Born in Havana on 23 October 1965, Julio Arozarena began his dance studies in 1975 at the Cuban National School of Art, where he received his diplomas as a dancer and dance teacher in 1983. That same year, he joined the National Ballet of Cuba under the direction of Alicia Alonso and became, five years later, the company’s principal dancer, winning several gold and silver medals in international competitions.

His career led him to leave Cuba for Europe, first in Belgium, at the Royal Ballet of Flanders, then in Switzerland. From 1993, he joined the Ballet Béjart Lausanne and then worked, from 1997 to 2002, for the equestrian company Zingaro in Paris.

From France, he continued his collaboration with choreographer Maurice Béjart, which led him, after a stint at the Opéra de Nice as ballet master, to return to the BBL in the same position from 2006 to 2019.

In addition to his career as a dancer and then as a teacher, Julio Arozarena developed a passion and recognized skills for choreography. Already at the Ballet of Cuba and then at Zingaro where he assists Bartabas in creating the choreographies for the shows Eclipse 1997 and Tryptik 2000.

in 2002 he initiated the artistic project ‘L’air de rien’ in Brussels and then for the Béjart Ballet Lausanne, he created the ballets Song of Herself 2011, Aguas 2012, Do what you want with these wings 2014 and Corps-Circuit 2016. He also created Don Juan at the Riga Opera in 2017 and Ceci est une rose at the Cusset Theatre in 2018. In June 2018, he presented Éclats at the Théâtre de Beaulieu in Lausanne.

and in August 2019, his choreographic vein urged him to launch himself as an independent choreographer and teacher, and the Arozarena Arts Association was created with the aim of supporting his choreographic creation, promoting dialogue between the arts and offering events and training centred on a mixed vision of art and creation.