San Antonio Dance’s mission is to inspire and promote the appreciation of dance through artistic excellence. To this end, we will offer productions of professional caliber, engage in meaningful collaborations, celebrate the diversity of our community, and illuminate an accessible, equitable pathway which promotes cultural awareness.

Through dance, we will enrich and strengthen the creative landscape in San Antonio, making the performing arts available to all.

Quenedit Dance Theatre was founded as a non‐profit 501(c)(3) organization in May 2014 by Artistic Directors, Catalina Garza and Ernesto Quenedit. QDT’s premier performance was The Nutcracker Ballet in December 2014, and The Nutcracker has been performed by the company each year since then. As the company grew, a spring show was added to the company’s season in the spring of 2016. The following year, the company wanted to include more of the San Antonio dance community in their spring performance, and by doing so, the San Antonio Dance Festival was born.

By 2019, the San Antonio Dance Festival had become an international event, hosting dancers from all over the world, In October 2022, it was decided to officially adopt the name San Antonio Dance as a DBA of Quenedit Dance Theatre. Even though we will be operating under a different name, we will continue building our pre-professional dance company, participating in community outreach programs, and offering high quality performances such as The Nutcracker Ballet and the San Antonio Dance Festival.

Quenedit Dance Theatre has always been committed to the diversity of our San Antonio community and will continue to embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for all cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds.

CATALINA GARZA, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, trained professionally and graduated from the Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey which is part of Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (class of 1990).

Following graduation, she joined Ballet of Monterrey performing a long list of roles in major ballets. In 1995, she joined the National Company of Dance in Mexico City and later traveled to the United States to dance with The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago under the artistic direction of Gerald Arpino.

Some of her roles include Mr. Arpino’s Confetti and Light Rain and the role of Sugar Plum in Joffrey’s Nutcracker. She also performed for Ballet Met in Columbus, OH and The Lyric Opera of Chicago. Ms. Garza has toured internationally and danced in such countries as Mexico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Israel.

Ms. Garza has had teaching experience both in Mexico and the United States and has staged, directed, and choreographed such projects as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Beauty and the Beast, the Nutcracker, and Etudes. She has coached students who placed in and won the junior and senior divisions in the Youth America Grand Prix.

Ms. Garza moved to San Antonio, TX in 2010 and co-founded Quenedit Ballet School with her husband, Ernesto Quenedit. Since the school’s inception, the students have had the opportunity to perform a vast repertoire of works in many dance genres.

In 2014, she became co-founder and artistic director of Quenedit Dance Theatre’s non-profit pre-professional dance company. QDT’s premier performance was The Nutcracker Ballet in December 2014 featuring over 100 young dancers. As the company grew, a spring season was added to include the multi-day San Antonio Dance Festival drawing international and national dancers of all ages.

ERNESTO QUENEDIT is a native of Havana, Cuba where he graduated in 1984 from the National School of Ballet as both a dancer and teacher having trained under the direction of Alicia Alonso. He then became a member of the National Ballet of Cuba, where he was promoted to principal dancer in 1990. Mr. Quenedit toured Latin America, Europe, and Asia with the National Ballet of Cuba and later traveled to Mexico where he danced with both the Ballet of Monterrey and The National Company of Dance.

In 1996, Mr. Quenedit joined the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago under the direction of Gerald Arpino. He also performed as a principal dancer with Arizona Ballet, and it was the Don Quixote Pas de Deux that introduced him to audiences of Ballet Met in Columbus, OH. He later danced for three seasons with the Chicago Lyric Opera. Mr. Quenedit has danced extensively in the United States as a guest artist at ballet companies such as Tulsa Ballet, Peoria Ballet, Salt Creek Ballet in Chicago, and Ballet International in Indianapolis.

Mr. Quenedit has been a guest teacher with Ballet of Monterrey in Mexico under the direction of Robert Hill, and has taught extensively throughout the Chicago area where he choreographed the full length Giselle for the students at Dance West Ballet in Naperville, IL.

