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Joaquín De Luz (born 1976,
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, Spain) is a Spanish ballet dancer. He was formerly with the
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...
(ABT), and a principal dancer with the
New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...
(NYCB). He is currently director of Spanish National Dance Company.


Background

He received his training at the Víctor Ullate School of Ballet. This a ballet and Spanish dancing, Madrid-based school that started the careers of many of Spain's most sought after
dancer Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
s. He danced with the Víctor Ullate Ballet Company from 1992 to 1995. In August 1996, he auditioned in New York and joined the Pennsylvania Ballet as a soloist. He danced leading roles in '' La Bayadére'', ''Diana and Acteon'', ''
Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...
'', '' Paquita'', '' The Sleeping Beauty'', and ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'', as well as '' Allegro Brillante'', '' Theme and Variations'', and '' Who Cares?'' while performing with Pennsylvania Ballet. In 1997 De Luz left Pennsylvania Ballet and joined
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...
, (ABT) as a member of the corps de ballet. He was then promoted to soloist in 1998 where he performed roles in the Bronze Idol in ''La Bayadére'' (choreographed by Natalia Makarova after
Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (; born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa; 11 March 1818) was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. He is considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history ...
), the Red Cowboy in '' Billy The Kid'' ( Eugene Loring), the first sailor in '' Fancy Free'' (
Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...
), Benno in ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'' ( Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and
Lev Ivanov Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (; 2 March 1834, Moscow – 24 December 1901, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Mariinsky Ballet, Imperial Ballet. As a performer with the Mariinsky Ballet, ...
), and leading roles in ''Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1'' ( Clark Tippet) and '' Theme and Variations'' (
George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...
),''Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1'' (Clark Tippet), ''Black Tuesday'' ( Paul Taylor), '' Diversion of Angels'' (
Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer, whose style, the Graham technique, reshaped the dance world and is still taught in academies worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over s ...
), ''Clear'' ( Stanton Welch), and ''Gong'' ( Mark Morris). De Luz then joined
New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...
(NYCB) as a soloist in 2003, and in January 2005, he was promoted to the rank of principal dancer. His featured roles since joining New York City Ballet include:
George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...
's '' Ballo della Regina'', '' Coppelia'' (Frantz), "Divertimento" from '' Le baiser de la fée'', ''Donizetti Variations'', ''
The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...
'' ("Cavalier", "Tea", and "Candy Cane"), ''
Harlequinade ''Harlequinade'' is an English comic theatrical genre, defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "that part of a pantomime in which the harlequin and clown play the principal parts". It developed in England between the 17th and mid-19th ce ...
'' (Harlequin and Pierrot), '' Jewels'' ("Rubies"), ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
'' (Oberon), '' Symphony in C'' (Third Movement), ''
Tarantella Tarantella () is a group of various Southern Italy, southern Italian Italian folk dance, folk dances originating in the regions of Calabria, Campania, Sicilia, and Apulia. It is characterized by a fast Beat (music), upbeat tempo, usually in Ti ...
'', ''Theme and Variations'', '' Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux'', ''Valse-Fantaise'', '' Vienna Waltzes'',
Peter Martins Peter Martins (born 27 October 1946) is a Danish former ballet dancer and choreographer. Martins was a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and with the New York City Ballet, where he joined George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and J ...
' '' Jeu de cartes'', Octet, ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (Bluebird), ''Swan Lake'' (Pas de Quatre), Jerome Robbins' ''Andantino, Brandenburg, Dances at a Gathering, Dybbuk, Fancy Free, Four Bagatelles, The Four Seasons'' (Fall), '' The Goldberg Variations'', '' Other Dances'', '' Piano Pieces'', and Christopher Wheeldon's ''Mercurial Manoeuvres''. De Luz originated a featured role in, Jorma Elo's ''Slice To Sharp'', Peter Martins' ''
Romeo + Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet or Romeo & Juliet may also refer to: Ballets * ''Romeo and Juliet'', a ballet score by Constant Lambert * Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Prokofiev), a ...
'' (Tybalt), and
Christopher Wheeldon Christopher Peter Wheeldon (born 22 March 1973) is an English international choreographer of contemporary ballet. Early life Born in Yeovil, Somerset, to an engineer and a physical therapist, Wheeldon began training to be a ballet dancer at th ...
's ''Shambards'' and
Alexei Ratmansky Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky (, born August 27, 1968) is a Russian-Ukrainian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Moscow Bolshoi Ballet. He left Russia in 2008. In 2009 he was appointed the ar ...
's ''
Concerto DSCH ''Concerto DSCH'' is a ballet by Alexei Ratmansky choreographed for the New York City Ballet to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 (Shostakovich), Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102 (1957). The premiere took place on T ...
''. In 2003, De Luz became a permanent guest faculty member of The Rock School in Philadelphia. In 2009 De Luz and
Tiler Peck Tiler Kalyn Peck (born January 12, 1989) is an American ballet dancer who is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. As well as ballet, she has performed in musical theatre shows and has made cameo appearances in films including '' Don ...
performed in Indianapolis City Ballet's An Evening With the Stars.


