From artistic director Francisco Gella: Its with very mixed feelings that I am announcing that Jeffrey and I have made the decision to discontinue NUEVO School of Contemporary Dance. A little over five years ago, I took a risk in starting a new (Nuevo) kind of dance school. An after school program that took everything that I had learned over the course of my nearly twenty-year dance career, adding everything that I wish that I would have had to better prepare me. It was audacious. I started with some basic premises; that aspects of both commercial dance and concert dance had merit, and that aspects of both also had deficiencies; that every dancer of the now and of the future needs strong technical training as well as artistry and strong diverse movement quality; that dancers have to be prepared for careers and that means being prepared mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually for the rigors required; and that competition and the results do not define a dancer, and in fact can do more harm than good if not approached in a healthy way. I believe this more now than ever. Im proud that we experienced so many powerful moments as a community together at NUEVO and that so many dancers experienced life-changing training and education while studying at my school. But after very serious evaluation this week, it became clear to me that Jeffrey and I need to move on to the next phase of our work together. My philosophy that guides the school, is the same philosophy that guides everything I do to advance a love, appreciation, and a commitment to excellence in ballet, and in all dance. I decided that if I tried to maintain the school, while also meeting the demands of more and more traveling to choreograph and teach, Id be shortchanging myself, and Id be shortchanging our young dancers at NUEVO. I decided that in the next evolving phase of my career, I would have the greatest impact by focusing on my work nationally and internationally. I understand the sense of loss and grieving that our families feel at NUEVO, for Jeffrey and I are going through the same. And I understand that change is not easy. For all the memories and the support that we have received since launching the school in December 2008, I am incredibly grateful. I look forward to seeing many of you as I travel, and once getting settled and making some decisions, I look forward to offering private lessons as well. We are excited about the next phase for the both of us. I know that my first love is being a dance-maker, and transmitting artistry through my teaching. May you all follow your passion. Its the only way to truly squeeze all of the joy out of life, joy you deserve.
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 04:05:47 +0000
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