Ramon Thielen, born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, began his ballet studies in the Casa de la Cultura Julio Garmendia with Nery Johnson and later continued in the Gustavo Franklin Ballet School in Caracas. In 1987 he joined the Ballet Metropolitano de Caracas and later the Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas, directed by Zhandra Rodriguez, where he was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1990. In 1991 he joined the San Jose Cleveland ballet where for seven years he performed many principal roles in the classical and contemporary repertoire. Mr. Thielen joined The Dance Theater of Harlem in 1998 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1999. He is the first Hispanic male Principal Dancer at the institution in 36 years. Some of his principal roles include: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Carmina Burana, Raymond (in the ballet movie The Blue Suede Shoes), Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Diana and Acteon and Apollo. He has been a guest artist with many international companies, and has toured many countries, including: Venezuela, Colombia Curacao, USA, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Russia, Australia and China.font>