Other performances

Joaquin De Luz has appeared as a Guest Artist in many dance events. He performed with Ballet Mediterraneo, a professional Spanish company, with
Fernando Bujones Fernando Bujones (March 9, 1955 – November 10, 2005) was an American dancer. Born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents, Bujones is regarded as one of the finest male dancers of the 20th century and hailed as one of the greatest American male da ...
. He performed with American Ballet Stars 1997 Tour of China, a celebration of George Balanchine hosted by National Ballet of China. This performance was based on helping the Chinese population learn more about Balanchine. He performed in Ballet Hawaii's 2005 Nutcracker at the Blaisdell Center as the Cavalier. He also performed with Kings of the Dance, touring Russia and Ukraine, dancing Christopher Wheeldon's ''For Four'', David Fernandez's ''Five Variations on a theme'', and Fleming Flint's ''The lesson'' in 2008. He performed in American Ballet Theatre's taping of '' Le Corsaire'', which aired on television, in 1999 and in New York City Ballet's ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' which also aired on television live from
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
. De Luz performed in Stars of the 21st Century International Ballet Gala in the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, a performance celebrating the excellence in classical dance. He will also be performing with the Indianapolis City Ballet's, "Evening With the Stars," a show of premier dancers. He has also attended other international galas including: TITAS, Youth America Grand Prix, and Balletissimo in Mexico DF. De Luz created a group of New York city ballet dancers who have toured during the summer, in different cities of Spain, since 2007. In 2018, Joaquín De Luz performed as Villella in '' Dances at a Gathering'' and prior to his retirement did his final act in
George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...
's '' Theme and Variations'' at the David H. Koch Theater.


Honors

In March 1996, De Luz won the gold medal at the Second Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest, Hungary. In February 1997, he was awarded the Rising Star prize by Seven Arts Magazine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. De Luz represented Spain at the Expo '98 in Lisbon, Portugal, dancing in the gala Stars of Spanish Ballet. His most recent award was the Prix Benois de la Danse, given out in Italy, in 2009 for best male performance of the year for his role in '' The Prodigal Son''.


Charitable program

De Luz created an organization called "Joaquin's Tour de Force", a small charitable program that targets schools, hospitals, and children's charities. It helps young, inner-city kids experience ballet by giving them free tickets to performances. It is made possible by contributions from individuals, ballet companies, and other organizations.


References


External links

*
An Evening With the StarsBenoise de la danse
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luz, Joaquin De 1976 births Living people Spanish male ballet dancers Entertainers from Madrid New York City Ballet principal dancers American Ballet Theatre soloists Prix Benois de la Danse winners 21st-century Spanish ballet dancers