Chairman of The Ballet Association, supporting Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, as well as Chairman of the British Friends of Ballet Nacional de Cuba. A key figure on the English and Cuban ballet scene, David brings a wealth of historic dance knowledge with him, which he shares generously while interviewing artists throughout the year. David’s long-standing chairing and organizational efforts have ensured an unparalleled continuous and strong bond between the public and the artistic companies. His eloquence and wit are second to none and his contribution to the cultural scene is significant.

Internationally celebrated as an award-winning concert pianist and a dynamic entrepreneur, Olga Balakleets stands at the forefront of global cultural and philanthropic initiatives. She helms Venus Global Events, a London-based international events company renowned for orchestrating distinguished cultural and philanthropic projects across the globe. Prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Dubai Opera, and Beijing Concert Hall have played host to numerous events that have not only garnered critical acclaim but also been broadcasted internationally.

In her four decade long career, Buglisi has made an indelible impact on the field of dance. Renowned for highly visual, imagistic dances that use literature, history and heroic archetypes as a primary source, Buglisi’s ballets are sweeping, passionate and always rooted in a strong physical technique. She is a prolific choreographer creating more than 100 ballets for Buglisi Dance Theatre and commissioned worldwide including Suspended Women on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (premiere: 12/12/14 at New York City Center); Ninfee for the Richmond Ballet; her full-length The Four Elements for the Flamenco Festival presented in Madrid, Sadler’s Wells, London and New York’s City Center; Ananda Shankar Performing Arts Company, India; the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble, China; the Martha Graham Dance Company, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Joyce Trisler Danscompany, Teatro Danza Contemporanea di Roma for which she was a co-founder in 1969; American Repertory Ballet; Ailey II; and Ice Theatre of New York.

Freelance international lecturer based in England, Eleanor is responsible for conservation and welfare initiatives relating to chelonian endangered species. Eleanor is founder of education conservation and welfare charity ‘tortoise club’, Eleanor is instrumental in the management and development of this charity. She is also working with many similar organizations internationally.

Peter Paul is Program Director at Re:Wild and specializes on the conservation of tortoises and freshwater turtles, by facilitating and conducting natural history research, trade monitoring and analysis, and policy work, in partnership with like-minded individuals, organizations and institutions. Peter Paul is regarded as a “walking encyclopedia” by his peers and has a critically endangered turtle named after him, The Myanmar narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra vandijki).

Leah is a poet, essayist, short story and nonfiction writer from Moscow, currently living in New York. She earnt her MFA from City College of New York where she is currently Adjunct Professor in the English Department. Founder and Director of WordShedNYC Reading Series and an Editorial Associate for Fiction literary magazine, Leah has also collaborated on various poetry/visual art projects with choreographers, dancers, musicians and videographers, experimenting with cross genres, multimedia and poetry.

Mara is an Italian dancer and a former Principal of The Royal Ballet and has worked with numerous notable choreographers, including Kenneth MacMillan, Cathy Marston, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, Mats Ek, Jiri Kylian and William Forsythe. Some of her performances were broadcast by the BBC. She joined The Royal Ballet as an Artist in 1992 aged 18 and was promoted to First Artist in 1995, Soloist in 1998 and Principal in 2003, retiring at the end of the 2012/13 Season.

Cullen holds a BA in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University and an MA and Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Columbia University. Her research focuses on seed dispersal and pollination by bats. Cullen has co-authored a book with botanists from the New York Botanical Garden entitled Seed Dispersal by Bats in the Neotropics and manages with Bat Eco-Interactions database online at www.batbase.org. Cullen currently lives in Houston, works with her family on business matters and philanthropy, and serves as the acting director and chair of the board of the Cullen Trust for Health Care. She also serves on the boards of the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, Houston Parks Board, Houston Advanced Research Center, Lone Star Coastal Alliance, and the Turtle Conservancy.

Chiara is a German born attorney qualified in England and Wales. She headed the litigation department of a co-founded international boutique law firm in London, and has worked for many years advising clients in the social housing sector, having been appointed honorary member of various charitable organizations providing pro bono legal housing and property advice, before moving to New York City in 2013. Her passion for dance and the arts started at young age, as did a deep love for wildlife and nature, with a particular interest in turtles and tortoises.

Deborah Gruenberger, an innovation and communication strategist, is the Founder and Creative Director of Gerety, a London-based design and marketing consultancy. Specializing in innovative solutions for start-ups and businesses poised for growth or change, she combines her creative skills with strategic acumen to steer companies towards success.

As an active angel investor, she champions impact businesses and supports underrepresented founders, bringing a wealth of experience to her roles as a board member, lecturer, and startup mentor. Passionate about the arts and environmental sustainability, Deborah is thrilled to bring her expertise in branding and marketing to Vildwerk's advisory board. Her vision is to harness the power of creative communication in promoting environmental conservation through the transformative medium of dance and performing arts.