Mr. Quenedit moved to San Antonio, TX in 2010 and co-founded Quenedit Ballet School with his wife, Catalina Garza. He was awarded the Youth America Grand Prix Outstanding Choreographer Award and has brought to the school his passion for dance.

As co-founders of Quenedit Dance Theatre, Mr. Quenedit and Ms. Garza has staged The Nutcracker Ballet, Les Sylphides, Paquita Grand Pas, The Pharaoh’s Daughter, The Fairy Doll and numerous original contemporary works.

Graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Dance (Special Program for Men) from the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey. He was accepted into the training program at Alonzo King LINES Ballet and has received scholarships from several contemporary ballet organizations, including Complexions Academy, Zion Dance Project, Prover Pro, and New York Dance Project. He is a silver and bronze medalist in the Intramuros Classical Dance Competition.

He also explores choreography, creating and presenting original works at events such as the San Antonio Dance Festival, Youth America Grand Prix, the International Dance Festival of Yucatán, Morelos Danza, Youth Grand Prix Mexico, and Voces en Movimiento II, among others. His choreographic work has been further developed through a choreographic residency with the Escuela Superior and a two-season residency recently completed with Kentucky Ballet.

Aldo Kattón is an experienced dance educator, choreographer, and former professional dancer, currently serving as a Professor of Dance at Syracuse University. Originally from Mérida, Mexico, he specializes in classical ballet technique, repertoire, and partnering.

Mr. Kattón is committed to fostering a rigorous yet supportive learning environment where students feel safe to explore and make mistakes, ensuring development and growth for dancers at all levels. His expertise extends beyond the studio to include production management and artistic direction for large-scale theatrical productions. He holds two Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees (Classical Ballet and Performing Arts) and is a member of the International Dance Council (CID).

A former faculty member of Quenedit Ballet School, Mr. Kattón is honored to return as Drosselmeyer in the San Antonio Dance Company’s annual production of The Nutcracker, a role he has performed since 2018.

Lelan Lewis was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. In 2011, he joined a small dance studio named Willow Street Studios, where he studied classical ballet, contemporary, tap, hip-hop, and musical theater. In 2016, he competed in the Youth America Grand Prix. Following the competition, he was accepted into the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the direction of Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director and Dean of American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and former ABT principal ballerina. After graduation, in 2020, he joined Ballet Theatre of Maryland as a Soloist and from 2022– 2025 he continued his professional career dancing with Ballet San Antonio. Lelan is currently working as an instructor and freelance artist.

His repertoire includes the Cavalier in Ethan Stiefal’s The Nutcracker, the Blue Bird Pas de Duex in Sleeping Beauty, the Grand Pas de Duex in Paquita, the Pas de Sclave Variation in Le Corsaire, First Pas de Duex in Susan Jaffe’s Carmina Terra, First Solo in Azure Barton’s Happy Little Things, Jonathan in Ballet Theater of Maryland’s production of Dracula and the White Stripes Pas de Duex in Ballet Theater of Maryland’s production of American Ballads.

Pedro Vega started his dance at the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba, graduating as a Dancer-Teacher from the renowned Cuban Ballet School. Joining the Laura Alonso Ballet company in 2007, he flourished under the artistic guidance of Fernando Alonso. In 2010, he ascended to the position of first soloist at the National Ballet of Ecuador, later becoming a First Dancer in 2011. Throughout his career, Pedro has assumed leading roles in classical, neoclassical, and contemporary productions.

Pedro Vega’s dedication extends beyond the stage. He has received training from international luminaries such as Laura Alonso, Frank Andersen (Royal Danish Ballet), and Jose Manuel Carreño. As a teacher, Pedro has shared his expertise with the professional casts of the National Ballet of Ecuador and the College of Arts, overseeing assembly and graduation for five consecutive years (2018-2022). Additionally, he has conducted workshops on dance-related topics, including National Curriculum and Dance Curriculum, planning and evaluation of learning, physical preparation for dancers, and musical education.

