I was born in Arad, a town of about
three hundred thousand people in the west side of Romania.
I was very active since childhood, running around chasing the soccer
ball non-stop. In Kindergarten my teacher Madam Mimi discovered that
my silly putty work was always brought to perfection. My inclination
towards art was discovered.
I always believed that what I did had to be as perfect as possible,
clean and clear, had to be done to the best of my ability. Being
the best at what you do is something that every person had to strive
for.
Through kindergarten and preschool I was involved in the dance recitals
and my concerned for details, pointed tows and proper positions were
evident from the start.
As a child and teenager I was involved in many sports and excel
in gymnastics, martial arts, volleyball, long distance running. One
of my teachers Madam Trandafir found my talent for literature. I
have competed and won many literature competitions.
From my father a mechanical engineer I inherited my talent for mechanics
and math. In school I excelled in mathematics and biology, I read
anything and everything I could get my hands on that had to do with
nature and animals. Working with my hands and putting together and
taking apart small engines was something that came easy to me.
I always did more then the regular schedule; besides school I was
involved in a club or taking classes on something else. Graduated
first in my class for flying small planes and gliders, take sky diving,
aviation sciences, building model boats, cross country cycling, drawing
and painting, sculpturing, guitar.
As a young teen my inclination towards art was evident. My mother
sent my sister to dance school since girls suppose to learn how to
dance proper. She cam home and was so excited about how much fun
the lesson was and the piano player was playing music from all the
movies. Sounded like a place for me. Few years later I graduated
with a teaching degree in ballroom, Latin, and modern.
One day my mother bought a guitar I felt that I was ready for something
new and I approached the music teacher that was instructing the academy
band and guitar class and ask if I would be able to join the class.
Places were very tight only ten per year and the difficult auditions
were six months in the past. Since he knew me from running in to
each other all the time in the school he made me a deal. I was going
to take private lessons from him for two months for free. If after
that I proof that I am worth it he would find a class to get me in
and I can pay for lessons from there. After a month he found a place
for me in a class where somebody dropped out.
In the military service, I ended up making oil paintings and drawings,
won first places in many military competitions from, music to,
graphic design and advertising, survival, sharp shooting and field
competitions.
After six weeks training period I was transferred to Bucharest at
the command office to work as secretary for the general second in
command of the division.
18 months later finally home, our family was going trough the difficulties
that the government was imposing on any family that applied to emigrate
to US. Trough the six years of waiting we had to sell everything
and wait from day to day, rent a place buy thing or sell them based
on the up and down games that the communist regime was putting us
trough.
I decided to rejoin the Art Academy. I was awarded full scholarship
to continue my studies in classical, theater, ballroom and Latin.
Unhappy with the quality of my work, I decided to polish and perfect
so many things that I was frustrated with.
Had the opportunity to study and train shoulder to shoulder with
top professionals in the country and discovered how much I have
to learn.
Every morning I was at my religion, the ballet bar and studio, training
by myself for four hours, stretching, working with weights, changing
my body in to a well oiled dance machine. In the afternoon I was
taking ballet classes and practicing for shows and competitions.
The director of the academy and my teacher got tired of me asking
for a key so they made me a key to be able to go in and practice
any time I wanted. The cleaning man and me were the only people in
the school most of the time in the off hours. Many of the dancers
were asking why are you doing this? At that time I didn't know. It
just felt like the thing I was supposed to do.
Years later I saw Michael Barisnikov in the studio working alone
while the cleaning man was walking around cleaning the floors.
One of my teachers use to say: 99% talent and 1% work=0, 1% talent
and 99% work = success.
Between 1982 and 1985 I won many first places in national dance
competitions and festivals as soloist in Ballet, Ballroom, Latin,
Cabaret divisions. Appeared in many national television shows. In
1985 my dance partner and me went to the Ballroom and Latin Nationals.
From the start we were spotted as the pair that could change the
balance for the top places. We won the ballroom and Latin divisions.
One of the judges, the director of one of the dance theaters offered
me a position with the theater dance company.
Had to turn it down since my passport for America was in my bag.
1985 Arriving to US,
Starting in a one-bedroom apartment with my mother and my sister
in the town of Stanton CA, working two jobs on minimum wages, saving
every dollar to pay for a car.
Every day riding my bicycle for 25 miles one way to Huntington Beach
to take classes and stay in dance shape. After a short time Anthony
Sellars one of the greatest dancers I ever meat asked me if I would
like to dance with the company. I started performing as a soloist
in classical and modern productions such as the Nutcracker, Copelia,
Giselle, Carnaval and many others.
This were difficult times working a few jobs, being in teacher training
at Arthur Murray’s, and performing. I no longer had the luxury to
train as much as I used to. After a day of work your focus and energy
is not the same. I started to get injuries and had to stop dancing
for a year.
1989-1990 I was working as a Naturalist for the Los Angeles and San
Bernardino school district. In the summer I took my first class
horse back riding exam and vaulting. Taught riding and acrobatics
on a horse for the summer camp.
