About OKAN

We are a School of the Arts where craft, thought, identity and creation are part of the same process. We train artists to understand what they do, discover their own voice and turn their practice into a profession.

Our mission

To train performing artists with solid technical, creative, and intellectual tools, capable of researching, creating, and practicing their profession with identity, critical thinking, and awareness of their community and territory.

Our story

A SCHOOL THAT WAS BORN DOING.

OKAN was born from stage practice, training, and the need to build a space in Cancún for the professional training of artists. What began as a laboratory for creation and learning grew, questioned itself, and transformed into a School of the Arts with its own educational model. Today that story continues: training artists, generating knowledge, and building community from the Mexican Caribbean.

Our model

CRAFT

Technical rigor and artistic discipline in every process.

THOUGHT

An artist does not only create. They also question. History, dramaturgy, philosophy, analysis and research dialogue with practice to understand what we do, how and why.

IDENTITY

We do not train artists to resemble others. Each process seeks for the student to recognize their tools, build judgment, and find their own artistic voice.

COMMUNITY AND TERRITORY

Art does not happen isolated from the world. Training engages with its time, community, and territory to create, participate, and transform from within them.

Leadership

Leadership team

Founding Rector

Carolina del Carmen Zepeda García

Performing artist, educator and academic administrator specializing in professional training in the performing arts. She is the founding Rector of OKAN School of the Arts, an institution whose educational project and academic model she helped shape. She holds a Master's degree in Theatre and Performing Arts from Universidad Internacional de La Rioja and a Bachelor's degree in Dance from Universidad de las Américas Puebla. Her career includes teaching, academic leadership, stage production and direction, as well as designing training processes in body awareness, contemporary dance, somatic dance and physical training for performance. She is the co-founder and co-director of Centro Integral de Artes Escénicas in Cancún. She currently combines institutional leadership, teaching and academic advising at OKAN.

Vice-Rector

Ernesto Tamayo Benítez

Actor, stage director, lighting designer and theatre educator. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Performing Arts, specializing in Acting, from the University of the Arts of Cuba, and previously trained as a Professional Theatre Instructor at Cuba's National Theatre School. He is pursuing a master's degree in Neuroeducation, focusing on the relationship between cognitive processes, artistic learning and contemporary approaches to actor training. His training includes study and work with Eugenio Barba, Peter Goldfarb, Bertha Martínez and Philippe Genty. He is a founder of OKAN and Dean of the Acting program, for which he designed the curriculum and the institution's philosophical framework.

Marketing Director

Alia Gisela Sánchez Vázquez

Economist, digital strategist and marketing specialist for the creative industries. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics, an MBA and a Master's degree in Digital Marketing and E-commerce, as well as diplomas in digital transformation, e-business and leadership skills. She has more than two decades of experience in digital strategy, e-commerce and brand development for companies in Mexico and Central America. She specializes in search-engine positioning, social media and SEO strategies for artists, cultural events and creative projects. She is a founder of OKAN and Director of the Marketing Department.

Admissions and Institutional Relations Coordinator

Sandra Fernández Hassey

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and works in public relations and audiovisual production, with training in human development and emotional education. She is the founder of IntegraSion, a project focused on self-awareness and emotional transformation. Her career brings together communication, human relations and support for young people and adults.

At OKAN, she coordinates admissions and institutional relations, supporting the enrollment of new students and strengthening the school's relationships with institutions, organizations and its community. Her work brings communication and human development together to build close relationships consistent with OKAN's educational project.

Digital Communications, Production and Logistics

Daniel Moya

A stage production and digital communications professional, he trained in production assistance at Cuba's Radio and Television Studies Center. His experience brings together logistics for performances and cultural events, cast and technical resource management, content creation and strategic social media management. He has taken part in projects such as Cuba Espectacular, the theatrical premiere Cuarentena and the closing event for the telenovela El Derecho de Soñar, as well as cultural and social projects in Cuba and Mexico.

At OKAN School of the Arts, he is part of the production and communications team, contributing to institutional logistics, operational organization and digital communications. His work connects the creative, technical and communications needs of projects, supporting their development both on stage and in their relationship with audiences.

Admissions Department

Odalys Suárez Almeida

She is an Industrial Engineer who graduated from the José Antonio Echeverría Higher Polytechnic Institute (CUJAE) in Havana, Cuba. She began her professional career at the Havana Urban Bus Company, where she completed her professional training period and social service.

