Dalia Rawson is the Director, Founder and primary choreographer of New Ballet. From 1991 to 2006, Rawson performed a wide variety of leading roles as a dancer with Ballet San Jose from 1991–2006 before she began teaching at BSJ School in 2000. She was named Ballet Mistress in 2007, Principal in 2012, and Director in 2014.
In 2016, Rawson’s production of The San Jose Nutcracker premiered to sold out houses and critical acclaim. About the work, Tad Malone of The San Jose Metro said, “Ultimately, this show’s captivating success comes down to the meticulous and inspired vision of New Ballet’s executive director and choreographer, Dalia Rawson. The routines were intricate, graceful—oftentimes unfurling into each other in remarkably fluid transition.” Since then Rawson has created a repertory of ballets for New Ballet’s professional company, including the story ballets Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and La Boutique Fantasque, as well as the contemporary sleeper hit Less than Three.
Recently, En Face Magazine had the privilege of speaking with Rawson to get the inside scoop on their next program, Fast Forward:
EF Magazine: Where did you grow up and what inspired by to become a ballet dancer?
Rawson: I grew up here in the Bay Area (Saratoga) and my mother says the first time I moved (before I was born) was when she and my dad went to see the Joffrey Ballet in New York, and since then I haven’t stopped dancing. I have always known that I needed ballet as a major part of my life and was so fortunate to receive wonderful training at San Francisco Ballet School, then hired out of high school to join what was the San Jose Cleveland Ballet.
Tell us a bit about New Ballet’s founding and some of the things that are unique about the organization?
I founded New Ballet in 2016 when I learned of the upcoming bankruptcy of Ballet San Jose. At the time I was director of Ballet San Jose School, and more than $200,000 had been paid in tuition by local families towards classes that were scheduled to take place over the next several months. I and some close staff and faculty pledged to volunteer for a period of time in order to make those classes happen. With a really dedicated team, loyal school families, and some fast fundraising, New Ballet School was operating in the black within five months. We started the professional company four years later and now perform a full season of dance in downtown San Jose.
What can you tell us about the program for New Ballet’s upcoming performance Fast Forward?
Fast Forward is an evening of all new contemporary ballet. Choreographers range from Julio Hong, who trained at the National Ballet of Cuba, and has created Latin dance works for Cirque du Soleil to New Ballet dancers Deborah Le and Niamh Rollins, who have created new pieces for the company. The seven diverse works on the program will be presented with commentary and context provided by myself and the choreographers.
One of the unique aspects of Fast Forward is that it gives creative opportunities to both established and emerging choreographers. Two of the choreographers presented in this year’s Fast Forward are Studio Company dancers, Niamh Rollins and Deborah Le. What advice can you give to other young choreographers who are just starting out?
Don’t wait. If you have any interest in choreography start today. Make dances that delight you, that you think are entertaining, or wild, or fun, or beautiful. Don’t think at all about what everyone else is doing, just make a dance.
What do you hope San Jose audiences will take away from the Fast Forward performance?
I hope that audiences have a great night out! There is something for everyone on the program, and the final ballet by Julio Hong with Arturo Sandoval’s fantastic music played by the incredible Top Shelf Big Band inspires everyone to dance in the aisle and on their way home.
Are there any other New Ballet performances that ballet lovers can look forward to seeing this season?
Swan Lake is coming up May 18–19 at the Hammer Theatre with New Ballet’s live orchestra. The production is already coming together in all its tragic drama and the dancers look amazing.
What do you like to do, where would we find you when you’re not working?
I’m lucky to have a wonderful local family and husband, so we spend a lot of time together. We like to go to Symphony San Jose in particular, and to stay home and play Dungeons and Dragons.
Featured Image: New Ballet Founder/Director Dalia Rawson with Symphony San Jose Executive Artistic Director Robert Massey. Photo by Tony Abello.
Image 1: New Ballet dancers in the 2024 production of Fast Forward. Photo by Tony Abello.
