuela Vocacional de Arte Raúl Sánchez in 1997 and continued at the Escuela Cubana de Ballet in Havana, Cuba. He joined Ballet Nacional de Cuba and danced soloist roles in different countries in Latin America and Europe. Some of his teachers at the Escuela Cubana de Ballet and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba include Mirtha Hermida, Ramona de Saa, Fernando Alonso, Loipa Araujo, Josefina Mendez and Alicia Alonso. In June 2003, he joined Ballet de Monterrey as a Soloist and worked with teachers such as Robert Hill, James Kelly, Jorge Amarante, Yuri Possokhov and Luis Serrano, just to mention a few. In December 2007, he was promoted as Principal Dancer until 2013 when he moved to the United States. In June 2010, Mr. Laza was part of the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was a semifinalist.
While in the United States, Mr. Laza has danced as guest artist for numerous companies including Arizona Ballet, Canyon Concert Ballet, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Houston Grand Opera and Colombian Folkloric Ballet (CFB). In 2014, he joined Ballet Spartanburg as Principal Dancer. Mr. Laza is Associate Artistic Director, Choreographer and Lead Principal Dancer for the CFB’s “Mi Colombia” musical. Some of the leading roles in classical repertoire Mr. Laza danced with Ballet de Monterrey include La Bayadere, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Diana and Acteon Pas de Deux and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. He has starred in modern ballets including Western Symphony, Assai, Sinergia, Uma Batida Diferente, Huapango, Danson and Esencia.