She later took on commercial management duties at the José María Pérez Bus Workshop Company, known as El Naranjito, where she went on to serve as commercial manager. She continued her career at Cuba's National Institute of Hydraulic Resources as a senior specialist in Work Organization and Salaries, building experience in management, organization and administrative processes.

She is currently part of the Admissions Department at OKAN School of the Arts, where she applies her organizational and administrative experience to supporting and following up on the admission processes for new students.

Production Director

Flora Borrego

Flora Borrego is a Cuban actress and producer who graduated in Acting from Cuba's National School of Art (ENA) in 2011. She has built her career in theatre, film and television, working with companies including Aire Frío, directed by Eduardo Eimil, and La Franja Teatral, directed by Agnieska Hernández. Her television work includes Promesas, Valientes, En tiempos de amar and Asuntos pendientes, where she received particular recognition for her portrayal of Adriana Estrada. In 2026, she took the leading role of Lía in the telenovela Entre aguas. Her artistic experience also includes musical performance and participation in production projects. At OKAN School of the Arts, she joins as Production Director of OKAN Espectáculos, leading the operational coordination of its stage and entertainment productions.

Executive Producer

Omar Vázquez

Omar Vázquez Sánchez, known as Señor Sargazo, is a Mexican businessperson, entrepreneur and promoter of environmental innovation and social responsibility initiatives. He founded Blue Green México and created Sargablock, developing a model for using sargassum to manufacture sustainable building materials. The initiative has gained international reach and helped build homes for families in vulnerable circumstances. His career is distinguished by his ability to turn entrepreneurial initiatives into social-impact projects, bringing together innovation, resource management and business development. At OKAN School of the Arts, he joins as Executive Producer of OKAN Espectáculos and OKAN Laboratorio Escénico, contributing to the management and viability of their artistic creation and production projects.

Assistant Director

Nassiely Hérnandez

Nassiely Hernández Rodríguez is a Cuban producer, cultural manager and assistant director. She holds a gold-medal degree in Sociocultural Studies and a Master's degree in Contemporary History, with a focus on International Relations, from the University of Havana. She has specialized training in production, communications, cultural management and assistant directing for audiovisual work from the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC).

Her career includes organizing and producing shows, festivals, concerts and television projects in collaboration with institutions and groups such as Empresa Adolfo Guzmán, Compañía Verdarte and Artestudio El Hombrecito Verde. She has taken part in productions including Travesura Musical, En busca del Hombrecito Verde and artistic tours with the Miguel Failde Orchestra.

At OKAN School of the Arts, she joins as Management and Assistant Direction Coordinator, connecting organizational and production processes with artistic assistance on productions by OKAN Laboratorio Escénico and OKAN Espectáculos.

Audiovisuals and Stage Technology Director

Elvys Ariel

Elvys Ariel Urra Moreno is a Cuban audiovisual filmmaker, cinematographer and visual artist with more than 15 years of experience in film, television, advertising and stage production. He graduated from the Faculty of Audiovisual Media Arts (FAMCA) at the University of the Arts of Cuba (ISA), specializing in Cinematography, and also trained in visual arts, videodance and digital visualization technologies.

His career includes work on films such as Últimos días en La Habana, Los buenos demonios and Buscando a Casal, as well as cinematography for documentaries about Los Van Van and Orquesta Aragón. He has taken part in television programs such as Travesura Musical, Sesiones Vagabundas and Fútbol por Dentro, and has developed visual and scenic concepts for Compañía Verdarte productions.

At OKAN School of the Arts, he joins as Director of Audiovisuals and Stage Technology. He is responsible for photographic and audiovisual documentation, content development and visual solutions for performances, videomapping projects, 360-degree immersive experiences and stage concepts involving drones, as well as audiovisual training in continuing education programs.

Web Developer

Gerardo Javier

Gerardo Javier Pujol Suárez is a software developer and a student in the Bachelor's degree program in Computer Science at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computing (MATCOM), University of Havana. His education includes programming, computer architecture, algorithm design and application development, with practical experience in C#, Python, object-oriented programming and version-control tools such as Git and GitHub.

He has developed video game, management system and computer architecture projects, and has taken part in university technology outreach initiatives. At OKAN School of the Arts, he is responsible for Web Development and Process Automation, developing the institutional website, implementing digital tools and creating technology solutions to optimize the institution's academic, administrative and operational management.

Alongside this work, he has twelve years of training in Chinese martial arts (wushu) and experience as an instructor, which he brings to OKAN Continuing Studies through workshops in martial arts applied to performance.

