Peninsula Ballet Theatre Staff

Mario Alonzo was born in Costa Rica and moved to Modesto, California, where he began his early training. He was discovered by Ronn Guidi and brought to Oakland Ballet in 1978. Since then, he has performed with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet, the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, and the Gilbert Reed Ballet. Alonzo has performed principal roles in many of the masterworks and legendary recreations that make up the Oakland Ballet's repertoire, including: La Boutique Fantasque, Billy the Kid, Les Noce, Les Biches, Giselle, The Green Table, Le Train Blue, Petrouchka, and Gaite Parisienne. He has been privileged to work with Leonide Massine, Eugene Loring, Nicholas Beriosov, Irina Nijinska, Agnes de Mille, Anna Markard, Sallie Wilson, Willem Christensen, John Butler and Robert North. In addition to his dancing, Alonzo has directed his artistic attention towards costume design and choreography. He has designed costumes for dozens of world premiers for Oakland Ballet and various other companies to critical acclaim, including costumes for the Rolling Stones' "Voodoo Lounge II" tour. He has also undertaken many historical reconstructions, receiving international acclaim for the revival of Bronislava Nijinska's Le Train Blue. In 2001, Alonzo won an Izzy, a Bay Area dance award, for his costuming of the Axis Dance Company's entire season. Alonzo made his choreographic debut for Oakland Ballet's silver anniversary with Epiphany and in 2002 brought Mustt to Oakland audiences. In 2003 Alonzo became ballet master for Oakland Ballet and in 2006 became Co-artistic Director with Peninsula Ballet Theater. Alonzo is an active supporter of Broadway cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and San Francisco Arts in the Schools program.

Carlos Carvajal is an internationally known choreographer of more than 200 works for ballet, opera and television. A native San Franciscan, Carvajal is a sixth- generation theatrical artist of Spanish-Filipino-Swedish decent. He began his dance career with the Christensens at San Francisco Ballet, after which he traveled to Europe. He danced with the International Ballet of The Marquis de Cuev as as a soloist and became a principal dancer and choreographer with Theater der Freien Hansastadt Bremen, Theatre de Bordeaux and Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas. During his career in Europe and South America, he choreographed over 78 works for ballet, opera and the television Show de Aldemaro Romero. After ten years abroad, Carvajal returned to the San Francisco Ballet as Ballet Mater and Associate Choreographer to Lew Christensen, where he created eighteen ballets.

In 1970, he founded and directed the San Francisco Dance Spectrum. Carvajal and his company were recognized leaders in the dance renaissance of the '70's, choreographing over 50 works during its existence. In 1981, he received the first San Francisco Art Commission Award of Honor for outstanding work in choreography and dance and in 1986 he received the Isadora Duncan Award for a lifetime of significant work. Carvajal received the Critics Circle Award in 1990 and is the co-artistic director for the 29th S.F. Ethnic Dance Festival of 2007.

Carvajal first presented his Nutcracker as the opening program of Peninsula Ballet Theatre's 1994-95 season. This is his 13th Anniversary Nutcracker with PBT. Since then he has created several new works to add to the PBT repertoire, including Peter and the Wolf and Milangeros. In addition, he has revived many of his favorite works including Cinderella's Crystal Slipper, Notturno and Shapes of Evening. Carvajal continues to lend his expertise and creativity to Peninsula Ballet Theatre as Director Emeritis.