Critical Alignment Yoga & Therapy Teacher
Ballet Rehearsal Director
Movement Coach
Motivator
my story
I am a former ballet and contemporary dancer born in Caracas | Venezuela.
My extraordinary dance journey began at the age of nine at the Ballet School Bellas Artes in my birth city in 1975.
After eight years of studies, I was offered a contract at the National Ballet of Caracas, and so my professional dance career started.
During those seven years at the National Ballet of Caracas, I saw a Ballet called ‘5 Tangos’ by worldwide known choreographer Hans van Manen.
I fell in love with his work and it became my big dream, to come to The Netherlands and dance his ballets.
In January 1990, I was sent to Singapore to stage a ballet of the artistic director of the National Ballet of Caracas in Singapore Ballet Company.
The only transfer I needed to make was in Amsterdam. The transfer lasted seven days instead of a few hours due to problems with my ticket to Singapore. Coincidence?
BIG DREAM home-city
At my return from Singapore,
I took the plunge after all: I quit my job and came to Amsterdam, which was not entirely unknown to me in pursuit of my big dream.
Throughout the first years in the Netherlands, I worked on a freelance basis with choreographers such as Ted Brandsen (artistic director of Het Nationale Ballet) and started taking yoga classes.
In 1993 I found my place with Conny Janssen Danst Company (CJD), where I danced for ten years and grew into one of the most prominent dancers in the Netherlands. I received the Silver Dance Price ‘The Best Dancer of 2001 from the hands of Hans van Manen…. massive WOW, I never expected such recognition. Unreal! this was the first time I met ‘Il Maestro’.
From 2002 until 2005 I occasionally danced with other choreographers and started, staging choreographies of Conny Janssen, as well as assisting her during rehearsal and auditions during my dancing years at CJD.
something new
I choreographed a solo for me in 2002 and performed in a various dance festival.
Choreographing was an aspect of dance I did not do much. I was very interested in developing that aspect. Do I have talent?
Self-development always foremost!.
I left Conny Janssen Danst mid-2005 and went off to start a choreography career!.
It did not last too long, but, I indeed learned a lot.
In January 2006, I got a phone call from the artistic director of Introdans. He asked if I was interested in working with them as a rehearsal director.
Rehearsal at The National Ballet Amsterdam with Hans van Manen.
That was a rousing moment. I unexpectedly came closer to my big dream, Hans van Manen. YES!
How much and how long I admired Hans’s work, and from that moment on, I worked very hard to become one his assistant.
electrifying moment
I did not get to dance his ballets on stage and here I am staging several of his work at the National Ballet Junior Company and to international ballet companies since 2007. I am overjoyed! It is real!
I kept taking yoga classes throughout all these years and taught yoga classes to the dancers of Introdans.
Twelve great years at Introdans, travelling all over the globe and assisting the most outstanding choreographers worldwide.
In 2013 I started to notice that time was passing tremendously fast, and I was showing signs of fatigue, I was running out of steam!
grateful
I suffered a burnout in 2014 that lasted ten months, in those months I did eight weeks of mindfulness course, I had a fantastic coach too. Lots of self-research and learning a lot about myself. This path took me to Critical Alignment Yoga and Therapy (CAY-T) teachers course.
A whole new world opened up to me. A world of empathy and compassion…energy, JOY, lightness
I am here and now
I can see clear
I am with myself
I stay within myself
I struggled
I overcome
Three years later, after I graduated from CAY-T I retook the unavoidable plunge after all: I quit my job as a rehearsal director at Introdans and started teaching CAY-T.
Long Story Short
Since then, I am teaching CAY live lessons in several studios in Amsterdam and since March 2020 online.
I am combining my two passion; yoga teaching and staging Hans van Manen choreographies. I often work with Het Nationale Ballet as guest rehearsal director.
I also have a passion for abstract painting which has developed in the last years more and more. My paintings are my emotions and thoughts. Layers of inexpressible emotions, non-verbal communications that come from within in a meditative state. http://www.irisreyes.com
inspire and motivate you to improve your wellbeing.
My online CAY studio keeps developing, live stream, on-demand classes, visuals, workshops and more to come. To inspire and motivate you every day and learn more about the CAY method that will elevate you!
transform
My online classes are like in the studio with a personal approach, positivism and humour.
I am developing different type of classes that suits your needs.
By following my live and online workshops as well as classes and reading my tips and suggestions,
I want to influence you to transform your posture and mobility.
To influence you to trust, to discover your mind-body potential through yoga, to heal yourself by creating healthy posture habits and mindset.
To empower you!
See you on the mat!
Iris Reyes
