Omar Román de Jesús' NYC-based dance company BOCA TUYA offers three thought-provoking works: the New York premiere of Caress them in a way that hurts a little; Like those playground kids at midnight; and Los Perros del Barrio Colosal at The 92nd Street Y, New York as part of the Harkness Dance Center’s 2024/25 Season at Buttenwieser Hall at The Arnhold Center on Thursday and Friday, November 14 -15, 2024 at 7pm. This New York program denotes the company's first full-length, solo bill performance and a pivotal moment in BOCA TUYA's future – highlighting de Jesús’ hallmark rhythmic prowess, memorable characters, and surrealist stories. Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased at https://www.92ny.org/event/boca-tuya.

New York Premiere

Caress them in a way that hurts a little

Choreography by Omar Román de Jesús

Music by OKRAA “Ola De Luz”

To say Caress them in a way that hurts a little is to embrace the paradox of intimacy: the simultaneous desire for gentleness and the need for a touch that stirs the soul. It speaks to the complexity of human connection, where vulnerability and passion intersect. This work evokes a longing for a depth of sensation that transcends mere physicality, delving into the realms of emotional intimacy and the bittersweet ecstasy of love.

Like those playground kids at midnight

Choreography by Omar Román de Jesús

Music by Jesse Scheinin

In a world that often seeks to stifle individuality, Like Those Playground Kids at Midnight stands as a beacon of defiance, encouraging all to embrace their uniqueness and challenge the boundaries that confine them. It invites us to traverse the enigmatic landscapes of desire, identity, and aspiration, all while advocating for the liberation of the soul.

Los Perros del Barrio Colosal

Choreography by Omar Román de Jesús

Music: Homenaje al Gran Lucho by Lucho Bermudez and Liebestraume, S541/R211: No. 3: Nocturne in A-Flat Mayor by Franz Liszt

Through the exaggerated mannerisms of daytime television, the 8 characters of Los Perros del Barrio Colosal take us on a wild romp through the challenges of creative decision making. Diving dramatically into the adventure of an imagination yet to be physicalized, they ask us to consider the far side of the moments when our ideas threaten, with disjointed urgency, to swallow us whole.

“I’m grateful for the ongoing partnership with 92NY whose support and continued belief in our work and mission is critical for our development. We’ve begun our 92NY Harkness Dance Center residency for a long-term engagement that will allow us to dive into new works and to refine the details of signature repertoire like Los Perros del Barrio Colosal,” said Omar Román de Jesús. “What a pleasure to return to 92NY for a performance of our own at the Buttenwieser Hall after choreographing and performing alongside Ailey II (work by Hope Boykin), The Martha Graham Company (work by Jamar Roberts), and The Limón Dance Company at the 92NY 150th anniversary celebration earlier this year.”

Dancers: Margaret Jones, Yusaku Komori, Ali Pfleger, Omar Román de Jesús, Rachel Secrest, Lieana Sherry, Ian Spring, Marco Vega, Santiago Villarreal, Nat Wilson

Lighting design by Ben Rawson; Costume design by Omar Román de Jesús; Costume alterations by Anna Alisa Belous

Omar Román de Jesús (Bayamón, Puerto Rico) is a Queer Puertorriqueño choreographer and artistic director of NYC-based dance company BOCA TUYA. He is the inaugural Baryshnikov Arts Center Fellow at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, a 2023 Dance Magazine — Harkness Promise Awardee, a 2022 Princess Grace Award Winner in Choreography, a 2022 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Choreography, a 2022 Palm Desert Choreography Festival Grand Prize Winner, and a 2020 Recipient of The Ann & Weston Hicks Choreography Fellowship at Jacob’s Pillow. He has been commissioned to create work on over 20 companies and pre professional schools including: The Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Juilliard School, Ballet Hispánico, BalletCollective, SALT Dance, Limón 2, The Big Muddy Dance Company, Bruce Wood Dance, Jacob Jonas The Company, The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Whim W’him, Parsons Dance, The Ailey School, and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Omar’s works for stage and screen have been presented worldwide, receiving top recognitions through the Joffrey Academy of Dance’s Winning Works Choreographic Competition, Whim W’him’s Choreographic Shindig, The Dance Gallery Festival, Reverb Dance Festival, and the International Dance Festival of Puerto Rico where he was awarded the Ambassador of Dance medal. His screendance, Los Perros del Barrio Colosal, has been viewed by audiences in over 20 countries and was awarded Best of Screen Dance International as well as Best Choreography and Best Narrative at ReThink Dance Film Festival. Over the past five years, he has toured internationally to Colombia, Panama, and The Canary Islands, and has presented work domestically in New York, Georgia, Washington, Pennsylvania and California. Most recently, Like Those Playground Kids at Midnight was presented as part of the 150th anniversary of 92NY in a shared bill with the Limón Dance Company, Ailey II and Martha Graham Dance Company. Omar is fond of education and has experience teaching workshops and master classes all over the world for professional dancers, students with special needs, people with physical disabilities, and marginalized communities.