Artistic Director, Lisa Sanborn, is pleased to announce Christopher DeNofrio, a distinguished teacher and dancer, has been appointed Children’s Division Director of New Haven Ballet.
Mr. DeNofrio holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the Boston Conservatory of Music. A native New Englander, Mr. DeNofrio began his training on Cape Cod with Klara Koenig and studied with Edward Villella before continuing his training in Boston. In 1993, Mr. DeNofrio was given an apprenticeship with George Verdak’s Indianapolis Ballet Theatre where he had the opportunity to work with former Kirov stars, Irina Kolpakova and Vladien Seminov. He also performed the principal role in David Hochoy’s the “Farewell” at IBT’s 20th Anniversary Gala.
Mr. DeNofrio returned to the Northeast and danced with the Albany Berkshire Ballet. His roles included Benvolio in Francis Patrelle’s “Romeo and Juliet” and the Cavalier in Madelline Cantarello Culpo’s “The Nutcracker”. He joined Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theatre in 1994 and danced original works by Jose Mateo while touring New England. He danced featured roles in Jose Mateo’s “Isle of the Dead” and “Schubert Adagio” at the Lincoln Center “Out of Doors” festival.
While in Boston, Mr. DeNofrio performed the principal role in George Balanchine’s “Valse Fantasie” and the “Balcony Pas de Deux” from Romeo and Juliet under the direction of James Reardon with Boston Dance Company. In 1997, Mr. DeNofrio danced in Boston Ballet’s “Le Corsaire”, “Swan Lake” and Michael Corder’s “Cinderella”. In 1998, he joined the Louisville Ballet as a soloist. He performed original works by Alun Jones, Dale Brannon, Paul Taylor and David Parsons.
Mr. DeNofrio was appointed Associate Director of Louisville Ballet School in 1999 and became a member of SERBA, the Southeast Regional Ballet Association. In 2002, Mr. DeNofrio moved to Vancouver, Canada where he joined the British Columbia chapter of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, The Vancouver International Dance Festival and Kokoro Dance. He is certified in Primary through Level 3 of the ABT National Training Curriculum. Mr. DeNofrio joined New Haven Ballet in 2014 and is excited to begin working with families and students in his new position teaching in both New Haven and Branford, where he will be focusing much of his attention.
NHB wishes to congratulate our 2016 Seniors. We will miss you and wish you all the very best as you embark on your life’s journey!
NHB is thrilled to announce that NHB alum, Alejandra Iannone, will return to NHB to teach master classes to June Session Level 4-8 Students on Friday, June 3, 2016.
About Alejandra Iannone
Alejandra Iannone (NHB Alumna, 2004) is as an interdisciplinary artist who works at the intersection of art and the humanities. After receiving a B.F.A. cum laude in Dance from Fordham University/The Ailey School, Alejandra went on to earn an M.A. in Philosophy from Temple University, where her research focused on Aesthetics, Philosophy of Dance, and Philosophy of Mind. She is also a graduate of Temple University’s Teaching in Higher Education Certification Program, an American Ballet Theater® Affiliate Teacher, an alumna of the Leap n’ Learn certification program, and Balanced Body® Pilates Instructor.
Like her educational background, Alejandra’s professional pursuits have been wide in scope. Over the last decade, Alejandra has had the honor of performing and presenting choreography at venues throughout the United States and abroad, including the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Jacob’s Pillow, the Ailey Citigroup Theater, and the Versace Mansion. She was a featured performer in The Ride (a New York Drama Desk Award Nominee for Unique Theatrical Experience), and has danced in works by Sidra Bell, Christopher Huggins, Take Ueyama, Alvin Ailey, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Donna Salgado and Penelope Freeh.
Her writings on philosophy and art have been distributed through scholarly and popular channels, including the International Journal of Technoethics, DIYdancer, and the American Society for Aesthetics Graduate E-journal. Alejandra has been an invited speaker on art, culture, and technology at Columbia University-Teachers College, Central Connecticut State University Philosophy Circle, and during proceedings of the New York City Council’s Committee of Cultural Affairs.
She has also had the pleasure of working as an educator in both arts and humanities contexts. Since 2014, she has served as Coordinator of the Young Children’s Division at Minnesota Dance Theatre & School. Before joining the MDT team, Alejandra was a long-time member of the ballet faculty at The Ailey School and an adjunct member of the philosophy departments at Fordham University, Temple University and the City College of New York.
In 2015, Alejandra co-founded Sparkle Theatricals, a Minneapolis-based performance group whose productions celebrate curiosity and inspire laughter.
Founder and Artistic Director of TomGoldDance, Tom Gold, has choreographed a new ballet, which will premiere at the Shubert Theater on May 21. The new ballet will be accompanied by violist, Dan Stone, playing Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G Major. New Haven Ballet is thrilled and honored to have Mr. Gold create a ballet especially for its dancers and invites the public to attend its spring performances at the Shubert Theater on May 21 at 1 and 5 p.m.
About Tom Gold —
“A force for good in the ballet world” (Wall Street Journal), Tom Gold is the founder and director of Tom Gold Dance. A 21-year member (1987–2008) of New York City Ballet where he rose to the rank of soloist, Gold has also performed with THARP!, New York City Opera, Donald Byrd/The Group and many other companies throughout the United States. At City Ballet, he performed leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and William Forsythe. In 2002 Susan Stroman created the ballet Double Feature for Mr. Gold. In demand internationally as a guest artist, choreographer, and instructor, Gold has created more than a dozen original works for Tom Gold Dance as well as for Vassar College, the Bermuda Arts Festival, Oregon Ballet Theater, the New York City Ballet Choreographic Institute, and many other dance academies, companies, festivals, television, and special events, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Gold has collaborated with composers John Zorn, Augusta Reed Thomas, and Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini, as well as numerous scenic and costume designers. He is the featured performer and choreographer of the 2wice Arts Foundation’s DOT DOT DOT, an interactive iPad application designed by Abbott Miller of Pentagram. Gold has been called “as fine a choreographer as…he was a dancer – perhaps better” (Critical Dance). He “sees dance, as Balanchine or Neumier, as a way to innovate and explore the boundaries of classical dance, pushing the envelope in a manner that is true to the fundamentals of the technique” (NYC Dance Stuff).
On Saturday, February 27, 2016, former NYCB dancer and YouTube sensation, Kathryn Morgan, taught an inspiring and enjoyable class to NHB’s Level 6-8 students. Thank you, Ms. Morgan!
Video clips from the class: | ||
To provide the greater New Haven Community with exceptional classical ballet training, performances, and outreach programs, that nurture appreciation of ballet and foster the joy of dance.
On October 31, 2020, NHB’s Board of Directors adopted the following Diversity and Inclusion Statement:
New Haven Ballet celebrates those who aspire to excellence in classical ballet. A culture of creativity is the core of our work and diversity promotes innovation. The arts can provide powerful life-changing experiences that prepare students and impact audiences to lead more successful, meaningful and culturally rich lives. The arts can also prove to be an important platform for social change. At New Haven Ballet we are passionate about creating an inclusive dance environment and performances that promote and value diversity and inclusion. We will continue to strive to increase diversity in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective, which will improve and strengthen our work.
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