José Mateo

Cuban-born José Mateo holds a B.A. in Art History from Princeton University where he began his formal training in ballet and modern techniques. In New York City he studied diverse styles of ballet, performed and toured with several companies, and formed his own vision of contemporary ballet: A New Classicism. He is the founder and Artistic Director of José Mateo Ballet Theatre for which he has choreographed an extensive repertory of highly acclaimed works. The Company's presentations of his ballets have been repeatedly recognized alongside the work of international touring companies in The Boston Globe's "10 Best Dance Events" and he is a four-time winner of the state-recognized Fellowship in Choreography.

Mateo was named to the inaugural class of Barr Fellows by the Barr Foundation in 2005 and has served on the boards of the Boston Cultural Council, the Cambridge Arts Council, ArtsBoston, Boston Dance Alliance, Dance Umbrella, the Victoria Rowell Foster Children's Positive Plan, Homelessness Empowerment Project, and the Munez Academy. He is currently on the boards of Friends of Caritas Cubana, MASSCreative and the Friends of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School; and is the Treasurer of the Cambridge Arts Council Fund. He was honored by the Boston Dance Alliance as 2012's "Dance Champion" and was awarded Inquillinos Boricuas en Accion's 2012 Jorge Hernandez Leadership Award as well as the Cambridge Peace Commission's 2012 Peace and Justice Award. Most recently, Mr. Mateo was the recipient of the 2017 Commonwealth Award in achievement by the Massachusetts Cultural Council - the state's highest honor in the arts, sciences and humanities.