Gabrielle Ruiz

Gabrielle is known for portraying the role of Valencia on The CW's critically acclaimed musical comedy, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. She can also be seen on Alone Together, Orange Is The New Black, Law & Order: SVU and Sesame Street. She was last seen on Broadway in If/Then with Idina Menzel, Evita with Ricky Martin, and In The Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Gabrielle was also known all over the country with rave reviews as Diana Morales in the 1st National Tour of A Chorus Line and had been on the road for a year. Other New York works include: Piece of My Heart, SkippyJon Jones as Rosalita, The Broadway Dolls and Speakeasy Moderne as herself, Girl One in Make Mine Manhattan for UnsungMusicals, and numerous new works. She is the Voice of Vanessa in Fame Forever Demo for David DeSilva and Father Fame Productions.

Her film debut was Maria in award-winning Sex, Love and Salsa where she received "Best Supporting Actress" at RIFE's Film Festival Awards. Past theatre credits include Kathy in Company at Bucks County Playhouse with Justin Guarini, Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street at Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Anita in West Story at Ogunquit Playhouse. Edythe Herbert in My One and Only with Tony Yazbeck at the Goodspeed Opera House, Gabriella Montez in High School Musical.

Gabrielle hails from Edinburg, Texas (known as the Rio Grande Valley) where she grew up developing dance as her primary passion. She trained at Melba's School of Dance under Melba Huber and Anne Bowling. To further her education, Gabrielle received a ballet scholarship to attend the Texas Association for Teachers of Dance summer convention. She began vocal lessons early on and was classically trained by the late David Custer of San Antonio, Texas. She earned her place in the Texas All-­State Choir as 2nd Chair for Second Soprano in 2002. STARS Scholarship Fund also supported her dreams of attending higher Gabrielle attended Oklahoma City University's Ann Lacy School of Dance and Arts Management where she received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Performance with top honors in 2007. While in school, Gabrielle participated in American Spirit Dance Company, OCU Rhythms, numerous musicals (performing and backstage), work- ­study and served as Vice President of Chapter Operations & Chaplain for the Delta-­Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi. Along with performing, Gabrielle thrives on educating others on the art of performance. She has been a guest artist for Oklahoma City University's Broadway Bound Dance Intensive, The Hangar Theatre's Next Generation Summer Workshop, Diva Dance Company of New York and taught in Connecticut, Staten Island and Long Island as well. She was a judge and guest teacher several times for Access Broadway, Elite Dance Cup and N.Y.L.A. dance competitions.

Gabrielle continues to teach and choreograph in New York City and Los Angeles. She thrives on educating dancers around the nation on how to be a professional performer.