Adrienne de la Fuente
Executive director - Dancer

Adrienne de la Fuente is a seasoned dance artist, leader, and arts advocate whose dedication to the transformative power of movement has shaped her dynamic career with Exit12 Dance Company. Since joining Exit12 in 2010, Adrienne has been a driving force within the company—performing in powerful, socially engaged works and leading workshops that connect civilians, veterans, and military families across the United States and internationally. Her deep commitment to Exit12’s mission has seen her rise through the organization’s ranks: she was named Company Manager and Rehearsal Director in 2016, became a Board Member in 2018, and was appointed Executive Director in 2024.

Through her artistic and administrative leadership, Adrienne has helped elevate Exit12’s role at the intersection of dance and military experience, amplifying stories of service and sacrifice through choreography and performance. The daughter of a former Army Captain, she has explored the military’s influence on her family and community with increasing urgency—particularly after the loss of her cousin, a U.S. Marine and Afghanistan War Veteran, to a drug overdose in 2022. This personal tragedy has deepened her resolve to harness dance as a tool for healing and dialogue.

Originally from California, Adrienne trained under Richard Gibson and Zory Karah at the Academy of Ballet and with Fran Spector Atkins at SpectorDance, where she also performed as a company member. She appeared in Figures in the Dust, a critically acclaimed work inspired by John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. After relocating to New York City for college, Adrienne continued her dance studies at The Ailey School while earning her B.A. in French Studies and Philosophy with a minor in Spanish from Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

Beyond Exit12, Adrienne has danced with the JUNTOS Collective, Brooklyn Ballet, and numerous New York-based choreographers, cultivating a diverse performance portfolio that spans classical ballet to contemporary and socially engaged dance. Her parallel career in organizational leadership includes serving as Chief Operating Officer of Private Prep, an educational services company headquartered in NYC, where she applied her strategic and operational expertise to support student success nationwide.