arthur avilés (born 1963) is an american bessie award-winning dancer and choreographer of puerto rican descent. avilés was born in queens, new york, and raised in long island and the bronx. he graduated from bard college, a liberal arts college in annandale-on-hudson, new york. after graduating from bard, he became a member of the bill t. jones/arnie zane dance company, and toured internationally with the company for eight years 1987 to 1995.