A friend of mine Monique Delahaie principal dancer with Ballet repertory
Theater, asked me teach ballroom in their new opened studio so here
I was back in the saddle again. Looking for a partner I fund a girl
dancing in NY with American Ballroom Theater Company. A week later
I was on a plain to NY. After two weeks of auditioning I got the
job.
In NY I have trained with some of the best teachers in the world
in the ballroom as well as ballet industry. After a year and a half
of hard work, practicing from morning to late afternoon, teaching
till late at night I was back to Principal level. I started auditioning
and getting jobs with the local ballet companies.
Yet unhappy;
After nationals in 85 in Romania I was expecting to find a good dance
partner to get back to competing and hopefully reach world level.
I never thought finding a good ballroom dance partner would be that
hard.
In 1995 the Dance industry was going trough a difficult time. Jeffrey
ballet going bankrupt, Chicago ballet closing, NY City ballet laying
off dancers, ABT canceling Season due to lack of tickets sold.
With dance industry in bad shape decided to take my knowledge to
a growing area.
Relocated to Raleigh NC, City rated number one to live in by top
three national statistics.
In 1998 I started the Pullen Park program, a very successful program
where the demand was bigger then what we were able to accommodate
in the classes. Few months later founded Broadway Dance Company,
a non-profit theater and cabaret company.
While in Carolina when I was not teaching I went back to Karate and
martial Arts. Got my black belt in 13 months, participated in many
competitions, won many first places in self-defense, weapons, kata
and sparring in national recognized tournaments.
What for the future?
Teaching, judging, coaching amateurs and professionals, practicing
and studying for competitions.
Well this is the short version of my biography, and if you got here
you had a lot of patience. You had a chance to learn a little about
me, competitive, persistent, a perfectionist on some areas. You can
ad what ever else you think would feet my profile from your prospective.
Thank you for taking the time to read.
Emanuel
Resume
Objectives
To produce and develop quality dancers and to continue learning and growing as
a teacher, dancer, choreographer, as well as a person,
to contribute to the artistic growth
of the community and state.
Experience:
1982-1985 Represented Romanian Art
Academy in many national competitions and won many first places as
soloist in the ballet, ballroom and latin divisions as well as theatre
dance divisions. Appeared in many national television shows 1985
Romanian ballroom and latin Champion.
1985-1990 Soloist with “Ballet Repertory Theater”, “Imperial Russian Ballet”
Los Angeles CA, teacher for “Arthur Murray” and “Imperial Academy” dance
studios.
1990-1995 Soloist and principal dancer with “American Ballroom Theater Co”,
“Westchester Ballet”, “Long Island Ballet”, “Darvash Ballet”, teacher for
“Fred Astaire Dance Studio”, assistant choreographer Broadway show “42nd
St”, Dance Director and studio manager “Charisma Ballroom”.
1985-2003 Teach, compete and perform in professional and pro-am divisions in
all level of American and international styles of ballroom and latin. Teach,
coach and judge ballroom and performing arts, produced and trained many amateur
dancers that won first places in national championships, including Don Roads,
seven times undefeated US junior latin and ballroom champion, and two times
US performing arts champion.
1998-2002 Founder and director “Broadway Dance Company”, Dance in the opening
of Special Olympics Games, ballet jazz and performing arts teacher and coach
for company and competition students for “A La Dance Magic” studio.
Education:
1978-1985 Graduate of “Romanian Art Academy”, major in dance, classical, character,
modern, latin and ballroom.
1985-2003 Continue training with world level coaches and teachers such as,
Stephen and Lindsey Hillier former world ballroom champions, Bill Davis,
former US ballroom champion, Kerry Wilson, former world ballroom finalist,
Joe Jenkins, former world ballroom finalist, Michael Stalianos, former world
latin champion, Hilda Lanza former Scottish ballroom champion, Pierre Dulaine,
former world undefeated theater arts champion, Bill Sparks former US latin
champion, ”, Brian and Susan Puttuck former US ballroom champions and world
finalists Gabriela Darvash, former student of Vaganova, founder and director
of “Darvash Ballet”, Anthony Sellars, guest artist with Kyrov Ballet, NY
City Ballet, Artistic director “Ballet Repertory Theater” and many other
teachers.
1995 Highly Commended membership level in the ballroom division international
branch from the “American Dance Teachers Association”, certified Fred Astaire
syllabus.
A+ championship level adjudicator with “National Dance Council of America”.
Certified international judge.
Other education and trades: Flying
small planes and gliders, skydiving, first places in National recognized
competitions in karate and martial arts (First degree black belt),
vaulting and horseback riding, nature sciences, guitar, painting,
and sculpturing.
Interests
Fishing, music, nature, sports, working with my hands, building furniture,
sculpturing, painting and woodworking, graphic and webdesign. I enjoy going
to the beach in the summer and camping on the dunes, or hiking and camping
in the mountains. I enjoy going out dancing with a good partner and having
a good time.
Traveling and visiting the Caribbean
and other countries is something I am looking forward to doing more
of. I enjoy all things of art and beauty. Esthetics are an important
aspect in my life.
