Román Baca

Román Baca is the CoFounder and Artistic Director of Exit12 Dance Company and a PhD Candidate at York St. John University, where he investigates the military human experience through the arts. A classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer, Mr. Baca has performed and taught across the United States and United Kingdom, with credits spanning Off-Broadway productions and major institutions including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the United Nations.

In 2001, Mr. Baca paused his dance career to serve as a machine-gunner and fire team leader with the United States Marine Corps in Fallujah, Iraq. Following his service, he co-founded Exit12 Dance Company to bridge military and civilian divides through the power of dance and storytelling.

A US-UK Fulbright Award recipient and 2015 New York State Veterans’ Hall of Fame inductee, Mr. Baca is also a 2024 Scholar with the George W. Bush Presidential Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program.