Angel Corella Appointed Artistic Director of PA Ballet
Two weeks ago, we reported that Angel Corella was setting Don Quixote at the Hartt School’s “Studio to Stage” summer intensive in Hartford, Connecticut. Well, it now looks like he’s in the U.S. to stay! Last night, the Pennsylvania Ballet announced that Corella has been named its new artistic director, starting in September. Roy Kaiser, the company’s previous director, recently stepped down after 19 years, but will remain through the transition and assume the title of Artistic Director Emeritus.
Corella, a former principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre who later founded Barcelona Ballet (formerly Corella Ballet Castilla y León), was the top choice out of 30 candidates, according to the company. “Pennsylvania Ballet has such a great reputation, such great dancers and such a loyal audience,” he says in a statement. “My dream is to build on this history, its Balanchine legacy, and make the company a center for all the best in ballet, a true national model.”
For a closer look at Corella in action as a director, check out this movie trailer by filmmaker Gerri L. Gagnon, who documented the creation of his company in Spain.