Artistic training

Faculty

Faculty Member

Luz Mas

Dancer, choreographer, educator and cultural manager specializing in ballet, contemporary dance and jazz. She trained professionally at the Royal Professional Conservatory of Dance of Madrid and pursued advanced studies in contemporary dance and jazz on a scholarship with the company 10 & 10 Danza. She has more than twenty-five years of experience as a performer, choreographer, artistic director and educator, with work in Spain, the United Kingdom and Mexico. She co-authored the Methodological Guide to Jazz Dance. She is currently a founder of OKAN, Dean of Dance and designer of the curriculum for the Bachelor's degree in Dance.

Faculty Member

Yailín Coppola

Actress, stage director and theatre educator. She graduated from Cuba's National School of Art and the Higher Institute of Art in Havana, where she also earned a Master's degree in Stage Direction. She has built a distinguished career in contemporary Cuban theatre as a member of Argos Teatro, directed by Carlos Celdrán, taking part with the company in major productions and theatre festivals.

As an actress, she has appeared in works including Roberto Zucco, Chamaco, Fango, Uncle Vanya and The Principle of Archimedes, several of which received Caricato and Villanueva Awards. As a director, she has staged works by Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, Gracia Morales, Cesc Gay and Abel González Melo.

Her work also spans film, television and specialist teaching at institutions including Cuba's National Theatre School, the International School of Film and Television (EICTV) and the Cuban Ballet School, where she has taught Acting. At OKAN, she teaches Acting and co-directs the Stage Laboratory, currently staging La mirada de los invisibles by Saúl Enríquez.

Faculty Member

Abigail Soqui Michelena

Actress, dancer, director, choreographer and educator. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Acting from the National School of Theatrical Art of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature, and previously studied classical, Mexican and contemporary dance at the Mexican Dance Academy. Her additional training includes physical conditioning, stage voice, mask, improvisation and contemporary movement techniques, as well as professional development in new Latin American theatre practices, community theatre and character creation.

Her stage career includes work as an actress, director and performer, with presentations at Centro Cultural Helénico, CENART and UNAM, as well as participation in national and international festival circuits, including the National Theatre Showcase and the International Festival of Classical Theatre of Almagro, Spain. She has received FONCA's Interpreters and Performing Arts Creators grants.

She currently directs Nunca Merlot Teatro A.C. in Cancún and performs in Masa Madre by Daniela Arroio, directed by Angélica Rogel, one of Quintana Roo's most recognized theatre productions. The production was selected for the National Theatre Showcase and the «Teatro a una sola voz» Monologue Festival, where it toured venues in different states across the country.

Faculty Member

Patricia Rivera

Performing arts creator, choreographer and educator specializing in contemporary dance. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Dance Education, specializing in Contemporary Dance, from the “Nellie y Gloria Campobello” National Dance School of the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL). Her artistic training began at INBAL's School of Artistic Initiation No. 4, and she later also completed a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education at the Ministry of Public Education's Higher School of Physical Education.

She has built an active career as a performer, choreographer and collaborator with prominent companies including CEPRODAC, Triciclo Rojo, ContraDanza, Danza Capital, Ts’ook Danza Plataforma Escénica and Colectivo Espiral in Ecuador.

Her work has been presented at the Palace of Fine Arts, the Dance Theatre at CCB, the Lunario at the National Auditorium and Centro Cultural Los Pinos, as well as at festivals and on circuits in Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, Japan and the United States. She has received support through FONCA's Performing Arts Creators program, ENARTES and Contigo en la Distancia. She is also one of the founders of Festival Bacalar / 3D/60º International Choreography Award, a platform devoted to the creation, professional development and promotion of contemporary dance in Quintana Roo.

Faculty Member

Zurisadai González Fuente

Dancer, choreographer, educator and cultural manager specializing in contemporary dance. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Dance Education, specializing in Contemporary Dance, from the “Nellie y Gloria Campobello” National Dance School of the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBAL), and has additional training at the National Dance School of Havana, Cuba, and the eFel Danse Professional Training Center.

He has worked as a performer with prominent Mexican contemporary dance companies, including CEPRODAC, Créssida Danza, ContraDanza, directed by Cecilia Appleton, and VSS Danza, directed by Vicente Silva Sanjinés. He is the founder and artistic director of Ts’ook Danza Plataforma Escénica A.C. His choreography was a finalist for the Guillermo Arriaga National Dance Award (INBAL-UAM) and has received recognition in competitions such as 4×4 TJ Night and Con los pies en el aire.

