Our Story
A Dream Finds Its Home
Lillian Barbeito grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Grant Barbeito in Denver, Colorado. The two Southwesterners met in New York City, where Lillian was studying dance at The Juilliard School and Grant, a recent graduate of the School of Visual Arts, was working at MTV. They spent the next decade in New York before heading west to Los Angeles, where they built their careers, started a family, and called home for 20 years.
Along the way, they discovered Carmel.
What began as occasional vacations soon became a cherished tradition. Captivated by the area's breathtaking natural beauty, vibrant arts community, and distinctive charm, they dreamed of one day making Carmel their home. It was always their someday place.
Then came the pandemic.
An extended stay in Carmel gave them a taste of what life there could be. Surrounded by natural beauty, a thriving cultural community, and wonderful schools for their sons, they realized there was no reason to wait for someday.
They had found home.
For Lillian, who had spent her life immersed in dance, the move sparked another dream. The Monterey Peninsula was home to extraordinary music, regional theater, literature, and visual arts, yet opportunities to experience world-class dance were relatively limited.
She saw an opportunity to change that.
Having co-founded the internationally acclaimed contemporary dance company BODYTRAFFIC in Los Angeles, Lillian knew firsthand the power of bringing exceptional artists together. She envisioned a festival that would attract extraordinary dancers and choreographers from around the world, inspire new artistic collaborations, and enrich the community through the transformative power of dance.
Grant, her greatest supporter and creative partner, embraced the vision wholeheartedly. Drawing on his background in filmmaking and production, he helped bring her ambitious idea to life.
In 2021, Carmel Dance Festival was born.
Six years later, that vision has blossomed into a vibrant cultural organization presenting internationally acclaimed artists, commissioning original works, nurturing emerging talent, and creating meaningful connections between artists and audiences.
Today, Carmel Dance Festival reaches far beyond the stage. Through dance education, scholarships, and community outreach, the organization creates opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to experience the joy and power of movement.
As the festival prepares for its seventh season in June 2027, Lillian continues to guide its artistic vision with the same passion, curiosity, and adventurous spirit that inspired its creation. With Grant's unwavering support and a growing community of artists, collaborators, and supporters, the festival continues to evolve.
What began as a dream of calling Carmel home has become a way of giving something extraordinary back to the place they love.
Meet the Founders
LILLIAN BARBEITO
brings more than 35 years of dance experience as an artist, producer, director, and educator to her role as Founder and CEO of Carmel Dance Festival. During the course of her career, she has been a performer with contemporary dance companies, the co-founder of a world-renowned non-profit organization, and an internationally recognized, certified teacher of Countertechnique.
Lillian grew up in the desert under the blues skies of Santa Fe, New Mexico where she trained with the Santa Fe Dance Foundation and worked with The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Southwest Ballet, and the Santa Fe Opera. She earned her BFA from The Juilliard School where she studied on a 4 year, full-tuition scholarship awarded by Tomorrow’s Leaders of America for her essay about the world dancing together in harmony.
Lillian had an extensive performance career that took her to Europe, New York, and then finally to Los Angeles, where she founded BODYTRAFFIC with Tina Berkett where she served as Co-Artistic Director and Director of Education for over 13 years. Under her Co-Direction, the company toured to sold-out audiences and international acclaim at theaters such as the Algiers Opera House, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Institute of Contemporary Arts in
Boston, Jacob's Pillow, New York City Center, The Broad Stage, The Hollywood Bowl, The Israeli Opera, The Joyce Theater, The Lensic in Santa Fe, ODC in San Francisco, Rothstein Theatre in Vancouver, The Wallis in Beverly Hills, Winspear Opera House in Dallas among countless other prestigious venues around the globe.
She has taught internationally for organizations such as CALARTS, Idyllwild Arts Academy, L'Artère, and L’ecole de Danse in Quebec City, Lyon Opera Ballet, Northwest Dance Project, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Southland Ballet Academy, The Wooden Floor, and UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures. Barbeito is one of 36 teachers in the world who is certified to teach Anouk van Dijk’s groundbreaking Countertechnique. She has choreographed over 50 works for high schools, universities, competitions, regional ballet companies, and professional modern dance companies throughout the US and Canada.
She was a Senior Lecturer at Loyola Marymount University, where she taught various dance-related courses from 2010-2021. Lillian is married to filmmaker and environmentalist Grant Barbeito. They relocated their two sons, Oliver who is 12, and Forest who is 8, two bearded dragons, and an Irish Doodle named Harvey to Carmel Valley in August of 2021.
GRANT BARBEITO
Grant Barbeito is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, director, and creative leader whose career spans film, television, live events, and digital media.
Originally from Denver, Colorado, Grant developed an early passion for the visual arts. He studied in Florence, Italy, before attending New York City's School of Visual Arts on a Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship. After graduating, he began his professional career at MTV, launching a decades-long career in visual storytelling and production.
His extensive credits include work on acclaimed documentaries and productions such as Sicko, Before the Music Dies, and Touch the Wall. His film Ruben was selected for the Sundance Film Festival, and his creative work has earned numerous awards and grants.
Grant currently serves as Senior Executive Producer at NOUS Digital, where he leads innovative projects combining storytelling, immersive media, design, and technology. He is also the founder of Earth Protect, an initiative dedicated to environmental awareness through film and media.
A longtime champion of the arts and environmental causes, Grant brings a wealth of creative, technical, and production expertise to Carmel Dance Festival. As Co-Founder, Vice President, and Executive Producer, he plays an integral role in bringing the festival's ambitious productions to life, overseeing production, marketing, and creative initiatives.
Grant has also been Lillian's greatest supporter throughout their years together, encouraging her artistic ambitions and sharing her belief in the power of dance to inspire and connect people. Together, they have combined their talents and passions to create a festival that enriches the community they are proud to call home.