Dancer
Alfonso Figueroa's amazing dance career began within 36 months of intensive dance training with Jan Veen at the Boston Conservatory of Music as a full scholarship student when he received an invitation to join the up and coming Boston Ballet.
With the greatest desire to develop into a superb dancer he took his studies to New York City when ever possible. While studying with Richard Thomas and Barbara Fallis he was approached by Pearl Lang to join her modern dance company in New York City as a soloist. Grateful for the opportunity to expand his dance experience he accepted.
While performing with the Pearl Lang Dance Company, and simultaneously studying with Fallis and Thomas he was noticed by Elliot Feld who asked Alfonso to join the newly formed American Ballet Company. As a charter member he was an original cast member performing soloist roles in ground breaking pieces by Elliot Feld and was recognized by the New York Dance critics for his outstanding dramatic presence and performance. His success continued in Europe during the company's premier tour traveling to Spoleto for the international dance festival and onto other European countries.
During the American Ballet's, New York City season in City Center, Mr. Alvin Ailey discovered Alfonso and that same day came backstage to offer Alfonso a position with his company. Once again the desire to learn by working with the famous Alvin Ailey was an opportunity that Alfonso accepted immediately. Within a year and a half of departing the Boston Ballet to study in New York, Alfonso was traveling to the then "iron curtained" Soviet Union to perform. To standing ovations, he danced the grueling athletic role of "sinner man", in the now so famous signature piece, "Revelations".
While dancing with Alvin Ailey, Alfonso developed an interest in choreography. He was now an alumnus of a modern dance company, two ballet companies and an ethnic/contemporary dance company, a feat not attained by many dancers.
His desire to choreograph along with a knee injury brought him back to his first company, The Boston Ballet where Virginia Williams gave him the status of principle dancer and company resident choreographer.
From this point on, choreography would be his greatest love, but he continued to dance leading roles with critical acclaim by such illustrious choreographers as, George Balanchine, Agnes De Mille, Glen Tetley, and Merc Cunningham as well as classic roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Copellia and Nutcracker. Mr. Figueroa remained a dancer throughout most of his chorographic career. He retired from dancing in 1984, his choreographic work continues.