SALVADOR RUIZ-ESQUIVEL
Chief Executive + Co-Founder
Salvador earned the prestigious Univisionario recognition in 2022 as a top ten entrepreneur among Hispanic Americans. His leadership and commitment has established access to this remarkable arts-based non-profit in one of the nation’s most underserved regions. He was born the eighth child in a family of nine siblings in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in 1966. He began dancing Mexican Folklorico in elementary school and continued training through high school. He danced with a number of companies from 1985-89 in Guadalajara. Ruiz became a business owner of a Mexican furniture imports and interior design firm in Mexico in 1987. He became the co-owner of a business firm in Los Angeles in 1989 and relocated to Santa Fe in 1992.
Since moving to New Mexico, Ruiz has worked as a teaching artist in the Española Public Schools, teaching dance and visual arts to hundreds of K-6 children. In 2008, he and partner Roger Montoya co-founded Moving Arts Española. In 2011, he served as part of the founding team for La Tierra Montessori School of the Arts and Sciences, a state public charter school.
Mr. Ruiz believes that education through arts is essential in the growth and development of a healthy child, and utilizes his extensive business background to bring responsive programming to children and youth. In 2023, his work was included in the United States Congressional Record and he was selected in 2024 for the CNM Ethics in Business award as a non-profit.
ROGER MONTOYA
Creative Director + Co-Founder
Roger is an American humanitarian recognized in 2019 as a CNN Hero for the visionary programming at Moving Arts Espanola.
Roger was born in Denver Colorado in 1961. His Parents Jose Amado and Dorotea Montoya are the most important reasons he has succeeded as a dancer, painter and an Arts-in- Education advocate in Northern New Mexico.
As a child Roger developed parallel interests in painting/visual arts and in movement, gymnastics and dance. As a teenager he earned a spot on a US gymnastics team that traveled to Romania, France and Denmark to train on an athletic /cultural exchange program. At 20, he received a merit scholarship to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in NYC where he was mentored by Louis Falco of the Limon Dance Company and Pearl Lang from the Martha Graham School. He apprenticed with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and toured globally with the Parsons Dance company through 1990.
Roger is an accomplished self- taught landscape painter, producer, choreographer and founding member of Moving People Dance Santa Fe. From 1998-2007 he founded and coordinated the Arts in the Schools program for the Española Public School District that served 12 elementary schools and 3000+ K-6 students. Montoya co-founded the La Tierra Montessori School for the Arts and Sciences Charter School in 2012. He serves as a guest teacher/ lecturer at the New Mexico School for the Arts charter high school and the UNM dance department, as well as being an advisory board member at Moving Arts Española.
Cristian Madrid-Estrada
HR + Operations Manager
Cristian was born and raised in the beautiful Española Valley, he knows our community and its residents. His work in the nonprofit sector in recent years has enabled him a deep understanding of our communities’ services and needs. Cristian has close to 10 years of experience working with nonprofits and is also a previous alumnus of Moving Arts. Cristian was honored by the Governor of New Mexico in 2022 with a Community Changemaker Award for his contributions and work in the Nonprofit Sector.
Cristian first met Moving Arts Co-Founders Roger Montoya and Salvador Ruiz at the age of 7, this was pre-Moving Arts, back when they ran the “Arts in the Schools Program”. He began work as a youth mentor at the age of 12 and now almost a decade and a half later is proud to be a part of the organization that provided him with unwavering support and kindness which was instrumental in both his personal and professional development throughout most of his life.
Cristian currently serves as the organization’s HR & Operations Manager, as well as a Gymnastics Coach and one half of our Technical Lighting and Sound Team. Cristian believes that just as he was able to experience and take part in Moving Arts, every child deserves to have a Moving Arts. His personal mission is to serve holistically and be of service to those in need.
Carmelita Archuleta
Marketing + Communications Coordinator
Carmelita R. Archuleta was born and raised in the Espanola Valley and serves as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator, and Ballet Folklorico Instructor at Moving Arts Española. With a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, complemented by a Minor in Dance from the University of New Mexico, Carmelita graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors. She furthered her education with a master’s degree in Business Administration, focusing on Management, from New Mexico Highlands University.
As a member of the Moving Arts team, Carmelita’s role as Marketing and Communications Coordinator allows her to merge her passion for dance with her expertise in communications, ensuring Moving Arts continues to thrive and serve its community effectively. With her unwavering dedication and commitment, Carmelita embodies the spirit of service and excellence that defines the Moving Arts mission. She is proud to work within the community that she was born and raised in.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Carmelita is dedicated to her family as a mother of three and a devoted wife. She finds relaxation in travel, enjoys spa days, and indulges her creative side through crafting.
Christopher Maestas
IT + Project Manager
Christopher Maestas was born in the Espanola Valley and brings 15 years of dedicated service to the children and youth of his hometown in northern New Mexico. He is 28 years old and has earned an IT degree from Northern New Mexico College. He contributes in several ways at MAE. He is the head gymnastics coach for hundreds of students as well as the break dance instructor at Moving Arts. His hope in mentoring youth is to help kids find their passion and follow their dreams as he did as a youth growing up in Moving Arts.
Christopher facilitates technical lighting and sound in the Moving Arts Performance Center and upgrades and troubleshoots IT for the organization. In addition, Christopher is the lead on the ambitious Google Kids Project at Moving Arts; which seeks to create a safe and fun way for kids to learn about information technology and STEM in the public schools. Christopher is coordinating 18 Youth Pre-Apprenticeship Interns currently working and learning at Moving Arts.
Julia Elgatian Romero
Youth Program Coordinator
Julia Elgatian Romero has a background in art, education and human services. She began her professional life as an au pair at the age of 19, giving her the advantage of being able to travel, teach and learn around the world. Most notably, she studied art and psychology at the Royal Academy of Art in Den Haag, Netherlands, Architecture and Religion at Barefoot College in Talonia, India, and served as an ambassador for PUCV in Valparaiso, Chile. Being a student of the world opened her eyes to the breadth of complex problems people face universally, as well as the diverse range of solutions we are capable of enacting.
She completed her studies at the University of Iowa in 2016 with a focus on Fine Arts and Education. During her time in Iowa, Julia dedicated herself to her work as coordinator at the areas only low-barrier homeless shelter, and was a committed member of the vital art and music community. It was here that she met her future husband, an Espanola Valley native.
As her family grew, so did her passion for transformative education. Since settling in Northern New Mexico, she has led multiple hands-on, nature and wilderness programs, parent child classes and summer camps, as well as working as a youth counselor in behavioral health management. Her approach to education is holistically based and aims to consider the whole students well-being.
Julia is responsible for coordinating Moving Arts Espanola’s intern team. Our interns are involved in every aspect of our projects and programs and offer an array of on the job work-force training. If you are interested in further information, please contact Julia at interships@ movingartsespanola.org