By Lindsay Osten
NJDTE is thrilled to announce that starting on January 4th 2023, Alexandra Gonzalez will commence her new role as the Associate Artistic Director of NJDTE. Alexandra will work alongside long time award- winning Artistic Director, Nancy Turano who has been at the helm of the organization for 29 years."I have known Alexandra for many years first as a brilliant professional dancer. I have since had the pleasure to work closely with her for ten years as a member of our ballet faculty and rehearsal director at NJDTE. She is incredibly knowledgeable and professional, as a teacher, rehearsal director, and mentor to our talented dancers.” says Nancy Turano. NJDTE is successful because of the high caliber and dedicated faculty and staff who are consummate professionals who not only provide superior training to our students they are passing on decades of professional experience. “We enjoy a wonderful working relationship with Alexandra. It is evident that she has the capacity to expand to this new role of Associate Artistic Director in our organization." says Executive Director, Barbara Carocci.
Alexandra was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Bogota, Colombia. She began her training with Ana Pavlova under the direction of Ana Consuelo Gomez and Jaime Diaz. At the age of 15, she was awarded a full scholarship to study at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Lola de Avila. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the New World School in Miami, FL. She has danced for a variety of world-renowned companies such as the San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Thomas Ortiz Dance, The Metropolitan Opera, and the Cedar Lake Ensemble. Since then she has spent 12 years with NJDTE as an incredible ballet teacher as well as rehearsal director.
“I look forward to further contributing to Nancy’s vision of bringing professional artists from many different disciplines to give the students a well-rounded dance education. In addition, there will be a focus on elevating the level of training as well as offering challenging and engaging new repertoire and historic classics.” says Gonzalez
Alexandra was born in Miami, Florida and raised in Bogota, Colombia. She began her training with Ana Pavlova under the direction of Ana Consuelo Gomez and Jaime Diaz. At the age of 15, she was awarded a full scholarship to study at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Lola de Avila. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the New World School in Miami, FL. She has danced for a variety of world-renowned companies such as the San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Thomas Ortiz Dance, The Metropolitan Opera, and the Cedar Lake Ensemble. Since then she has spent 12 years with NJDTE as an incredible ballet teacher as well as rehearsal director.
“I look forward to further contributing to Nancy’s vision of bringing professional artists from many different disciplines to give the students a well-rounded dance education. In addition, there will be a focus on elevating the level of training as well as offering challenging and engaging new repertoire and historic classics.” says Gonzalez
Learn more about Alexandra as we asked her about herself and her aspirations for NJDTE
How do you feel about this new position of Associate Director with NJDTE?
I am grateful for the opportunity to begin this new role of Associate Artistic Director in the organization and look forward to expanding upon the mission of NJDTE. We are focused on preparing dancers for the future while enriching their lives on a daily basis.
What are some of the highlights of your professional career?
One of the biggest highlights of my early career was dancing with San Fransisco Ballet because it was wonderful to be a part of a world class company at a young age and I loved the repertoire. I also formed lifelong friendships in my time there with people that continued on to dance all over the world. Dancing for Ballet Hispanico was special for many reasons, but I especially enjoyed connecting with my Latin roots in a professional setting. Lastly, dancing for the Metropolitan Opera was an honor. It was wonderful to be a part of large and lavish productions and to be a part of something much bigger than dance. I will always cherish the experience of listening to the world’s greatest opera singers while dancing on one of the world’s most famous stages.
In your opinion, what makes NJDTE a unique & successful organization?
First and foremost, NJDTE is successful because of the high caliber training our students receive. Our students leave our school ready for professional careers or head to some of the top universities in the country, and many of them are accepted into renowned summer programs during their time here. We are unique because we focus on each student’s “here and now” in addition to their future. Ballet training can sometimes feel like a means to an end, and while we are focused on preparing students for their future, we also want to enrich their lives on daily basis, to help them discover something new about themselves or expose them to a new idea or art form that fulfills them in the moment
Alexandra Gonzalez as student
at San Francisco Ballet School.
For more information about NJDTE and our programming:
Website: njdte.org
email: info@njdte.org
