Omar Olivas was born and raised in Santa Ana, California. He began his training at Saint Joseph Ballet under the artistic supervision of director, Beth Burns. Omar graduated as a Haggerty and William Gillespie Scholar (BFA Dance) from the University of California, Irvine, where he was a dancer with Donald Mckayle’s student repertory dance company, Etudes. He has danced in masterpieces like Balanchine’s Serenade, William Forsythe’s New Sleep, and Donald Mckayle’s The Mask of the Red Death, Songs of the Disinherited, Remember Journey, and Personal. He began his professional dance career as a member of Jenny Backhaus’ dance company, BackhausDance. He attended the American Dance Festival, Jose Limon Summer Intensive, Idyllwild Summer School, and Impuls Tanz in Vienna, Austria. Omar has danced at the Conservatoire de Paris, and in Tammy L. Wong’s About Last Night for the Esplanade’s da:ns festival in Singapore. Aside from dancing Omar was a finalist in the Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival and was invited by La Salle College of the Arts, in Singapore, to set a piece for Esplanade’s da:ns festival. Omar currently dances for Diavolo Dance Theatre and teaches ballet and modern throughout the Orange County Region.
