est. 2001, 501c3, new york city

Esse Aficionado was formed under the premise that dance is a collaborative and experimental process. Its three founding members, Gina Graham, Veronica De La Rosa and Maki Morinoue choreographed dances and produced shows in New York City and Seattle for well over two decades. The artistic vision of the company is now led by Graham, a choreographer and collagist residing in Connecticut and De La Rosa, in Los Angeles. Morinoue has moved on from the company and remains a close friend and EA advisor. The work of Esse Aficionado features collaborations from artists across multiple disciplines with the purpose of creating works of thought‐provoking dance art.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & Founder - GINA GRAHAM

Graham is a New York City–born dancer and choreographer who earned her BFA in Dance Composition from Purchase Conservatory. Her movement practice extends beyond traditional dance forms and is grounded in a highly developed improvisational practice, drawing from African dance, martial arts, somatic methodologies, and contact improvisation. Improvisation serves as a central and generative force in her choreography, reflecting a deeply interdisciplinary approach to performance and embodiment. She has studied with distinguished artists and educators including Pearl Lang, Neil Greenberg, Tarin Chaplin, Kazuko Hirabayashi, Janet Panetta, Susan Klein, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, and Trisha Brown, whose influences have informed the rigor and nuance of her work. Graham’s choreography has been presented at notable venues and platforms such as Movement Research at Judson Church, Dixon Place, Green Space, the DUMBO Dance Festival, the Inception to Exhibition (ITE) Festival, and Velocity Dance Center’s Next Festival in Seattle. Her collaborative choreographic projects have also premiered in Seattle at the Northwest New Works Festival, On the Boards, and MiKiJio Arts. In addition to her work in dance, Graham engages in visual art through collage, using the medium as an extension of her choreographic inquiry. Her collage work has been exhibited in both New York City and Seattle.

FOUNDING DIRECTOR - VERONICA DE LA ROSA

Veronica is a graduate of Purchase College Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in Dance and a Certificate in Arts Management. Upon graduating, Veronica moved to New York City, studied at Merce Cunningham Studio as a scholarship student and co‐founded Esse Aficionado. As Founding Director, De La Rosa spearheads every aspect of EA’s productions and is Treasurer of the Board of Directors. Throughout her versatile dance career, Veronica has performed in various dance companies, musicals and sideshows. The Los Angeles native attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and was a member of Kitetails, a company led by her mentor, post‐modern pioneer, Rudy Perez.