Nancy Turano
(NJDTE Artistic Director)

Nancy Turano (NJDTE Artistic Director/Choreographer) is a Director, Master Teacher and Choreographer for Dance, Film, Opera and TV. She received a BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase and performed as a principal dancer and with Ballet Hispanico of New York and Buglisi Dance Theatre. As Artistic Director of NJDTE since 1994, Turano has been acknowledged for creating innovative training programs for dancers in the NJ/NYC metro area for over 38 years including; MOVEMENT INVENTION PROJECT® (MIP®) at Baryshnikov Arts Center, and MIP2® NYC. Ms. Turano’s choreography has been presented throughout the US, Mexico, Panama, Israel, Sweden and Germany. She has choreographed 27 new works for NJDTE as well as works for National Ballet of Sweden School, Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, Bat Dor in Israel and Luna Negra Dance Theatre.  Her full-length “Carmen” was filmed for a feature on PBS Channel 13 and her short film “Tango Octogenario” featured on PBS Channel 13, the New Films/New Directors series in Lincoln Center, the Tribeca Film Festival, and over 40 film festivals around the world. She has choreographed for TV episodes of Law and Order Criminal Intent. Turano is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2017 NJSCA Individual Artist Fellowship for Excellence in Choreography, 2012 NJSCA NJ Governor’s Award, 2011 NJSCA Distinguished Teaching Artist Award, and Outstanding Alumni Award by the Chancellor of SUNY Schools. She has been Chair/National panelist for YOUNG ARTS for Presidential Scholars for the Arts and is on the NJPAC Advisory Committee. Turano was founding Director of the Harkness Youth Ballet at the 92nd St. Y and a master teacher at National Ballet of Sweden School, Ballet Hispanico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Aspen Ballet, National Ballet of Panama, Teatro San Martin in Argentina, Bat-Dor in Israel, Vancouver Arts Umbrella, Celine Dion’s “A New Day,” Montclair State University, New York University, Purchase College, and on the ballet faculty of the Pre-Professional Division of the Ailey School for 21 years. 

corvinoAlfredo Corvino
(Founding Artistic Director)

NJDTE Founding Artistic Director and visionary master teacher, was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He studied ballet with Alberto Poujanne as a scholarship student at the National Academy of Ballet in Uruguay and then went on to dance with the company. As a performer, Dr. Corvino toured internationally, first as a member of the Jooss Ballet, then as a soloist with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. His favorite roles included Spectre de la Rose, Bluebird and Carnaval. He later joined the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Company and subsequently became Ballet Master. Dr. Corvino credited the following teachers for his training: Anatole Vilzak, Edward Caton, Boris Romanoff, Alexander Gavrilov, Margaret Craske and Antony Tudor. A noted authority on classical technique worldwide, Dr. Corvino’s teaching credits are staggering. On the faculty of the The Juilliard School for 42 years, he also taught at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School for almost 20 years; he then founded and directed his own school in New York City, the Dance Circle, for 25 years and directed New Jersey Dance Theater Guild for 10 years. Dr. Corvino also served as a panelist to the New York State Council on the Arts. At the time of his passing, he was Ballet Master to Pina Bausch/Tanztheater Wuppertal, and when in New York City, he taught master ballet classes at the Wien Center for Dance and Theatre. Dr. Corvino was the recipient of many awards including the 2002 Martha Hill Award for Leadership in Dance. In May 2003, he had the distinction of receiving an Honorary Doctorate from The Juilliard School, and in May 2005, he was awarded the Juilliard Centenniel Medal. Dr. Corvino was a mentor and inspiration to many dancers including Artistic Director Nancy Turano and Rosemary Sabovick-Bleich. NJDTE has established “The Alfredo Corvino Scholarship Fund” in his name for talented students.

ALEXANDRA GONZALEZ
(NJDTE ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR)

ALEXANDRA GONZALEZ (NJDTE Associate Artistic Director) started her dance training in Miami, Florida. At the age of seven, she continued her ballet training in Colombia with the Ana Pavlova Ballet Academy. At the age of fifteen, she received a full scholarship to join the San Francisco Ballet School where she was featured in Dance Magazine. She then joined the San Francisco Ballet Company under the direction of Helgi Tomasson. After dancing with the San Francisco Ballet she moved back to Miami were she guested with the Miami City Ballet, Ballet Florida, Americas Ballet, and Michel Uthoff Dance Theater among other companies. She joined the New World School of the Arts under the direction of Daniel Lewis were she graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Performance in 2004. In New York City, Alexandra has danced with Cedar Lake Dance Company, Ballet Hispanico, The Metropolitan Opera, and Thomas Ortiz Dance Company. Alexandra has taught at Peridance Dance Center, Ballet Hispanico  Gelsey Kirkland Balle and Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. She currently teaches at New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble and Kean University.