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Gregory Aaron

Gregory Aaron is Artistic Director of Atlanta Festival Ballet Company and Atlanta Festival Ballet School.  Since 1990, Mr. Aaron has guided the nonprofit company to its present status, budgeting for two major productions a year.  His primary focus is choreography and artistic involvement. The company is made up of professional dancers, complemented by serious student apprentices, who gain valuable experience and superior training in this endeavor. Many of Mr Aaron's students have been accepted to or received scholarships from major ballet programs and schools across the country.

Mr. Aaron began his training under one of the Southwest's leading choreographers Susan Francis.  He then went on to study under the founding director of Ballet El Paso at The University of Texas at El Paso, Ingeborg Heuser.  Both teachers had immense influence on his early training and inspired him to excel in the study of ballet and to become a professional dancer.  He was awarded a stipend scholarship to study at the Houston Ballet Academy, where he studied under Ben Stevenson, Clara Cravey, Eve Pettinger and Frederick Stroebel. In 1979, Mr. Aaron joined The Hartford Ballet as an apprentice and soon became a company member. In 1982, E. Virginia Williams invited him to join The Boston Ballet. Mr. Aaron began guest dancing and teaching in 1984. As a principal with the Ruth Mitchell Dance Company, he performed Sal Aiela's Nocturno at the Riverside Church Theatre. In 1986 he was asked to become a member of the Pacific Ballet Theatre (now known as Oregon Ballet Theatre) and was featured as the Nutcracker Prince in James Canfield's production of The Nutcracker. While there he also danced in Just For Fun, Peasant Pas de Deux, Cabacon and world premiere of Mr. Canfield's The Third Stage. 

Highlights of Mr. Aaron career include: Romeo and Juliet with The Hartford Ballet, Nutcracker Prince and Chinese in The Nutcracker, man at the table in the world famous ballet The Green Table, touring France, Milan, Rome, Venice, Naples and Reggio Calabria, Italy, Taormina and Palermo, Sicily, and Broadway's Uris Theatre, dancing with Rudolph Nureyev and The Boston Ballet in Don Quixote, Swan Lake and Giselle.

In 2001, Mr. Aaron was invited to dance, teach, and choreograph for Ballet Center of Cebu Philippines under the director of Madame Fe Sala Villarica.  Subsequently he choreographed the children’s fairy tale The Little Mermaid which toured to Dumaguete and performed at the prestigious Silliman University.  In 2003, he was invited by Girlie Royeca to stage and perform The Little Mermaid on the island of Mindanao, touring to Davao City, General Santos, and Cagayan de Oro.   Additionally he was invited to teach at the Cultural Center of the Philippines for Ballet Philippines. In 2005 Mr. Aaron returned to the Philippines to stage his latest ballet, The Jungle Book. In the fall of that year, he staged The Nutcracker (which has delighted audiences in the Southern Crescent of Atlanta for 19 years) which was performed in Davao City, Tagum City, and General Santos City.

In July 2006, Mr. Aaron was named co-artistic director of Balletcenter Cebu, along with Nicolas Pacaña.  Initial productions included the Philippine premiers of  Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, as well as the introduction of The International Summer Series which attracted  students from all over the Philippines.  Mr. Aaron divides his time between directing Balletcenter Cebu and Atlanta Festival Ballet. 

Gregory Aaron continues to perform, teach, produce, and choreograph a variety of works across the globe.  He has developed not only his distinctive artistic style but also his exceptional ability to prepare and produce outstanding ballet performances.

Jocelyn Buchanan

Ms. Buchanan is Co-Artistic Director of Atlanta Festival Ballet School and Atlanta Festival Balelt Company. She has been an advisor to the directors and has initiated many wonderful programs available throughout the school and company. Her responsibilities include student placement, evaluations and directing rehearsals.

Ms. Buchanan received her training from Pamelia Meadows in Arizona and Maria Vegh of Marin Ballet in California. She worked closely with Sally Streets from Berkley Ballet Theatre, and the noted ballerina Marina Eglevsky. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Arizona State University. Performing experience includes dancing with the Martha Graham Company and with the Murray Lois Company.