With a background in psychology, physics, business administration and mathematics, Oliver successfully spent the last few decades of this professional life in banking. His main private interest has always been the interplay of science and art, in particular with the aim of making the planet a better place. Venturing from motion prediction to codifying dance to modelling behavioral risks to protecting the Bavarian biotope, he is a strong advocate for combining artificial with natural intelligence.

Ross serves as the Chief Program Officer for the Turtle Conservancy and obtained his PhD from Harvard University. Before, he attended the University of California at Berkley conducting field work in various locations including, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Lesser Antilles, and the Galapagos Islands. Ross also worked as a Research Assistant teaching herpetology under the famed Robert Stebbins. After receiving his Ph.D. Ross taught at the University of Chicago and Tulane University before moving over to the U.S.D.A Forest Service. In 1997, Ross published the philosophical work on “Aesthetics of Biological Diversity”.

Shane is starting his tenure as Executive Director of Oregon Ballet Theater in January 2023. With over 20 years’ experience in the performing arts administration, including his appointments as General Manager of Gibney Dance in New York City, Executive Director of Orlando Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet and OK Mozart International Music Festival, Shane is a team player par excellence and the epitome of strategic thinking and development for the performing arts.

Professor Emeritus Juvik researches tropical forest climate, hydrology, ecology, paleo-ecology and international wildlife conservation and ecological studies. His most important contribution internationally in the climatological field is the development of the “Juvik Fog Gauge,” now used worldwide to provide standardized fog measurements. He is also an international expert on tortoises and Senior Scientist at The Turtle Conservancy, as well as a most gifted storyteller with a profound and intelligent sense of humor.

James is a Wildlife Veterinarian, Filmmaker, and Consultant, having gained his Ph.D. at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology, Behavior and Evolutionary Biology at University of California, Los Angeles. James is also Associate Director at the Turtle Conservancy and is traveling around the globe to help fight the wildlife crisis.

Journalist, author and professor Peter Laufer reports on borders, identities and migration along with the relationships of humans to other animals. A former and longtime global correspondent for NBC News, he’s covered the requisite wars and earthquakes, coups and elections. His NBC documentary on Americans in prisons overseas received the James Polk Award and his broadcast journalism has won a plethora of other prizes. His books include studies of the Mexican-U.S. frontier crises, the collapse of the Iron Curtain and a natural history quartet that looks at turtles, butterflies, exotic pets and animal abuse.

Jonathan Marder is a former Vice President of The New Yorker magazine, Random House, Inc., and BBC Worldwide Americas. He is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a board member of The American Friends of Versailles, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, The Atlantic Arts Foundation, and Advisory Council of The New York Landmarks Conservancy. He was a founding member of BAFTA/NY.

Russ is an American Anthropologist and has written several books for both popular and scientist audiences, and authored more than 300 scientific papers. He holds a Ph.D and M.A. from Harvard University and a B.A from Dartmouth College and is Re:wild’s Chief Conservation Officer.

Sibille, a native of Guyana, is an accomplished businesswoman with a professional background in journalism, public and government relations, commercial and tourism development and international business development. Her sincere commitment to her local, regional and global communities has resulted in numerous honors, awards and recognitions.

Fernando Montaño is from Buenaventura, an economically-deprived city on the Pacific coast of Colombia. At the age of 14 he won a scholarship to the National Ballet School of Cuba. This opportunity came at a considerable cost to his family who made significant sacrifices to support the experience. In Havana he won international competitions, and then joined the Cuban National Ballet. From Havana he went to Italy and then to the UK when, in 2006, he joined the Royal Ballet where he became a Soloist. Fernando has performed all over the world both on Royal Ballet Company tours, but also independently, often in support of charity work and other cultural initiatives.

Briana Reed (St. Petersburg, FL.) began her dance training at The Academy of Ballet Arts, studying Ballet, Pointe, Jazz and Russian Character. Ms. Reed continued her studies at The Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School under the direction of Reginald Yates studying Ballet, Pointe, Martha Graham technique and West African dance.

Anders is an orthopedic surgeon as well as a turtle researcher and conservationist. Born in Sweden, he immigrated to the USA in 1958, received a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1971, an M.D. from the University of Michigan in 1977, did orthopedic surgical residency training at Yale University, and was in private practice in Massachusetts from 1982 to 2012. He now lives in Vermont and is still doing part-time emergency orthopedic surgery.

Maurice was one of the Founders of the Turtle Conservancy and served as Secretary and as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for a long time. He holds a degree in natural resource management and studied under the renowned John Behler at the Bronx Zoo for over eight years. During his time at the Bronx Zoo, Maurice completely renovated the aquatic filtration and lighting systems in the reptile house and installed the Zoo’s first reverse osmosis system that allowed for the breeding of amphibians in unprecedented numbers.

