Justin Padilla

Justin is an alumnus of DKCBA and Westside Dance Project, and trained under Dmitri and Jennifer Kulev, Jessie Riley, Krystal Matsuyama-Tsai, and Megan Guise. He trained at John Cranko Schule 2022-2025 under Nicola Biasutti and Tedeuz Matacz. He has trained in the summers at Ballet BC, Orsolina28, and Nederlands Dans Theater. In addition to choreography projects, Justin has performed in numerous contemporary and ballet pieces with John Cranko Schule, Stuttgart Ballet Theater, DKCBA, Orange County Ballet Theater, and Westside Dance Proect. During his senior year at the Cranko Schule, he premiered a piece in Noverre: Young Choreographers at The Stuttgart Ballet, where he was the only student choreographer. For the past 2 seasons, Justin has choreographed several award winning pieces for ECC and has enjoyed teaching at their intensives as well as coaching the company members.​ He was named YAGP Outstanding Choreographer in 2025 for a duet he choreographed on ECC Sr Dancers. Justin is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and recognitions, including the Laguna Dance Festival: Young Artist Scholarship 2022, The Youth America Grand Prix, Grand Prix Award- Jr. 2021, and Grand Prix Award - Sr. 2022, Spotlight Music Center Grand Prize Winner Ballet 2022, and won nationals titles from NYCDA - National Male Teen OD 2021 and National Male Junior OD 2019. He started his professional dance career in 2025 as a member of Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT2) and is excited to continue growing in his role as Resident Choreographer of ECC.

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