She has performed professionally with Atlanta Festival Ballet since 1994. Some of her most memorable roles include performing in Artistic Director Nicolas Pacaña's original works such as Summer's Eve, Woman of Crystals and Hold On; and in Artistic Director Gregory Aaron's Alice in Wonderland and Bella Amore. She is well known for her interpretations of Arabian in Atlanta Festival Ballet's The Nutcracker, and as the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty.

Nicolas Pacaña

Nicolas Pacaña is Artistic Director of Atlanta Festival Ballet Company and Atlanta Festival Ballet School. He teaches and choreographs for the company and the school and often performs principal roles with the company as well.  Mr. Pacaña began dancing under Fe Sala Viliarica of Cebu City in the Philippines.  After studying on scholarship with Patricia Stander in Los Angeles, he made his professional debut with the Honolulu City Ballet. In 1976, Mr. Pacaña joined The Boston Ballet as soloist and quickly rose to the rank of Principal Dancer. He became recognized among the finest classical danseurs.

Highlights of Mr. Pacaña's career with The Boston Ballet include Colas in La Fille Mal Gardee during a 12 week tour in China, the Middle East and Europe; his debut as Albrecht in Giselle for which he won critical acclaim; a tour of Europe with Rudolph Nureyev and The Boston Ballet that included such cities as Brussels, Milan, Rome, Sicily and London; and his performances of Espada and the Gypsy Boy in Don Quixote.

Mr. Pacaña joined the Atlanta Ballet in 1982 as a principal dancer and became well known for his interpretations of Prince Desire in The Sleeping Beauty; Taverna in Carmina Burana, and lead roles in Balanchine ballets such as Tarantella, Raymonda Variations and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. He established himself as the lead danseur for the Atlanta Ballet for 11 years,  while charming and fascinating audiences with his technical and artistic talents. In 1987, he was called upon to replace an injured Mikhail Baryshnikov in the Don Quixote Pas de Deux with only four hours notice during Baryshnikov's Atlanta tour. Mr. Pacaña has performed and taught all over the world. In 1985, he returned to the Philippines to perform with the Philippine Ballet Theatre at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Pacaña has had the distinguished pleasure to work with the following directors and choreographers:

Ben Stevenson (former director of The Houston Ballet), Sara Caldwell (former director of the Boston Opera), Yasuki Sasa from Japan, Violette Verdy (former director of Paris Opera and Boston Ballet), Choo San Go (former resident choreographer of the Washington Ballet), Glenn Tetley, Lynn Taylor Corbett, Michael Lavrosky (The Bolshoi Ballet), Pierre Locatte (Paris Opera Ballet), Tom Pazik, Bruce Wells, Dennis Nahat, Eric Cruz, Gener Carringal, Bronson (Denmark), Robert Barnet (Director Emeritus The Atlanta Ballet), Virginia Williams (founding director Boston Ballet).   

In 1993, Mr. Pacaña traveled again to the Philippines to teach and choreograph in his home country. In 1994, he returned to the U.S. and was named as Co-Artistic Director of Atlanta Festival Ballet and Atlanta Festival Ballet School. Mr. Pacaña has been prolific in developing stunning new ballets for the company. His Paganini was chosen to close the GALA at the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association Conference in 1994 and received stunning reviews.  His ballet’s such as Peter Pan, The Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Tchaikovsky have been commissioned around the world. 

 In 2001, Mr. Pacaña was invited by his former director and teacher  Fe Sala Villarica to return to the Philippines to guest dance and choreograph.  Since that time he has returned annually to stage productions of  repertory programs as well as The Little Mermaid,  Alice in Wonderland and The Nutcracker for Balletcenter in Cebu, The Royeca Schools of Ballet, Davao City, Tagum City and General Santos City. 

In 2006, Mr. Pacaña was named Co-Artistic Director with Gregory Aaron, of Balletcenter Cebu, located in Cebu City, Philippines.  The same year, Mr. Pacaña and Mr. Aaron introduced the International Summer Series in Cebu, which attracted students from all over the Philippines. Mr. Pacaña continues to direct Atlanta Festival Ballet. He remains in great demand as a guest artist and teacher.  His reputation as an outstanding choreographer continues to grow throughout the southeast and the world.