Artistic Director

(NJDTE Artistic Director/Choreographer)

Nancy Turano, Artistic Director 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, Buglisi Dance Theatre, Martine Van Hamel’s New Amsterdam Ballet and others. As Artistic Director of the New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble since 1994, Turano has been acknowledged for creating innovative training programs for dancers in the NJ, NYC metro area including; Movement Invention Project® (MIP®) at Baryshnikov Arts Center and New York Live Arts, and MIP2® in NYC. Turano recently secured a new 9,000 sq. ft. dance center for NJDTE in Summit, NJ to expand their pre-professional training program for dancers ages 5-18.

Turano has choreographed 26 new works and commissioned 53 new works for NJDTE. Her choreography has also been presented throughout the US, Mexico, Panama, Israel, Sweden and Germany. Her full-length “Carmen” was filmed for a feature on PBS Channel 13. Her short film “Tango Octogenario” has been featured on PBS Channel 13, at the New Films/New Directors series in Lincoln Center, the Tribeca Film Festival, and other film festivals around the world. She has also choreographed 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, NJSCA 2012 NJ Governor’s Award, NJSCA 2011 Distinguished Teaching Artist Award, and Outstanding Alumni Award by the Chancellor of SUNY Schools. Turano has been a National panelist (2013-2015) and Chair (2016-2017) for YoungArts in search of U.S. Presidential Scholars for the Arts. Turano has been on the NJPAC Advisory Committee since 2015. A master teacher, Turano has taught 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 over 30 Universities in the US. Turano was also the Founding Director of the Harkness Youth Ballet at the 92nd St. Y in NYC. Turano has been on the faculty of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program since its inception and with the Pre-Professional Division of Ailey School for 21 years.