He currently combines creation, production and professional training in contemporary dance. He is also the founder and artistic director of Festival Bacalar / 3D/60º International Choreography Award, a platform devoted to the creation, professional development and promotion of contemporary dance, based primarily in Bacalar, Quintana Roo.

Faculty Member

Kirenia Arbelo Plasencia

Theatre scholar, researcher and university educator. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Theatrical Art, specializing in Theatre Studies, from the University of the Arts (ISA) of Cuba, a Master's degree in Education from the International University Institute of Toluca, and a doctorate in Political Science. She is a member of Mexico's National System of Researchers (SNII). Her academic work lies in the arts and humanities, bringing together theatre studies, art criticism, pedagogy and cultural research.

She has taught at university level in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at the Autonomous University of Guerrero, where she is a full-time professor in the Literature Department, a member of the “Literary Studies, Linguistics and Interculturality” Academic Group and the Chair for Peace. Her research addresses literature, art and society, as well as interculturality and processes of social transformation from interdisciplinary perspectives. She is developing the Theatre Laboratory research project and has published scholarly and public-facing articles on theatre and society, with an emphasis on Bertolt Brecht's political theatre.

Faculty Member

Anyel Judith Goenaga

Visual artist, art historian and holder of a Master's degree in Humanities. Her career brings together research, curating, teaching and cultural management, with an emphasis on contemporary art, photography and sociocultural projects. A graduate of the University of Havana, she has been recognized for research on performance and Cuban identity, including her work on Ana Mendieta. Her work has been shown in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Cuba. Her practice combines a critical perspective, aesthetic sensitivity and a commitment to art as a catalyst for social transformation.

Faculty Member

Pita Ochoa

Anthropologist, researcher and filmmaker whose work is connected to documentary cinema and visual anthropology. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Ethnohistory from the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH), where she also pursued postgraduate studies in Anthropology. Her academic and professional work brings together anthropological research, audiovisual production and critical reflection on culture, memory and identity.

She has conducted research and fieldwork on projects associated with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), as well as studies of Indigenous cultures, historical memory and water culture in collaboration with organizations such as UNESCO and the Mexican Institute of Water Technology.

In film, she has worked in research, screenwriting and content development for documentary and audiovisual projects, and has coordinated training initiatives in community and documentary filmmaking. She has taught at university level at institutions including the National School of Anthropology and History, the Autonomous University of Mexico City and Universidad de la Comunicación, in programs related to documentary and audiovisual media. She is the author and editor of publications on Mexican documentary cinema and anthropological studies. At OKAN, she leads Visual Anthropology workshops and teaches Philosophical Thought and Critical Thinking and Appreciation of the Arts, integrating cultural research methods, critical image analysis and humanistic reflection into the performing arts.

Faculty Member

Jorge Pedro Hernández Medero

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Dance Art, specializing in Folklore, and a Master's degree in Audiovisual Culture from the University of the Arts (ISA), along with theatre training and the qualification of First-Level Artistic Director of Musical Shows. He has more than twenty years of experience as an artistic director, choreographer, actor and performing arts creator, and has worked in musical shows, dance, theatre, television and cultural outreach projects. At OKAN, he teaches Body Expression and is part of the Artistic Direction team for shows aimed at the tourist entertainment industry, bringing his experience in movement, stage composition and artistic direction to the school's professional training and creative work.

Faculty Member

Juan Alberto Reyes

Juan Alberto Reyes Pérez is a Cuban dancer, choreographer and educator with 15 years of artistic experience. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Dance Art, specializing in Folklore, from the University of the Arts of Cuba (ISA), and has trained in modern, contemporary and folkloric dance. He is principal dancer and choreographer with Compañía Verdarte and has taken part in theatre, musical, television and international festival productions. His awards include the Ramiro Guerra Award for Best Male Performance in Folkloric Dance (2024) and the Caricato Award for Best Choreography in Musical Shows (2025). His teaching experience includes classical ballet, contemporary dance, Cuban folklore and Yoruba dances. At OKAN, he joins the faculty as a dance instructor.

Wellbeing

Psychopedagogical support

Psychologist

Doriam Díaz Goenaga

Psychologist specializing in psychopedagogical support in artistic processes. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Havana. At OKAN, she provides comprehensive support focused on emotional wellbeing and personal development within arts education. Her work brings together clinical psychology, group dynamics and expressive tools applied to performing arts training and emotional awareness. At the school, she teaches Psychodrama and Psychodance.