Pedro Ruiz is a renowned choreographer and dancer who was born and trained in Cuba, as well as in Venezuela. In a 21-year career with Ballet Hispánico as its principal dancer, Ruiz also choreographed three critically acclaimed ballets for the company. Clive Barnes of The New York Post said of Guajira, “An especially fine work of form and structure.” Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times gave kudos to Club Havana saying, “An explosion of sensuous pure dance.” And Gia Kourlas of Time Out New York glowed, “Ruiz’s Cecilia furthers the notion that his pieces exhibit a timelessness.” Mr. Ruiz has now set out on his own choreographing for other dance companies in the US and internationally. In November 2022, Pedro Ruiz premiered a new Ballet La Estancia, which was commissioned for The New Jersey Philharmonic Orchestra's 100th Anniversary Gala. Ruiz’s ballet was performed by The New Jersey Ballet along with two greats—cellist YoYo Ma and Wynton Marsalis playing at NJ PAC. Ruiz is the recipient of a "Bessie" award, the Choo-San Goh Award, The Cuban Artist’s Fund Award, and The Joyce Foundation Award. The FBI honored Ruiz for his public service during 2012’s Hispanic Heritage Month. Mr. Ruiz has performed at the White House for several presidents. In 2010, Ruiz founded The Windows Project—a groundbreaking cultural exchange program celebrating the art of dance between the U.S. and Cuba. Ruiz has been the subject of two PBS documentaries: Pas de Deux (part of the In The Life series), and Coming Home, a PBS documentary nominated for a New York Emmy Award. Ruiz’s highly successful ballet, Club Havana was featured in Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance. Ruiz’s celebrated poetic duet, Lasting Embrace, premiered in the US in July 2016 at the Dancers Responding to AIDS Dance Festival on Fire Island. In 2019 under the auspices of the ¡Cuba Aquí! Festival, the Ballet Contemporáneo de Camagűey from Cuba made its American debut at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse bringing a joyful, exuberant program of three dances by their Cuban-American artistic director Pedro Ruiz.

Ruiz is on the dance faculty of Hunter College, Marymount College, The Ailey School, Pace University, and Ballet Hispánico. He teaches company class for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and is Resident Artist of the Arnhold Graduate Dance Education Program at Hunter. He has also taught master classes and performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Central and South America.