Oct. 11 Performers

Exit12 started in 2007 as a way for Artistic Director Román Baca to investigate his personal military service through choreography. This choreographic process became a place of healing as Román was able to work through his military experiences through the safety of dance as a non-literal art form. Román went on to create multiple critically acclaimed works about his service in the Iraq War. After several platoon mates took their own lives in 2011, Román realized that his fellow veterans also needed a way to process their own experiences. He also acknowledged that the military experience is extremely diverse, as is the population that serves. Upon this realization, Exit12 started working with veterans and military families to foster healing across the veteran and military family communities and tell diverse stories that might not otherwise be told through the arts.  

Román Baca is the Artistic Director of Exit12 Dance Company and a PhD Candidate investigating the military human through the arts at York St. John University in the UK.  Román Baca is a consultant with The Drive Project in the UK delivering Art and Recovery programs for the Royal British Legion and the Ministry of Defense. 

Working through the arts with the military Mr. Baca has developed major partnerships and projects with world-class institutions including the Intrepid Museum, The British Museum, the Ministry of Defense, CreatiVets, The Metropolitan Museum of Art among others.

Mr. Baca is a classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer. He has danced in the US for the New Mexico Ballet Company, Connecticut Ballet, the Nutmeg Ballet, Ballet Theatre Company, and performed in several musicals including West Side Story, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, and Guys and Dolls. He has served as movement director for several off-Broadway plays and has taught ballet in London and NYC at Pineapple, Alvin Ailey, Peridance, City Academy, and the United Nations, and has been the artistic director and general manager of two professional dance organizations.

In 2001, recognizing his desire to defend the defenseless, he took a hiatus from dance and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a machine-gunner and fire-team leader in Fallujah, Iraq during the US-led Iraq War.

After the war, Mr. Baca returned to dance and co-founded Exit12 Dance Company, which tells war stories, choreographically, to increase cross-cultural understanding and heal divisions. He has choreographed and championed dance works that explore the military veteran experience and the impact of war on civilians and families. He also leads workshops and lectures at schools, universities, organizations, and veteran’s centers to aid veterans’ recovery and inspire critical conversations about military service through the power of dance.

Mr. Baca graduated from St. Mary’s College of California with a BA, cum laude, in the Performing Arts and was awarded a Fulbright to the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK where he completed his MFA with Merit in Choreography.  Mr. Baca’s practice-based research produced his thesis titled Choreographing Soldier’s Stories to Provoke Empathy in Audiences which has won major awards.  He has also served as a Junior Research Scientist and data manager for several military research studies. 

Mr. Baca is also a 2024 Fellow with the George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, is the recipient of a 2020 scholarship to York St. John University, the 2019 Selma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lecture Award, a 2017-2018 US-UK Fulbright Postgraduate Award to the Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, a 2018 HillVet Nominee, a 2015 New York State Veterans’ Hall of Fame Inductee, an 2014 Art and Healing Network Awardee, and has served as a fellow with Veterans in Global Leadership, The Mission Continues, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Tenor Jesús Daniel Hernández was born and raised in the lovely town of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México. As a child his biggest dream was to be a singer. He wanted to sing like Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete, two big idols of Mexico. It was very common to hear young Jesus singing around the halls of his middle school in Juárez, Mexico. It was during that time that he saw on tv the concert with the Three Tenors and his interest for classical music was born.

 After hearing that concert he would try to imitate his new idols, providing new kinds of headaches to his family with his higher singing notes. He bought his first guitar at the age of 14, a wonderful companion that has lasted until this moment.  On this instrument he learned how to accompanied himself. When he was 16 years old he immigrated to United States where he finished his high school and for a brief moment sang with a Mariachi band.

 Even though life took him down different paths, taking different types of jobs to sustain his family, his dream to be a singer never disappeared from his mind.  In 2003 Jesus enlisted in the U.S ARMY in 2003. At the end of that same year he volunteered to go to Iraq to serve in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom).  One night outside of the military Camp of Taji while in Iraq, the tenor remembered his dreams of being an opera singer while reading the Alchemist by Paolo Coelho.

 Even though he enjoyed his job as a soldier, he felt that something was missing in his life, and that was his desire to sing. In 2007, while stationed in Texas, the tenor learned that one of his child idols was going to perform in San Antonio, TX.  Upon seeing the price of the tickets he wrote an email to the then director of the San Antonio Opera, Mark Richter, asking him if they offered a military discount, so he could see his idol Placido Domingo. The opera director graciously told him not to worry about it, that the ticket was free for him for serving his country.

 At the end of the concert the young tenor went backstage to ask his idol for an autograph. While Maestro Domingo was signing his program he asked the young tenor if he liked his concert and his music, to which the young soldier, responded that he always wanted to sing like him. Maestro Domingo invited him to sing for him in his dressing room in an impromptu audition, and after listening to the young tenor, Maestro Domingo invited him to be part of his prestigious Domingo-Cafritz young artist program in Washington, DC in 2008. 

 While in the program, Jesús participated in different concerts and operas with Placido Domingo. Since then the Tenor Jesús Daniel Hernández has been dedicated to singing to all kinds of audiences with his beautiful, sweet, and powerful voice all over the world. All thanks to a dream of a young boy, which he pursued until his dream became reality.

Michael Bard is an active musician, composer and teacher who resides near Washington, D.C. He has performed as a soloist and with various musical ensembles throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, North Africa, South America, Central America and the Middle East. He has also been featured on various radio and television programs around the world.  He has served as Vice President of the Dayton Classical Guitar Society as well as Vice President of the Washington Guitar Society.

While pursuing graduate studies at Arizona State University, Tempe, Michael was awarded a full scholarship to study at l’Accademia “Ottocento” in Vigevano, Italy, a school which specializes in the classical guitar music of the 19th century. During that time he also participated in a concert tour of northern Italy and Switzerland.

Michael has also performed as rhythm guitarist for Higher Octave/Virgin recording artists Shahin and Sepehr with whom he has toured nationally and abroad. He also appeared on their fourth album “World Cafe” which peaked at #18 on the Billboard charts and was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

As a performer, Michael was chosen by the U.S. State Department to concertize throughout Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, and the kingdom of Morocco with fellow guitarist Corey Whitehead. Billing themselves as ‘Douze Cordes’ Michael and Corey effectively served as cultural ambassadors, offering diplomacy through music. They were later invited to give more performances in Jordan and Kuwait on a second tour again sponsored by the U.S. State Department. More recently they embarked on an 11 city concert tour throughout the country of Chile, this time as a trio with vocalist Deborah Benner, Michael’s wife & musical partner.

Michael has performed for many luminaries and dignitaries including former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore as well as various members of royalty throughout the Middle East & South America.

His first recorded solo effort entitled ‘Illumination’ features original compositions for guitar and solo piano, blending a soothing mix of of Spanish, Latin, and adult contemporary instrumental styles. His composition ‘Mediterranean Beauty’ for two guitars is published by Lathkill Music Publishers, England.

He provided Spanish guitar accompaniment for The Choral Arts Society of Washington‘s award winning NAXOS recording “Celebrating Sacred Rhythms” featuring Ariel Ramirez’ “Misa Criolla” & “Navidad Nuestra.”

Michael currently performs & records with Washington D.C. based Latin Rumba-Flamenco group Trio Caliente, which has released 3 albums, performed nationally, and whose music was featured on NBC’s former hit TV show “Smash” as well as E! Entertainment Television Network. ​​

Michael holds a Masters degree in music from Arizona State University, Tempe and a Bachelors degree in music from Wright State University, Dayton, OH.