Meet the creative team behind Carmen, To Havana And Back
Kaitana Magno
Creator, Writer, Producer, Director
has been at the forefront of immersive theater and nightlife as an Associate Director at NYC's hit immersive dinner theater sensation, Queen of the Night and Worldwide Artistic Director of an infamous bi-continental Theatre of Varieties (The Box). She has performed, choreographed, directed, and curated various high profile productions and events all over the world, is the co-founder of a new entertainment company, Variety Life Productions, and continues to create and collaborate with highly specialized production teams, entertainers, and performing artists on new works. Her credits include the Toronto International Film Festival, Monaco Grand Prix, Art Basel Faena, Stella Enterprises Prada Miu Miu Shanghai, L'EDEN Miami Perrier Jouët & Vanity Fair, Brit Awards Warner Music After Party London, Versailles Series Premier Ovation NYC, and Guy Laliberté’s One Drop Foundation NYC.
Ariacne Trujillo
Musical Director
Grammy Nominee Ariacne Trujillo Durand was born in Havana, Cuba. Beginning her career as a child prodigy, and graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in music and piano performance, she’s had a vast career as a concert pianist and composer. Since arriving to the USA in 2002, Trujillo has been one of the virtuoso pianists and singers from the New York Area performing in Worldwide Famous Jazz Festivals and Important Musical Collaborations with great artists like Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis & The Jazz at Licoln Center Orchestra, Jonny Pacheco, Paquito de Rivera John Scofield, Isaac Delgado and Esperanza Spalding. Ariacne joined The Pedrito Martinez Group and has since developed an astoundingly close musical connection.
Chelsea Ainsworth
Choreographer
is a graduate of the Dance Department of The Juilliard School. After graduating she worked with Johannes Wieland/StaadtstheaterKassel in Germany, Lorena Egan, Flexicure, Amber Sloan, Bryn Cohn + Artists and was on the modern/ballet dance faculty at Cap21 musical theater school and Chen Dance Center. Currently she is dancing with The Bang Group, as well as ZviDance. She’s also the co-founder and Executive Director of Arts On Site, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting artists of all disciplines by offering affordable studio space and hosting monthly events to encourage community collaboration.
Desiree Godsell
Choreographer
born and raised in Houston, Texas, graduated from the High School of Performing and Visual Arts and received a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Once moving to NYC, she began choreographing and dancing for the Atlantic recording artist Santigold, collaborating and touring the world for ten years. Simultaneously, Desiree began her salsa career straight at the top, partnering with the "Mambo King" himself, Eddie Torres. She's starred on Telefutura's "Quiero Ser Estrella", she was a Latin dance coach on two separate MTV MADE episodes, starred in LaMambopera off Broadway, won the Univision Latin dance competition with her partner Alex Morel, and most recently was a featured dancer in SHINE the movie. She tours, teaching and performing Bachata, Salsa, Cha Cha, and many other Latin dance styles at Latin Dance festivals all around the world working with many Latin recording artists and dancers. Considered one of the top artists in her field, Desiree also is a judge at the World Salsa Summit and the World Bachata Masters in Spain.
Adesola Osakalumi
Fight Choreographer
Adesola performed in and choreographed "Skeleton Crew" at The Atlantic Theater, was Movement Consultant in Ngozi
Anyanwu's "Good Grief" at The Vineyard Theater, and Movement Director for The Public Theater's groundbreaking production
of "Othello" directed by Ruben Santiago - Hudson. Additionally, Ade was in the revival of "EQUUS" on Broadway with Daniel Radcliff, and recently had a recurring role on "ICE" on Direct TV.
is an award-winning Actor,
Choreographer, Singer, and Dancer whose talents have garnered him
successes in Film, Television, and on Broadway. He was an Original
Cast member and the lead in the National Tour and 2nd Broadway
run of the Tony Award winning musical "FELA!"
Adesola also Co–Founded the legendary GhettOriginal Productions
Dance Company and was Co-director of “Jam on the Groove,”
the first ever Off Broadway Hip Hop theater production. It received a
Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Choreography. His work has
earned him a Bessie Award, and funding from the National
Endowment for the Arts. As a dancer, his appearances include
"Across the Universe", "Enchanted", "Idlewild", "Louis/The Great Observer"
MTV Music Video Awards, The TODAY Show, American Music
Awards, and others.
jimmy sutherland
Writer, Producer, Director
is a tap dancer, beat-boxer, percussionist, actor, director, composer, and producer based in New York City. He has performed in venues around the globe and has maintained a dedication to the rhythmic, performing, and dramatic arts throughout his career.
Max Pollak
Musical Supervisor, Choreographer
a prestigious name on the international tap and world music scene, is the only non-Cuban choreographer and member of Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Cuba’s famous Rumba ambassadors. Critics and peers worldwide acknowledge his superior musicianship and his highly individual style called “RumbaTap” - a pioneering blend of Afro-Cuban song and dance with American tap and body music. His innovative a cappella vocal arrangements received critical praise in The New York Times.Originator of Cuba’s first tap festival, he has been teaching and performing there since 1998.Among others, he worked with Gregory Hines, Buster Brown, Jimmy Slyde, Angela Lansbury, Chita Rivera, Chucho Valdés, Lila Downs, Ray Brown, Phil Woods, Paquito D’Rivera, Michelle Shocked.
He has performed as soloist with members of the Vienna, Berlin and New York
Philharmonic, London and Montreal Symphony, St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra, Les Violons Du
Roy and more. Many internationally acclaimed composers have written orchestral works
expressly for him.
Jessica Castro
Choreographer
The mother of a beautiful baby girl, was born and raised in Hartford Connecticut. She moved to New York City where she was immediately accepted into the Alvin Ailey American Dance program. Her career started as a Knicks City Dancer for the New York Knicks. Jessica has toured the world and danced for such artist as Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Pharell, The Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Kelly Rowland, Will Smith and Mary J Blige. She has also been featured on such shows as American Idol, SNL, Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, Ellen, Good Morning America, Americas Got Talent, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, and more. Jessica has had the pleasure of performing on two Super Bowl halftime shows with Janet Jacksonand Beyonce, and at The opening ceremony of The World Cup In Africa.
You can also see her in countless movies such as "Honey" where she was a principle dancer as well as Jessica Alba's dance double and in "Idlewild" where she played Bobbie the Showgirl. Jessica has been featured in several commercials, industrials and award shows. She was also in the smash hit "Fuerzabruta" in New York City. Jessica was honored to part of the amazing cast of the NBC Special event “The Wiz” Live. And you can catch her in the blockbuster hit “The Greatest Showman.”
Doron Perk
Choreographer
studied dance at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Israel, and received yearly scholarships from The America-Israel Cultural Foundation. After graduating in 2008, he danced in the Croatian National Theater in Split, Croatia; Compañía Nacional de Danza in Madrid, Spain; and Batsheva- The Young Ensemble in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 2016 he received an Extraordinary Ability in the Arts O1 Visa and was listed in "Best performers of 2016" by Dance Magazine. Doron is now based in New York City, dances in Zvidance, teaches Gaga, creates solo work and has ongoing collaborations.
