Clara Reyes, born on Curaçao, and raised on the island of St. Maarten has always been immersed in the world of the arts and culture. Guided from the age of three by a dedicated and committed mother.
Many years of training, exposure and immersion into creative arts expression in its myriad forms; including, but not limited to the visual and performing arts, photography, film, musicals, drama and storytelling, and love for history and culture has propelled Ms. Reyes to make the arts her calling.
Ms. Reyes holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Choreography with specialization in dance in education ages K through 12 grades. She considers herself a Griot and cultural worker and has done much research into St. Maarten’s traditional dance forms and culture, including resurrecting the Ponum Dance, danced at emancipation Day 1848 on Sweet S’ Maatin Land Ms. Reyes is a certified Somatic movement’s practitioner, Yoga instructor, holds a Diploma in Dance Theatre Production from Edna Manley College for Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica, is a former student at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Merce Cunningham Dance Studio, and was a teacher, choreographer and performing artist with Committed Artist in South Africa.
Ms. Reyes career includes being head of Department of Creative Artistic Formation at the St. Maarten Academy Vocational Section, teacher at St. Maarten Academy, Academic Section, part-time lecturer of Humanities at the University of St. Maarten, part time dance instructor at University of Rochester, Performing Arts /Dance Instructor at the Learning Unlimited Preparatory School, teacher at The Charlotte Brookson Academy for the Performance Arts and Examiner for theatre arts for the Caribbean examination council (CXC)
Ms. Reyes works diligently to expose her audience, and students to the world of the arts and artistry. The arts offer healing, transformation and wholeness that enables us to find deeper meaning and richness in our existence. Ms. Reyes is Co-founder and former Director at the National Institute of Arts and is today the newly appointed Head of Department of Culture.