Aidan Carrasquel is a native San Antonian. He began his dance training at Ballet San Antonio under the direction of Maryra Worthen, the founder of Ballet San Antonio. Aidan was a National Training Scholarship recipient from American Ballet Theatre and is now a two-time Jacob’s Pillow Alumni, under the tutelage of Anna-Marie Holmes. He was the first student to premiere hi original choreography on the Inside Out Stage at Jacob’s Pillow. Following his Inside Out stage debut, he received a scholarship to The Rock School for Dance Education under the direction of Bo and Stephanie Spassoff. While at The Rock, he competed at YAGP winning first place in multiple categories. After graduation from The Rock, Aidan received the Rory Schwartz Scholarship from the Washington School of Ballet under the direction of Kee Juan Han. He competed again in YAGP while training in DC and again won first place in multiple categories. At the Washington School of Ballet, Aidan performed in the world premiere of “ICONS”, at the Italian Embassy, choreographed by Mimmo Miccolis.

While dancing at Ballet San Antonio, Carrasquel has performed a wide range of roles. From his earliest appearance years ago as the mischievous brother Fritz in The Nutcracker through the Peasant Pas de Duet from Giselle, to the demanding Lead Couple of George Balanchine’s Rubies, to the romantic Prince Desire from Swan Lake and the swashbuckling Mercutio from Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet.

Aiden began his dance career at the age of 5 in Johnston, Iowa. In 2011, he began his training under Serkan Hasanusta and Lori Grooters. In 2018, he continued under Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik at A&A Ballet in Chicago, IL. After great recommendation from fellow dancers and peers, he joined Ballet San Antonio in their 2022-2023 season, and was promoted to Soloist by Sofiane Sylve after their 2024-2025 season.

Aiden has received numerous scholarships to study at companies such as A&A Ballet, Star Power Dance Company, Gulfshore Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet. He has performed in several ballets such as The Nutcracker, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, The Wizard Of Oz, Rhapsody in Blue, and has performed with the Opera San Antonio in the showcase of Romeo and Juliet. He placed 1st and 2nd place in YAGP regional competitions. He has also placed 1st in the WBAC regionals going onto placing 2nd at the World Nationals in Niagara Falls, ON. One of his many forms of motivation comes from the people around him every day striving to be the best artists we can be, and the students he teaches along the way. His aspirations are to continue his ballet career and teaching, which will lead him into being an artistic director one day.

Tristan Thompson was introduced to ballet when he started dancing at a very small dance school, run out of the basement studio of the director. There, he was introduced to many forms of dance, but ballet was the form that had a lasting effect on him. After that introduction to the art form, he went on to train seriously under former Royal Ballet School teachers German and Valentina Zamuel at Zamuel Ballet School in Colorado Springs. Since then, he has had the privilege to be instructed and mentored by Princess Grace Award recipient Jeffrey Rogers at the Ballet West Academy in Salt Lake City, as well as the rest of the Academy’s fantastic faculty. Following his time at Ballet West, Tristan was invited to join the Oklahoma City Ballet’s Trainee Programme, where he trained until he joined Ballet Texas in 2023. He has also had the opportunity to train, during his summers, under many accomplished teachers and dancers at the Royal Danish Ballet and the Dutch National Ballet. Tristan has been with Ballet Texas since 2023.

Roberto is a 23-year-old professional dancer from Mexico. He began his dance studies in 2016 and graduated in 2021 with a degree in Classical Dance from Pro del Talento Veracruzano PROVER, under the direction of teacher Martha Sahagún Morales in Córdoba, Veracruz. Thanks to this solid foundation, Roberto has had the opportunity to perform in prestigious theaters and festivals across Mexico, including the National Classical Dance Competition, where he participated as part of a dance ensemble at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. In the past two years, Cantú has danced with the State of Mexico Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Master Jasmany Hernández. He has worked alongside renowned figures such as Yazmín Barragán, teacher and choreographer of both the National Dance Company and the Dance Company of the State of Mexico. During this time, he has performed in works including El Despertar de las Maquetas, Romeo y Julieta, Casta Diva, and Primer Sueño, among others. He has been featured both as a soloist and as a member of the corps de ballet in several choreographic works. Roberto has been with Ballet Texas since 2024.