Herman Ramos is a native of Northern Virginia. His initial training came from local Hip Hop crews of the DC metro area where he specialized in breakdance and Hip Hop choreography. He remained active in the culture and battled in the North Florida areas until 2010. Upon beginning his classical training in Florida, he simultaneously toured regionally with Apocalypse Dance Crew and worked locally with the Danscompany of Gainesville where he has frequently returned as a guest artist.

Herman received his MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Florida State University in 2016; shifting some focus to improving his pedagogy with various teaching opportunities at the University of Florida, the South Eastern Regional American College Dance Association and the annual American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina. Herman continues to set new work for collegiate dance residencies while presenting ongoing research in African Diasporic practices of Jazz and Hip Hop. Recent collaborations include dance departments at the University of Tampa, Texas A&M, and the College of Charleston. When possible, Herman has been able to provide insight into Hip Hop Industry practices in addition to its concert dance applications for college dance students. As a regional guest teacher, Herman has taught various contemporary styles at many local dance studios and high schools across the state of Florida; appearing as a guest artist for the Volusia County Performance Dance Assessment All-County squad. A recent certification in Giordance dance technique has further informed his pedagogy as he continues to make contemporary connections to classical technique more accessible for younger generations. As a dance performer/choreographer, he is currently immersed in the Orlando contemporary dance scene and is a contributing artist with Non-Profit Company: Emergence Dance. Other notable choreographic project interactions from Herman’s career include work with members of Florida State University dance faculty, the Red Project (NYC), Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre (Miami), and T Lang Dance (ATL). Herman holds adjunct dance faculty positions at Santa Fe College and the University of Florida. In 2024 Herman was also the recipient of the Part-time Faculty Excellence Award at Santa Fe college for his dedication to the college, the profession, and the Gainesville community.

Herman Ramos’ residency is supported in part by the College of the Arts Creative B Summer Program in partnership with the Office of the Provost.

Huiwang Zhang was born in Jiujiang, China. He is a dancer, choreographer and teacher living and working in New York. Zhang’s movement research and teaching are inspired by his training in Chinese Classical Dance, Beijing Opera and teachers like Jennifer Nugent, Stephen Koester, Eric Handman, Katharina Christl and Janet Wong. Zhang joined the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane company in 2017. He has been honored to restage company repertoire Continuous Replay on universities as well as leading community workshop and education outreach for the company nationally since 2018. He earned his M.F.A from the University of Utah. He has also choreographed and performed for artists and Opera houses including Madeline Hollander, Lee Mingwei, Pearsonwidrig Dance Theater, Yin Mei Dance, Santa Fe Opera and Park Avenue Armory New York.

His choreography, often through a sociocultural lens, gives voices to communities at risk of social exclusion and people whose stories are lost in the official narratives, structuring an alternative history from the personal and private stories of individuals. His work has been presented by Beijing Dance Festival, Bethany Arts Center, Movement Research at Judson Church, Crosscurrent Dance Festival, Take Roots at Green Space, Topaz Arts, Jacksonville University and CUNY Queens College.

Huiwang Zhang’s residency is a partnership between UF College of the Arts and New York Live Arts, supported in part by the College of the Arts Creative B Summer Program in partnership with the Office of the Provost.