Life & Work with Miguel Campaneria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miguel Campaneria.

Miguel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started dancing in Cuba under the direction of Alicia Alonso.

It was difficult to live and grow up in a communist country but I could always find freedom while dancing until I was able to flee the country at seventeen. I first went to Montreal, Canada to seek asylum. Once outside of Cuba, I was able to dance with seven major companies in the United States, including the American Ballet Theater, the Pittsburgh Ballet, and the Philadelphia Ballet.

I was invited to the White House to meet President Ronald Regan where I was recognized for my achievements in ballet and for earning my American citizenship. Later on, I was nominated to the National Endowment for the Arts where I served on the Council for six years. For over 30 years, I have been traveling to Japan as a teacher and an advisor. Several companies are still performing my choreography today.

I had a very fulfilling career as a dancer, but now my passion is teaching students. I currently serve as the Artistic Director of the Campaneria Ballet School and our non-profit, the Campaneria Ballet Company, in Apex, North Carolina.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The greatest struggle was trying to leave Cuba. When I was seven, we tried to escape on a boat and my mother was captured and jailed. She spent four years in a labor camp which took a toll on her and our family.

Additionally, working in arts and entertainment in New York is during the 70s and 80s was difficult due to the rampant drug usage and the AIDS epidemic. I lost many dear friends and colleagues during that time.

In early 2020, I endured the sudden loss of my best friend and business partner, Wei Ni. Not a day goes by I don’t think of Wei and the great times we had as teachers and friends. He was a kind and funny man with a big heart and I miss him so much. I look forward to our paths crossing again in the next life.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a ballet instructor, my greatest strengths are coaching turns and artistry. I have come to be known for my choreography and the productions we produce each year, including our annual presentation of The Nutcracker.

I take great pride in much of my work, but I get the most satisfaction from building up students who go on to become professional dancers. One example is Sydney Dolan, who is currently the first soloist with the Philadelphia Ballet. She began working with me at the age of nine until she joined the Philadelphia Ballet as a member of PBII at the age of 15.

Seeing my dancers achieve their dreams of dancing for world-famous ballet companies brings me a sense of joy, delight, and accomplishment.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Pivot! When the world around you changes, do what you can to adapt. Covid certainly took a toll on the arts, limiting the ability to have in-person classes or performances for almost 2 years.

Like everyone across the globe, we had to step outside the box of how we’ve always operated and get creative so we could continue to allow our students the opportunity to dance. It did come with new challenges, but we have continued to successfully operate throughout the duration of the pandemic.

We have slowly begun to return to “normal” by presenting live performances in front of full auditoriums and having our enrollment return to pre-pandemic numbers.

Contact Info:

• Email: campaneriaballetschool@gmail.com
• Website: campaneriaballetschool.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campaneriaballetschool/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaneriaballetschool