Joel Valentin-Martinez

Joel Valentin-Martinez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He initiated his theater and dance training at American Conservatory Theater, Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, Rosa Montoya's Bailes Flamencos, Oakland’s Dimensions Dance Theatre, and San Francisco State University. From 1990-2003, he was a member of Garth Fagan Dance (Tony Award Winner) and toured with the troupe throughout the United States, Canada, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, South America, and the Caribbean. Since 2003, Mr. Valentin-Martinez has devoted his time to teaching at the university level and developing his own choreography projects. His work with Fulcrum Point-New Music Project, Misplaced Flowers (2010) and Tlatelolco Revisited (2008) were both commissioned by Luna Negra Dance Theater and premiered at the Harris Theater in Chicago. He recently choreographed the musical adaptation of Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street (2009) at the Steppenwolf Theatre. He has also developed choreography for the Joel Hall Dancers and the multi-media performance Imperial Silence: Una Ópera Muerta/A Mariachi Opera in Four Acts (2008) which has been performed at El Museo del Barrio in New York City (2009) and throughout California. Valentin-Martinez is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Theatre Department at Northwestern University. Prior to joining Northwestern, he taught dance at Arizona State University and the University of Rochester.