Brunilda Ruiz ((1936-06-01)June 1, 1936 – (2019-08-13)August 13, 2019) was a Puerto Rican ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer.
Ruiz was born in Rincón, Puerto Rico, and raised in Spanish Harlem in New York City.
[1] As a performer, Ruiz toured internationally, dancing in Europe, the Soviet Union, Middle East, and India.
She was the first woman of hispanic heritage to appear in the Who's Who of America and was fondly known as the pride of Puerto Rico, returning to star in The Nutcracker with the Ballets de San Juan[2] After retiring from performance in 1971, Ruiz taught and choreographed as associate director of the Baron Ballet in Waldwick, New Jersey, from 1976 to 1983.
[2] Ruiz died peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones in Waldwick, New Jersey, on August 13, 2019, at the age of 83.