Special to Independent Newsmedia
Ballet Arizona has a new artistic director.
Acclaimed dancer, choreographer, director and arts leader Daniela Cardim will assume the appointment beginning Monday, July 1. She will be the first woman to hold the position and the fourth artistic director for the organization, succeeding Ib Andersen’s 24 years of leadership.
Cardim began her career as a dancer at Ballet of Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro in 1994, becoming a soloist in 1995 and performing lead roles in ballets such as Giselle, L’après-midi d’un Faune (Nijinsky) and Suite en Blanc (Lifar). She then joined the Dutch National Ballet in 1999, rising to distinction in the company, and subsequently performing a vast repertoire.
Her professional dance training includes the Studio Eliana Karin in Rio de Janeiro, the Académie De Danse Classique Princesse Grace in Monaco, and contemporary dance training at Ballet Cristina Helena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
“I am delighted and honored to have been chosen to be Ballet Arizona’s next artistic director,” Cardim shared in a press release. “The company has an incredible pool of talent and I cannot wait to start working with its wonderful artists and staff. I hope to honor Ballet Arizona’s past, the beautiful legacy Ib Andersen has created, and the classical ballet tradition by performing favorite narratives from the classical canon.”
While still a student, Cardim began choreographing. Her first works for the Dutch National Ballet, including 3 Movements for Cello & Piano (2006), Zaahir (2007), In Space (2008) and Two Octaves Below Middle C (2009), garnered her recognition in the dance world.
She was also one of six choreographers selected to attend the prestigious New York Choreographic Institute in 2008, where she worked with composer Jude Vaclavik. By 2015, Dance Europe Magazine lauded Cardim as a “New Name to Watch.”
Ballet Arizona is located at 2835 E. Washington St., in Phoenix.
The company will bring three George Balanchine classics to the Phoenix stage with its annual “All Balanchine” program at Symphony Hall May 2-5.
