THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA | 2016-2017 49 Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Paula Nuñez danced professionally with the International Ballet of Caracas, Ballet Nuevo Mundo and Cleveland- San Jose Ballet. Her work includes both classical and contemporary repertoire of renowned choreographers. Beginning at a young age, Nuñez traveled the world as part of the International Ballet of Caracas, performing in numerous galas and festivals. She has shared the stage with world renowned dancers such as Rudolf Nureyev, Cynthia Gregory, Fernando Bujones, Zhandra Rodriguez, and Julio Bocca. Inspired by Jose Antonio Abreu and the El Sistema philosophy, Nuñez recognized the importance of changing the lives of young people and building community through arts education. In 1994, Nuñez founded America’s Ballet School in Caracas, Venezuela, and began developing choreography within a modern framework, while preserving the tradition of classical ballet. In 2002, Nuñez expanded to the United States founding America’s Ballet School in Tampa, Florida. In both Venezuela and Tampa, Nuñez has remained true to her goals of transforming students and their families through the art of dance. Developing a unique methodology, combining the traditions of Cuban and Vaganova training, Nuñez’s students have have been recognized internationally at venues such as the Youth America Grand Prix, American Dance Competition, Tanzolymp en Berlin, Competencia Internacional of Turquia, and the Concurso de Coreografos in the Bolshoi, Moscow. Additionally, America’s Ballet School graduates in both Venezuela and Tampa perform with prominent professional companies around the world. In 2010, Nuñez joined the ballet faculty at the University of South Florida, and in 2011 Nuñez was appointed artistic director of Tampa City Ballet. In 2016 Nuñez launched “On Your Feet,” a program developed for at risk youth, utilizing dance as a motivator for social reform and demonstrating the power of art to change lives. This collaboration includes performers from the Tampa City Ballet II, scholarship recipients and USF dance majors. The USF School of Theatre and Dance is committed to facilitating creative and academic artists and scholars though rigorous training in the studio, the classroom, and in performance. The program is exclusively undergraduate in focus. The dance program centers on intensive training in ballet, modern dance and choreography. Faculty members in the dance program are well-known professionals with wide-ranging experience as dancers, choreographers, and teachers. Central to the dance program is its commitment to the creation of original choreographic works by students, faculty, and guest artists. These works are presented in regular public performances by students throughout the year. The curriculum for all dance majors includes daily dance technique (five levels in ballet and modern dance), with professional musicians accompanying classes. Creative Studio Studies includes a strong emphasis in improvisation and four progressive levels of choreography. Dance Theory includes extensive study in music for dance, dance kinesiology, movement analysis, dance history, pedagogy, and research in dance. Students also benefit from opportunities to perform and study abroad through faculty-directed programs, such as the USF Dance in Paris Program. The dance program, housed in its own state-ofthe art Dance Centre on a large public research university campus, offers a bachelor of fine arts in dance performance, bachelor of arts in dance studies and a dance minor. Throughout the curriculum students are encouraged to expand their view of dance to include other cultures and ideas of performance. All classes are student-centered, with the faculty maintaining a close mentoring relationship. PAULA NUÑEZ THE USF SCHOOL OF THEATRE AND DANCE
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