Maurice spent his youth seeking out the wildest parts of the northeastern United States. His passion for reptiles and amphibians blossomed at the age of six when his father gave him a box turtle found crossing a road. Despite growing up in the New York City area, Maurice’s first turtle ignited his passion for finding and hatching turtle eggs from nests threatened with destruction. He is an avid conservationist and in his spare time enjoys spending time kayaking and exploring the outdoors with his family.

Olivia Gintel Rudkevich has worked as a free-lance ballet and contemporary dancer in the New York area for many years. She received her training at Houston Ballet Academy and Miami City Ballet School before joining the Joffrey Ballet trainee program. She has danced professionally with the Orlando Ballet, and Connecticut Ballet. She has a B.A. from the University of Miami in Theatre Arts with a musical theatre concentration. She loves teaching and has taught and Walnut Hill school for the Arts. More recently, Olivia has danced with the Benjamin Briones Ballet company for the last four years. In addition to being a member of the company, Olivia worked as the Development Director helping to organize a variety of fundraising events for the company. Olivia raised funds for Dana Faber challenge while running the Boston Marathon and was invited to become a board member of the Friends of Connecticut Ballet, where she helped plan its annual gala event. She participated in development work to the benefit of St. Jude Children’s Hospital and engaged in numerous other charitable development events. Olivia is thrilled to be on the board of vildwerk.!

Craig is internationally renowned for his work on animal behavior and ecology. He is a Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology at USC and a Research Associate in Herpetology at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. Craig has conducted extensive field research on primates, particularly the great apes, and also on tortoises. He is best known for his research on chimpanzee hunting and meat eating, done in collaboration with his mentor Jane Goodall.

Considered by the international press as one of the most active and recognized composers of the musical scene, Felipe Pérez Santiago has received several prizes, awards and recognitions in Europe, United States and Latin America and his music has been commissioned and performed in more than 40 countries.

Nazir is Founding Member and Secretary-General at Focused on Nature, a Geneva based non-profit organization with a mission is to assist in the conservation and protection of threatened and endangered species, as well as habitat conservation efforts when and where possible. Nazir is currently also serving on the Board of Directors of ICVolunteers, an international non-profit organization specialized in the field of communication. Nazir’s experience includes 30+ years of environment, international business, management, negotiations and diplomatic experience.

LILI TEWES is a dancer based in New York and works as a performer, model, teacher, choreographer, and rehearsal director nationally and internationally. Originally from Hamburg, Germany, she graduated from the Martha Graham School under the artistic direction of Janet Eilber, where she danced principal roles in several of Graham's ballets, including "Woman in White" in Diversion of Angels and "Pioneer Woman" in Appalachian Spring. She danced for RIOULT Dance NY, Sensedance, CES Danceworks, CRDance Company, has performed works by Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Pascal Rioult, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Virginie Mécène, Henning Rübsam, Caterina Rago, and collaborated on projects with Alastair Macaulay, New York Theatre Ballet, Lydia Johnson Dance, and Buglisi Dance Theatre.

Jerald, a founding partner of Morrison+Tenenbaum, received his B.A. from Brandeis University (cum laude) and his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. His legal experience includes work for Prudential Securities/Wachovia, Merrill Lynch, the Federal Trade Commission and Fridman Law Group, PLLC.

Nanci Weissgold is a co-leader of Alston & Bird's Financial Services & Products Group. She advises financial institutions and financial service providers on issues relating to mortgage lending and mortgage servicing, valuation, and other consumer lending issues as part of her national regulatory compliance practice.

CHRISTOPHER (Director & Choreographer) trained at The Royal Ballet School and joined The Royal Ballet in 1991. In 1993, he joined New York City Ballet and was promoted to Soloist in 1998. He was named NYCB’s first Resident Choreographer in July 2001. Since then, Christopher has created and staged productions for many of the world’s major ballet companies,San Francisco Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Mariinsky Ballet, The Paris Opera Ballet and Hamburg Ballet among others.

Based in NYC, YYDC is not for profit contemporary dance company dedicated to the teaching, production and performance of original choreographic works by founder and artistic director, Yue Yin. Over the past decade, Yin has refined and expanded an original movement vocabulary – FOCO Technique™ — a fusion inspired by the Chinese dance, folk, ballet and contemporary dance movement. The vision for YYDC is to incorporate this signature movement style in original company productions and choreographic commission, to produce original, dynamic, emotionally and physically charged performances under the direction of Yue Yin and to present the works nationally and internationally; to establish and develop FoCo Technique™ into a globally recognized training method for professional dancers as well as dance practitioners; To cultivate audiences’ interest in dance especially in contemporary dance by presenting artistically responsible and socially conscious works.