1. Val Caniparoli is an American ballet dancer and international choreographer.
17 Facts About Val Caniparoli
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Val Caniparoli's work includes more than 100 productions for ballet, opera, and theater for over 50 companies, and his career as a choreographer progressed globally even as he continued his professional dance career with the San Francisco Ballet.
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Val Caniparoli joined the San Francisco Ballet as a dancer in 1973.
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Val Caniparoli was appointed to the position of principal character dancer with the San Francisco Ballet by Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson in 1987.
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Val Caniparoli attended Washington State University, where he studied music and theater.
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Val Caniparoli attended one and was told he had talent, and should audition at the San Francisco Ballet School.
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Val Caniparoli received a scholarship from the Ford Foundation that enabled him to attend the San Francisco Ballet School.
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Val 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.
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Val Caniparoli became interested in choreography when he attended a choreography workshop offered by the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
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In 1984, Val Caniparoli co-founded a choreographic collective called OMO in San Francisco, and a documentary about OMO's founding was broadcast that year on PBS.
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Val Caniparoli was resident choreographer for Ballet West from 1993 to 1997, and for Tulsa Ballet from 2001 to 2006.
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Val Caniparoli continues to create works for San Francisco Ballet.
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In 2002, Val Caniparoli was invited to choreograph a pas de deux to be performed by Evelyn Hart and Rex Harrington for Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate her Golden Jubilee visit to Canada.
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Val Caniparoli's study included private lessons on alto saxophone, clarinet, and flute.
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Val Caniparoli has become well known for his use of widely diverse music as a principal foundation for his choreographic work.
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Val Caniparoli was influenced by the dancing of film stars Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.
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Val Caniparoli appeared on PBS in The San Francisco Ballet in Cinderella Dance in America in the role of Cinderella's father.