Pelaez, Jekyns

A dancer, actor, educator, director and filmmaker. Jekyns began his studies in Drama and Dance at Bellas Artes in Colombia, and graduated in Dance at the Instituto Colombiano de Ballet, subsequently joining the Ballet de Cali. He also danced with Ballet Arizona, Ohio Ballet, Chautauqua Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, American Conservatory Theatre, Oakland Ballet, Diablo Ballet, San Francisco Opera and Los Angeles Opera. Some guest artist appearances include Marin Ballet, San Jose Youth Ballet, AVA Ballet, among others.

His principal dance repertoire includes Balanchine’s Apollo, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Serenade, Esplanade, Carmen. In theatre, The Man of the Suitcase, The Tosca Project and No Exit, as well as appearances in films like Love Hurts and Being the Ricardos. In opera, he danced principal roles in La Traviata, Aida, Cavalleria Rusticana and Eugene Onegin. Other operas include Cyrano de Bergerac, Turandot, Nixon in China, Moby Dick, Barber of Seville, Show Boat, Sweeney Todd, Carmen, Antony and Cleopatra among others. At the Los Angeles Opera, in Simon Boccanegra, Barber of Seville and Carmen.

Along with extensive touring, Jekyns has appeared in international dance festivals in Thailand, Cuba and Colombia, and at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

Additionally, Jekyns has lectured at California State University, Orange Coast College, California School of the Arts, and dance schools like South Bay Dance Center, Civic Arts, Western Ballet, Ballet San Jose, Charlotte School of Ballet and Media City Ballet.

He directs and choreographs short films, and directed plays, most notably On Tidy Endings at California State University and LACT. He also co-founded Histrion Theatre of Art in NC.

Jekyns is the co-founder and director at SoCal Arts in Southern California.

He graduated with honors with a B.A in Performing Arts from the LEAP Program at St. Mary’s College, and with a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Performance in Film, Theatre and Television from California State University. He is a SAG-AFTRA and AGMA member. In addition to receiving the Colombian State Department Honor in Excellence, other careers highlights include being a recipient of the Sono Osato award scholarship from The Actor's Fund, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Fellowship, a Dance Pedagogy Certificate from The National Ballet of Cuba, and a featured article in Pointe Magazine.

DEGREES, STUDIES and AFFILIATIONS:
Academic Credentials:

M.F.A, Performance in TV, Film and Theater, California State University
B.A, Performing Arts, Saint Mary’s College, 2010.

Studies:
Attended San Francisco City College, CA, Cinema and Theatre
San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking, Acting
San Jose City College, performing arts
National Ballet of Cuba, Dance Pedagogy.
Steps New York, Dance under Willhelm Burmann
Point Park College, Dance under Roberto Muñoz
Instituto Colombiano de Ballet, Dance.
Instituto Departamental de Bellas Artes, Colombia, Drama.

Union/Membership affiliations: SAG-AFTRA, AGMA