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Tania Vergara · Dance-Theater

About

Tania Vergara Dance-Theater traces its roots to Endedans Contemporary Ballet, the first contemporary ballet company in Cuba, founded by choreographer Tania Vergara Pérez in 2002. She directed the company until 2014, when she relocated to the United States. In March 2023, she was finally able to fulfill her dream of relaunching the company.

During its first year in the US, Endedans Contemporary Ballet premiered four original works, creating professional opportunities for a diverse group of dancers. The company was named Best New Dance Company of 2023 by Sarasota Magazine — a recognition for which it remains deeply grateful to the many supporters who made, and continue to make, its work possible.

The name “En dedans,” a French term used in every ballet class to describe inward movement, was sometimes confusing for audiences. For that reason, the company adopted a new name: Tania Vergara Dance-Theater, a title that reflects the distinctive style and artistic vision of its founder and lead choreographer.

From 2023 to the present, the company has created nine premieres and collaborated with a wide range of artists and organizations, including:

  • Vicki Chelf and her Women of Resistance project.
  • Marianne Chapel and her gallery SPAACES, in a community-based installation for Shenandoah Park, a neighborhood largely populated by Hispanics.
  • CreArte Latino for the Florida Humanities Festival.
  • Guillermo López González, whose mangrove paintings inspired the company’s seventh premiere, The Paradox of the Mirror, selected as Audience Favorite at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival in June 2025.

The company has also participated in the Sarasota Rising Festival and performed at the Sarasota Art Museum.

In September and October 2025, the company celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with the premiere of Casa-Havana — a work honoring the Cuban roots of its director and several dancers. The piece received an enthusiastic audience response and is scheduled to be presented in its full-length version in June 2026 at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival.

Also in 2026, the company is honored to have been chosen for the Ringling Museum MicroWIP (Works-in-Progress) program, culminating in a performance of a new piece, Echoes of My Barrio, in May.

The company was also honored to receive an Opportunity Grant from the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.