Vanessa Valecillos
Ballet
Vanessa’s Ballet Class focuses on technique with an emphasis of dynamics, musicality, alignment the body, use of space and artistry.
Vanessa Valecillos has been a professional dancer for 25 years. Since before retiring from the stage Vanessa has been dedicated to the art of teaching dance, ballet. Currently, Vanessa is on faculty in the dance department at Northwestern University and also at Ballet Hispanico of New York as guest teacher for the company and school. She has taught many summer programs, outreach programs and master classes both nationally and internationally.
Vanessa joined Ballet Nacional de Caracas under the renowned artistic director Vicente Nebrada at age fifteen. Vanessa pursued a degree in Dance in the United States where she earned a B.F.A. from the University North Carolina School of the Arts. After graduating, she joined Southern Ballet Theater of Orlando. She relocated to Chicago in 1997, where she performed with the Lyric Opera in 14 of its productions as a principal dancer. She also performed in Ruth Page’s Nutcracker, Dance for Life, and as a guest principal artist with the Civic Ballet of Chicago, The Chicago Festival Ballet, and Dance West. She has also performed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular musical in Chicago. Vanessa was a founding member of Luna Negra Dance Theater in 1999 where she danced for 10 years prior to joining Ballet Hispanico of New York in 2009 where she danced and collaborated in many creations for 5 years. Throughout her career Vanessa toured throughout North America, Central America, South America and Europe, and performed works by the following Choreographers: Vicente Nebrada, George Balanchine, Eduardo Vilaro, Michelle Manzanales, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Nacho Duato, Edwaard Liang, Edgar Zendejas, Septime Weber, Ramon Oller, Andrea Miller, Ron De Jesus, Francisco Avina and Stephanie Martinez, Pedro Ruiz, Maray Gutierrez, Wayne Mc. Gregor, William Alcala, William Whitener, Talley Beatty, Jean Emille, Christopher Gillis, Nicholas Villeneuve, Joel Valentin-Martinez and Randy Duncan among others.
Vanessa is also a certified instructor in Power Pilates, Ashtanga Yoga and Progressive Ballet Technique all levels. She is also bilingual in Spanish and English.