ANTHONY ACEVES
​ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Melesio Anthony Aceves was born and raised in Orange County in a family of musicians and has been involved with the Southern California artistic community from an early age.  He boasts a beautifully diverse range of training in multiple creative channels, including acting, music and, of course, dance.  A natural born performer, Melesio began as a stage actor and eventually progressed to international commercials.  Aceves has received multiple accolades for his choreographic, directorial and production skills for his work with competition dance ensembles, dance teams and musical theatre productions.  At South Junior High School, he served as the captain of his dance team, and post high school, was promoted to lead coach.  In both of these capacities, he guided his group to first place in various competitions over the course of his 14-year tenure.  It was also during his high school years that Melesio began cultivating his passion for dance on the stage as the choreographer for his school’s productions of “West Side Story,” “Hairspray,” and “The Producers,” for which he was also the Director.   Immediately following high school, Mr. Aceves enjoyed a collective eight year career with the Disneyland Resort as a dancer in various parades, special events and music videos.  

​In 2014, Aceves traveled to New York City to work with Gary Goddard, Brian Singer, and Tony-nominated choreographer, Sergio Trujillo on their theatrical attraction, Broadway 4D.  2015 saw his return to SoCal and his third consecutive year with Suzy Miller at the world renowned Dance Excellence Convention.  2015 also marked the beginning of his collaboration with fellow AkomiDance Artistic Director, Marie Hoffman when they travelled to the Czech Republic and he was honored with a Contemporary Dance Commendation for his performance in Hoffman’s duet, “In Another Life.”  This collaboration also resulted in, among other things, the establishment of both the Orange County Dance Festival and the Rising Artists Festival, two endeavors that bring him immeasurable gratification.  2015 continued to bring artistic success to Melesio, as this was the year he first began working with The Foxes, an all-male musical theater cabaret group under the direction of Kia Sisowath.  After performing with The Foxes for three years, Melesio founded The Fox Project, an off-shoot of The Foxes, comprised of an all-male cast of dancers who perform Aceves’ jazz-funk choreography to contemporary pop music.  Aceves’ work with this group of dancers has been showcased in various OC Pride parades and events, as well as multiple music videos
As artistic Director of AkomiDance, Mr. Aceves has created numerous pieces on the company and his works have been showcased in the San Pedro Festival of the Arts, the Pasadena Dance Festival, the Blaktinx Dance Festival, and the Los Angeles Dance Festival, to name a few.  He is a recurring adjudicator for the University High School Dance Invitational, where he offers valuable feedback along with a panel of fellow established artists to groups of aspiring performers dancing at the high school level. 

“Junior,” as he is known by his close family and friends, has always been supported by and motivated by his mother, Gloria and his two sisters, Monica and Taylor.  He believes that with them and through them, nothing is unattainable.  At the root of Mr. Aceves’ artistic ambition is the belief that art, and specifically dance, provides a connection with one’s community and fellow human beings.  It is a result of this principle that he continues to create avenues of opportunity for he and his fellow artists to unite and nurture their relationships with their art and with each other.