JACOB MONTOYA, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Jacob Gutierrez Montoya is a highly sought after teacher and internationally awarded choreographer trained in Ballet, Modern, Tap, and Jazz.  Raised in Sacramento, Jacob participated in Regional Arts programs from a young age, inspiring him to further his education in dance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he was certified in the Erick Hawkins Technique. He later received Lester Horton Training while dancing with Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theatre.   Jacob has danced professionally throughout the world at festivals, competitions and shows.  Currently, he is the artistic director for the award winning Hawkins Contemporary Jazz Company, a pre-professional company based in Folsom, California, and he is the Founder and Artistic Director of Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre. As an Artistic Director and teacher of youth, Jacob has been awarded Dance Educator of the Year.  His companies and students have travelled throughout the country to competitions where they have won numerous awards, including a rare perfect score.  Most recently, his pre-professional company attended The Dance Awards in Las Vegas where they were awarded a coveted "Judges Pick."  As an educator, Jacob is passionate about professional growth, attending workshops across the nation to better empower his students, many of which have been accepted into prestigious programs with the Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet. Jacob Montoya has been on staff with The Sacramento Ballet, Northern California Dance Conservatory, Woodcreek High School and Sacramento Theatre Company, and he is the current resident choreographer for The Roseville Unified School District. As a choreographer, Jacob has created many award winning works and staged critically acclaimed concerts. He has been nominated and received several ELLY Awards, and he has been selected as a finalist for The Palm Desert International Choreographers Festival for three consecutive years. In 2015, Jacob Montoya won the festival's top honor, The Grand Prize.  Last year, Jacob embarked on a new endeavor founding Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre, a non-profit dance company designed to support other local charities.  In it's inaugural season, SCDT raised over $15, 000 for local programs.