Charly Santagado

Charly Santagado is a dancer, choreographer, director, writer, and curator dedicated to forging interdisciplinary connections across diverse artistic mediums and practices. Originally from Orlando, Florida, and currently based in the tristate area, she graduated with highest honors from Rutgers University in 2017 with a major in philosophy and minors in dance, music, and creative writing. The following summer, she founded a contemporary dance company called mignolo dance (mignolo.dance) with her sister Eriel. She has completed Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company's five month training program, Sidra Bell's MODULE, RUBBERBANDance Group's Winter Intensive, Axis Connect Summer Intensive, Hofesh Shechter Company Intensive, SHARE Intensive Paris, HAVEN Choreography Mentorship, and Kalakeli Movement Arts Residency among other training programs. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Dance at University of the Arts where she is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor.

Charly has danced with Heidi Latsky Dance, VALLETO Dance, ReFrame Dance Theatre, Yu.S.Artistry, TK Dance Lab, Bailey Benoot, Monteleone Dance Collective, Katelyn Halpern and Dancers, Haven Movement Company, Olivia Dwyer Dance Projects, Maiya Redding, Daniel Rose Projects, and Arts By The People. She also regularly performs in her own work, which has been presented at numerous venues around the tristate area including Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, GK Arts Center, CityCenter Studios, Ailey Citigroup Theater, Paul Taylor Studios, Peridance, Triskelion Arts, Suzanne Roberts Theater, and Baruch Performing Arts Center.

Choreographic highlights include selection for coLAB Arts’ new choreography commission, Dance Canvas Choreographic Initiative, Urbanity Dance NEXT Residency, Making Moves Dance Festival, Norte Maar’s CounterPointe, Ramapo College’s Leaning into the Unknown, Rider Dances, Palm Springs International Dance Festival, KoDaFe in NYC, FAKI Festival in Zagreb, Croatia, Kulturfactory’s residency program in Domicella, Italy, and Altofest in Naples, Italy. Her work has been produced by HERE Arts Center, Jersey City Theater Center, Gardenship Art, The Berrie Center, Dixon Place, Arts On Site, and the Metuchen Arts Council. She has won screendance awards at several international film festivals and is also a freelance dance critic and journalist. Charly was awarded a 2023 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and you can find her online at www.charlysantagado.com and on Instagram @charlysantagado.