Claudio Muñoz joined Houston Ballet’s Academy in 1999. Mr. Muñoz trained with a variety of choreographers, including John Cranko, George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson, and Ronald Hynd. During his career as a dancer, he filled principal roles in Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, and New York. In 1989 he founded the Chamber Ballet of Santiago. Mr. Muñoz has taught classes and seminars in Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and the United States. He has worked as an instructor for the Ballet Nacional de Chile, Ballet de Santiago, and Ballet Nacional de Peru. The dancers Mr. Muñoz has coached have won the silver medal at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson (1990), third place in the Shanghai International Ballet Competition (1995) and first place at the Prix de Lausanne (2010). In 1996, Mr. Muñoz was awarded “Best Teacher” at the Interdance Competition in Asuncion, Paraguay. Mr. Muñoz has staged a ballet for Ben Stevenson at Florida Ballet, and also staged Stanton Welch’s work at Cincinnati Ballet and Tulsa Ballet. Mr. Muñoz also coaches Houston Ballet II students for the Prix de Lausanne and Beijing International Ballet Competition. In 2007 and 2011, he served as a judge for the Youth America Grand Prix competition in Mexico.  In 2016 he was awarded the Dance Teacher Award by Dance Teacher Magazine.