Susana Quintanilla

Founder and Director of El Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil

Maestra Susana Quintanilla is a classically-trained Mexican folkloric dancer who began her studies at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. She has studied under accomplished choreographers such as Amalia Hernández (Ballet Folklórico de México), Rafael Zamarripa (Universidad de Colima), Francisco Bravo (Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes), Graciela Tapia (Los Angeles), Luz María Gallego (Pánuco, Veracruz) and Miguel Vélez (Universidad de Veracruz).

Over the course of her career, Maestra Quintanilla has organized and produced the Midwest Folkloric Dance Workshops (Flint, Lansing, and Holland, MI), Folkloric Dance Seminars for EBFE students (Mexico City and San Juan del Río, Querétaro) and the Huapango Dance Workshop (Houston, TX). She has brought about youth performances with Mono Blanco, Sones de México, Los Folkloristas, Zazhil, Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández and Mariachi Guadalajara. She has danced competitively in Concurso de Huapango (San Joaquín, Querétaro) and the International Folkloric Dance Competition (Chicago) where EBFE was awarded Second Place and the only U.S. group to place in the competition.

Maestra Quintanilla and the dancers she has trained have performed in concert with such internationally renowned artists, such as Angeles Ochoa, Linda Rondstadt, Lola Beltrán, Lucero, Guadalupe Pineda, Lila Downs, Pepe Aguilar, Pablo Montero, Pedro Fernández, Vikki Carr, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Mariachi Cobre and Mariachi Los Camperos.

In an effort to preserve the Hispanic culture within her community, Maestra Quintanilla has seen that EBFE has received continuous funding. She has helped the organization receive grant funding from the Ruth Mott Foundation, Community Foundation of Flint, Bishop Trust, Welch Foundation, Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, Michigan Dept of Education, and the Texas Humanities Council.

Always seeking cultural preservation and continuous improvement, Maestra Quintanilla’s teaching focus for EBFE is to develop dancers and musicians as instructors with professional performance experience and academic knowledge in culture and literacy as well as to effectively empower all students with pride in themselves and respect for all ethnic groups.

Lucas Perro

Music Instructor
Lucas is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, and studying classical guitar under Professor Francesco Cavallini at the University of Michigan – Flint. Coming from rock, funk, pop, and hip-hop experience before college, Lucas’ time at UM-Flint has only broadened his diverse interests while studying among many of the music program’s ensembles, which consist of classical guitar, jazz, and choir being his main musical ensembles of choice. Lucas strives to teach students and ensembles how to find and enjoy their passions and styles through their instruments while still having them try to be the best musicians they can be.

Andrew Cramer

Music Instructor

Andrew Cramer is a resounding and efficacious teacher and pianist. His musical endeavors have brought him around the United States, including most recently acceptance to the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina, and a fully-funded music education research trip to San Antonio, Texas to study the teaching of traditional Mariachi ensembles and music. Andrew received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at Bowling Green State University. Andrew serves as Music Director at Grand Blanc United Methodist Church in Grand Blanc, MI, and teaches a private, flourishing piano studio. He continues to enjoy teaching his fantastic piano students both online and in person through EBFE.

Alejandro Quintanilla

Mariachi & Folkloric Dance Director

Alejandro Quintanilla is EBFE’s current director of both dance and the professional mariachi. After studying dance abroad for a year at La Universidad de Colima under the direction of Maestro Rafael Zamarripa, he graduated in 2014 with his BFA in Dance from the University of Michigan. Alejandro has over 30 years of performance experience in Mexican folkloric dance and 10 years in Mariachi music playing vihuela and guitarrón. He has been a part of various projects including the staging of an original Mariachi musical, “Cenicienta”, special events held by the Mexican Consulate of Detroit, MI and Windsor, Canada as well as Yo-Yo Ma’s Day of Action in Flint, MI.

Nathan Cross

Newsletter/Website/Media

Nathan Cross earned his Bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Michigan-Flint. He has performed on trumpet with several groups around Genesee county including the El Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil Mariachi and the Lapeer Symphony Orchestra. Nathan has studied Mariachi music with José Hernández, director of Sol de México, at the National Mariachi Workshop for Educators in 2014. In addition to performing, Nathan has studied music composition and arranging with Patrick Prouty (University of Michigan), a published composer from Detroit. Currently, he gives private instruction for trumpet, beginning guitar, general music, and teaches instrumental and choral music in Flint.

Michael Abbasspour

Youth Mariachi Music Director

Hannah Nettleton

Dance Instructor

Hannah Nettleton began her early dance training with Young People’s Ballet Theatre. In 2017, she received her B.S. from the University of Michigan-Flint with a major in Biology and a minor in Dance Studies. Hannah is currently pursuing a physical therapy degree at UM-Flint. Her goal is to improve public health by promoting physical activity. She has taught dance classes in a variety of different styles including lyrical, contemporary, ballet, and pointe. Hannah is continuing her exploration of dance as a member of El Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil.

Gean Vincent Almendras

Music Instructor / Outreach Cordinator

Gean Vincent Almendras is an instructor on multiple instruments including Violin, Piano, Guitar, and Mandolin. He started his musical journey at a young age playing the ukulele and guitar with his musical family. He then picked up the violin at an elementary age and continued his studies in folk and classical music, performing in various youth orchestras and ensembles in the Ann Arbor area in addition to competing in multiple district and state Solo & Ensemble Festivals. He started playing the Mandolin in middle school and fell in love with the tradition of classical mandolin and guitar music whilst still playing the Violin avidly. Soon, he became involved in many different genres of world music ensembles.

Besides playing Violin in the EBFE Mariachi, he performs with his own String Quartet, and the University Orchestra. Additionally, he plays the Mandolin, Bandurria, and Laúd in the Ann Arbor Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra, PACE-MI Rondalla, and the Kalamazoo Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra. He has been invited to participate in several conferences and masterclasses on Mandolin with world renowned mandolinists such as Chris Thile, Avi Avital and Alon Sariel.

Currently, he is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance on Classical Mandolin with a minor in violin performance, as well as a second Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in the field of Ethnomusicology.