Val Caniparoli
| Val Caniparoli | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Val Caniparoli Renton, Washington (USA) |
| Residence | San Francisco, California |
| Nationality | Italian American |
| Occupation | Choreographer Principal Character Dancer with San Francisco Ballet |
| Known for | Dancer & choreographer with San Francisco Ballet |
Val Caniparoli is an American ballet dancer and choreographer. His work includes productions for ballet, opera, and theater for over 35 companies, and his career as a choreographer progressed even as he continued his professional dance career with the San Francisco Ballet. He joined the San Francisco Ballet as a dancer in 1973. He was appointed to the position of principal character dancer with the San Francisco Ballet by Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson in 1987.
Caniparoli was born in Renton, Washington to Francisco Caniparoli, a clothing manufacturer, and Leonora (Marconi) Caniparoli, who worked at Boeing. He attended Washington State University (WSU), where he studied music and theater. When the First Chamber Dance Company was touring Eastern Washington, they did performances at WSU, and offered worskhops in ballet. Caniparoli attended one and was told he had talent, and should audition at the San Francisco Ballet School. Thereafter he decided to pursue a career in ballet, and left WSU. He received a scholarship from the Ford Foundation that enabled him to attend the San Francisco Ballet School. Caniparoli performed with San Francisco Opera Ballet, and in 1973, just a year and a half into his studies, he was offered a contract with San Francisco Ballet. In his debut season, he worked under Co-Artistic Directors Lew Christensen and Michael Smuin, and later, under Helgi Tomasson.
Caniparoli became interested in choreography when he attended a choreography workshop offered by the Pacific Northwest Ballet. After that work, his choreography career expanded and he was appointed resident choreographer for the San Francisco Ballet in the mid-1980s. In 1984, Caniparoli co-founded a choreographic collective called OMO in San Francisco, and a documentary about OMO's founding was broadcast that year on PBS. In 1994, he created his first full-length ballet entitled Lady of the Camellias, based on a story by Alexandre Dumas, and with a score by Frédéric Chopin.Lady of the Camellias became one of Caniparoli's most popular works, and a part of the repertoire of several ballet companies, including Ballet West, Ballet Florida, Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, and Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
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