Paula Nuñez

Associate Instructor of Dance
Ballet
Phone: (813) 974-3867
Email: paula3@usf.edu

Paula Nuñez began her professional career in 1978 at Ballet Internacional de Caracas under the direction of Vicente Nebrada and Zhandra Rodriguez. Since then, she has danced as a soloist and principal dancer of Ballet Internacional de Caracas, Ballet Nuevo Mundo, Ballet Teresa Carreño, Cleveland Ballet, and Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley. Zhandra Rodriguez, former principal dancer of American Ballet Theater, was her most influential teacher and coach, together with Lidija Franklin, Jose Pares, Vicente Nebrada, Hector Zaraspe, and Julio Lamas. Throughout her career as a professional ballet dancer, she performed at prestigious theaters around the world, including Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, France, Russia, Romania, Austria, Hungary, China, Japan, Taiwan, and in North, Central, and South America. She has worked in an ample classical and neo-classical repertoire of renowned choreographers such as Balanchine, Choo San Goh, Alvin Ailey, Agnes de Mille, Terry Orr, Judith Jamison, Jhon Butler, Elisa Monte, Carlos Orta, Dennis Nahat, Ulisses Dove, Vincente Nebrada, Hans Van Mannen, Hector Zaraspe, Flemming Flindt, and Margo Sapington. She has also participated in numerous festivals such as Spolleto in Italy, Cervantino in Mexico, and Edinburgh Festival in Scotland. She has shared the stage with prestigious ballet dancers such as Cynthia Gregory, Rudolf Nureyev, Fernando Bujones, and Julio Boca.

In 1993, she became artistic director of “Ballet de las Americas”, a successful professional ballet school in Venezuela. Since then, she has been dedicated to teaching students of all ages. Many of Nuñez’s former students have continued their careers in dance and have become professionals in prominent dance companies. Due to her excellent results and outstanding work developing young dancers, she was also appointed as Artistic Director of the Juvenil Ballet Las Americas. In 2002, Paula expanded her teaching and created America’s Ballet School, in Tampa, Florida; while continuing to choreograph for different institutions, including Ballet De Las Americas in Venezuela. America’s Ballet School has been awarded “Outstanding School” for the past five years. She has also continuously received the “Outstanding Teacher, Choreographer, and Coach” awards. She has choreographed, directed and staged several pieces including Musical Kingdoms, Antagonistas (awarded outstanding choreography at Youth America Grand Prix 2009), Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, Le Fille Mal Gardee, Coppelia, Jardin Anime, The Selfish Prince, the full multidisciplinary production of Alice in Wonderland, The Nutcracker, El Danzon, El Muro, El Diario, Dioses del Olvido, Punto de Interseccion (first place at the YAGP 2011 and performed at New York). Currently Nuñez is developing a program with Hillsborough and Pasco County Schools to expose students to dance. Since 2005, she has served on faculty at the University of South Florida teaching ballet technique, variations, and ballet partnering.