About the Artist

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Cesar has training in many dance disciplines such as Modern, Jazz, Street Jazz, Latin Jazz, Afro-Caribbean, Hustle and Salsa but has recently celebrated 33 years of Vogue dance experience. He has created his own signature style of Vogue: Pop, Dip and Spin with grace and precision, combining traditional military style hieroglyphics with acrobatics and spins. The specifications of Valentino Vogue can be learned and taught in studios, classrooms and workshops worldwide. Please contact for syllabus and licensing information.

In 1988, Cesar walked his first ball in Harlem's Elks Lodge where he won and quickly became a fixture in the ballroom scene winning many coveted trophies and awards, including the Marcel Christian Legend award, the Paved the Way award, the Ballroom Gatekeeper award and the Ballroom Icon award. He was featured in one of the first articles about voguing in The Village Voice and as a dancer on the Latin Connection TV show,  where he and Michelle Visage introduced voguing on national television. In 1989, he landed a spot on the Deep in Vogue tour with Malcolm McLaren throughout Europe and has since appeared in music videos with Toni Braxton, Carmen Electra and K7, as well as in the documentaries “The House of Tres,” “Voguing the Message,” "Vogue Classique" and “Paris is Burning.” Cesar has also choreographed for recording artists Tony Terry and Sweet Sensation. Cesar most recently appears in: the Netflix series “The Get Down,” the Smirnoff Welcome Home Pride commercial alongside Laverne Cox, the NYC Mayor's Office Pride Campaign, the I Won’t Be Erased Campaign, and is the host and judge of Best Walk (which streams on Topic Stories, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon video). Cesar has appeared in numerous TV segments about Vogue history on major networks and programs such as: Good Day New York, American Latino, Telemundo, Eyewitness News, VH1 and NBC 6 Miami. He has served as a faculty member at Alvin Ailey in NYC (teaching the first official Vogue class in Ailey's history), as well as the world-famous Broadway Dance Center. Cesar has also shared his signature Valentino Vogue technique at other prominent NYC dance institutions: Peridance Center, Gibney Dance and the Martha Graham School. 

A respected educator, speaker and performer, Cesar has been asked to participate regularly in panel discussions and workshops at Pace University, SUNY Purchase and Indiana University, as well as the International Ballroom Convention and Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). He has also led Vogue workshops at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts (EMIA), Vibrant Flow Escape (VFE) Dance Festival in Dominican Republic, Cultural Arts Center of Washington Heights, Harlem Dance Club, Brown Girls Burlesque, Berlin Vogue Out, Pride for Youth, Advanced Street Style Lab and The Ailey School’s BFA students. Worldwide performances also include Japan, Italy and Germany, with invitations to judge, perform and teach workshops at Funkin’ Styles Berlin, Meeting Hip Hop in Sao Paolo, Brazil and back home at NYC’s House Dance International Festival, Men in Skirts at Tompkins Square Park’s Howl Festival, Back to Tabac NYC Pride Extravaganza and the Bronx Museum. 

A master craftsman and designer, Cesar also creates an exquisite array of one-of-a-kind garments, costumes and accessories for high-end boutiques as well as friends, fellow performers and celebrities alike. In 2018, his keen ability was utilized and showcased in the Platinum Award Winning Windows at Bloomingdale’s (design:retail's Best Windows in New York). He has modeled for fashion publications Gear, Details, Vanity Fair, Spanish Vogue and Blue Magazine. He has worked behind the scenes at New York’s Olympus and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and served as casting and wardrobe supervisor for BET’s Rip the Runway. Cesar continues to work as a runway and performance coach for both established and upcoming models and performers. His powerful yet delicate Vogue skill has also been seen on True TV w/ Seth Rogen, the Simply Be commercial campaign in the UK, as 'Sin Andre' in the feature film I'm An Electric Lampshade (shot in The Philippines) and in the documentary Love Is In The Legend. 

Read An Oral History Of Voguing By A Pioneer Of The Iconic Dance by Ja’han Jones for Huffington Post: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cesar-valentino-vogue-alvin-ailey_us_5b11857ce4b02143b7cc4b63

Read The History and Impact of Vogue with Cesar Valentino:  https://urec.wsu.edu/special-events/paris-is-burning-the-history-and-impact-of-vogue-with-cesar-valentino/