NPAA guest teachers
carolina cabañas
NPAA Guest Teacher
Founder & Director of Danzaire Company & School in San Jose, Costa Rica
Costa rican Aerial artist Carolina Cabańas has more than 25 years of experience in performing arts, mainly in contemporary dance, ballet Aerial dance and contemporary circus.
Within her training, it is worth highlighting her studies at the University of Costa Rica, Chalons en Champagne and Center National de Danse in France, also studied with Fred Deb, Roberto Magro Julio Revolledo, Rogelio López, Mariamalia Pendones, Álvaro Restrepo, Rob Tannion, Nina Grisio, Ana Prada,Compañía Delrevés, Kitsou Dubois, Chloe Monglia,Kate Lawrence, Lindsey Butcher, NANCY Smith, Damien Fournier, amongst many others.
She has participated in numerous national and international productions, including XLIII Cervantino Festival in Mexico, FIA in Costa Rica, XXXVII Festival de Coreógrafos de Costa Rica , AERIAL dance Festival in USA,Les Rencontres de Danse Aerienne in France,, Irish Aerial Dance Festival inIreland, Fllor to Air Festival in USA, has also taught in Croatia, Slovenia, El Salvador, and Panamá. She has created the first aerial dance festival in Latin America, the International Aerial Dance Festival of Costa Rica (FIDACR).
She also founded the first aerial dance school and company and the only aerial dance teacher training program in the country, already training more than 90 teachers throughout the country. She is currently teaching in a regular bases in Costa Rica and also coaching and mentoring different artists around the world.
Her artistic development proposes a deep investigation of the dialogue between the body and its object (aerial apparatus) likewise, in its staging it seeks to merge aerial dance with dance, theater, circus and technological resources.
Considered a precursor of aerial dance in Costa Rica, she continues to teach, promote and research new and better teaching techniques, promoting the professionalism of aerial dance in Costa Rica.
karina lesko
NPAA Guest Teacher
Professional Dancer & Choreographer
Karina Lesko is a professional dancer, choreographer, and Gyrotonic instructor. She trained at the Youth Ballet of Costa Rica, Cuba’s National School of Art, the National Conservatory of Prague, and Paris’s Salle Pleyel, and holds a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of Utah.
Karina has performed internationally with companies including Eglevsky Ballet, Staten Island Ballet, Steps Repertory Ensemble, Nathan Trice Rituals, NY2Dance, Contemporary Ballet Theater, Danz Project Company, and iLuminate. Her credits also include performances at Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow, The Kennedy Center, and Tokyo Disneyland.
She has danced principal and soloist roles in The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppélia, and Alice in Wonderland. Since returning to Costa Rica, she has starred in musicals such as Cabaret, Chicago, Los Tres Encantos, and Henrietta the Musical. Her choreography has been featured at the Latin Choreographers Festival (NY), Dumbo Dance Festival, and at venues across Costa Rica, including the Museums of the Central Bank, JW Marriott Guanacaste, Real Intercontinental Hotel, and Four Seasons Resort Papagayo.
miguel Mejía
Founder & Artistic Director of Maracuyá Theatre School in San Jose, Costa Rica
Miguel Mejía is a stage director and producer whose career began as a singer and musical theatre actor. He has built a distinguished career in musical theatre, opera, and drama in Costa Rica, earning recognition for both his creative vision and versatility. He made his stage debut in West Side Story (2015) and has since performed in acclaimed productions such as Madama Butterfly, A Streetcar Named Desire, and his original play Los Tres Encantos, which premiered at the National Theatre of Costa Rica.
As the founder and artistic director of Maracuyá, Miguel has led a series of ambitious and innovative productions. His directing credits include RENT, In the Heights, The Last Five Years (premiered in February 2025 at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre), and the Mean Girls Workshop (January 2025). He also directed the Les Misérables concert (May 2025), the original comedy Crimen Champú y Rijeras, and a revival of West Side Story (July 2025).
With a deep passion for storytelling through music, Miguel continues to shape the landscape of contemporary musical theatre in Costa Rica, creating opportunities for emerging artists and audiences alike.