President Bush Nominates Ballet Director Miguel Campaneria to National Council on the ArtsCampaneria is first Council nominee from Puerto Rico May 16, 2007
Washington, D.C. -- President George W. Bush has announced his intent to nominate Miguel Campaneria, Artistic Director of Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico, to serve on the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body of the National Endowment for the Arts. Campaneria's nomination will be sent to the Senate for confirmation. "Miguel Campaneria's nomination continues our tradition of having legendary artists from the dance world as members of the National Council," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. "His expertise and international experience will be enormously beneficial to the Arts Endowment. He has been in great demand as a guest artist, teacher, and choreographer, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Council." Campaneria, the first Council nominee from a Puerto Rican arts organization, has danced with a number of companies, including the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Harkness Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and as a principal dancer with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. He joins a distinguished group of dance leaders who have served on the National Council on the Arts, among these are Martha Graham, Judith Jamison, Trisha Brown, and Robert Joffrey. The National Council on the Arts advises the NEA Chairman on programs and policies. Council members review and make recommendations to the Chairman on grant applications, funding program guidelines, and national initiatives. Members are chosen for their widely recognized knowledge of the arts, their expertise or profound interest in the arts, and their established record of distinguished service or achievement in the arts. The Council consists of 14 private citizens and six ex officio Members of Congress. When confirmed, Campaneria will replace outgoing Council member Gerard Schwarz, Music Director of the Seattle Symphony. Campaneria will serve on the Council for a six-year term, until 2012. About Miguel Campaneria Miguel Campaneria was appointed Artistic Director of the Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico in 2005. Previously, he served as artistic director of the R.M.T. Academie de Danse in Haiti. Born in Cuba, Campaneria was trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba and was promoted to soloist at the National Ballet of Cuba at the age of 18. Upon leaving Cuba, Mr. Campaneria danced with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Harkness Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. In 1985, Campaneria joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre as a principal dancer, where he partnered principal ballerinas Dagmar Kessler, Eleanor D'Antuono, and Francesca Corkle. Campaneria subsequently joined the Ballets de San Juan as a principal dancer. In 1991 Campaneria joined Ballet Municipal de San Juan as a permanent guest artist and artistic advisor. He also has been on the summer faculty of the Point Park College's dance program, a guest teacher at the Oregon Ballet Theatre School, and he has appeared frequently as a guest artist and choreographer with three companies in Japan. Campaneria's repertoire included principal roles in the 19th century classics Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle, and contemporary works such as George Balanchine's Serenade and Harald Lander's Etudes. He has staged classics such as Coppelia, Paquita, and Pas de Quatre. His choreographed works include the solo Reflections, for the Charleston Ballet. In 1983, Campaneria won a special prize at the prestigious International Ballet Competition at Varna, Bulgaria and was invited to the White House by President Ronald Reagan to receive his personal congratulations. About the National Endowment for the Arts The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts – both new and established -- bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the largest national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.
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