Profiles
RAUL SALAMANCA, FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
An award-winning dancer, teacher, and director, Raul Salamanca brings over 25 years of professional experience to Golden State Ballet. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mr. Salamanca’s illustrious performing career with reputable companies such as Boston Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, and Ballet Arizona granted him the opportunity to work with some of the most prominent teachers, coaches, choreographers, and artistic leaders in the industry, and imparted him with a profound knowledge in the classical, neoclassical, and contemporary styles of dance. A passionate leader with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Salamanca provided guidance to numerous artists as an A.G.M.A union representative and played a central role in many labor contract negotiations. Prior to founding Golden State Ballet, Mr. Salamanca served as Ballet Master and Director of Education for Ballet San Antonio, Répétiteur for Boston Ballet resident choreographer Jorma Elo, and Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer for Los Gatos Ballet in Silicon Valley, California. Mr. Salamanca co-founded Golden State Ballet Academy with his wife in 2019.
MAGDA O’NEILL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Polish-born Magda O’Neill supports talented and dedicated artists who share her mission to create joy. Whether managing the complex details, budgets, and dynamics of an arts organization, or stage managing her children’s annual school talent show, Mrs. O’Neill’s unique blend of nurturing and confident leadership brings peace of mind and calm to those around her. She studied violin at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and at the University of Houston, and earned an MA in Arts Administration and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining Golden State Ballet, Mrs. O’Neill supported Mainly Mozart as General Manager and served as the musician/administration liaison as Orchestra Personnel Manager for the San Diego Symphony. Mrs. O’Neill and her husband are delighted to raise their three children and new kitten in America’s Finest City.
ANDREA SCHERMOLY, CHOREOGRAPHER (The Gatekeepers)
Andrea (Andi) Giselle Schermoly was born in South Africa. She trained at the National School of the Arts, Johannesburg and on full scholarship at Rambert Ballet and Contemporary School and full scholarship at The Royal Ballet School, London. She competed internationally as a member of The South African National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team. She danced professionally for Boston Ballet Company and the Netherlands Dance Theater (1&2).
She is the resident choreographer at Louisville Ballet Company.
She has choreographed for Ballet Met, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Cape Dance Company, Kansas City Ballet Company, State Street Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet Company, Louisville Ballet Company, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Festival Ballet Theater, Ballet Theatre Afrikan, Quixotic Cirque Noveau, Boston Ballet 2, Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, The Juilliard School solos evening and directed and choreographed a dance narrative film for The Ashley Bouder Project presented at The Joyce Theater, NYC, which went on to be presented by San Francisco Dance Film Festival. She was awarded the “Outstanding Choreographer” award in 2012, 2013 and 2017 at Youth America Grand Prix. In 2014 she choreographed at Lincoln Center for YAGP’s 15th anniversary gala evening on dancers Maria Kochetkova (principal San Francisco Ballet) and Joaquin de Luz (principal New York City Ballet). The piece has since been re-staged at ‘Buenos Aires International Dance Gala' Argentina and ‘Stars of the 21st Century Gala’ in the Champs Élysées, Paris. Andi has choreographed for feature films, commercials and music videos including ‘Beautiful Now’, 'Bunheads', Justin Bieber/Poo Bear and Deorro music video and choreographically assisted on projects as 'Budweiser Superbowl Commercial’ and ‘Star Trek into Darkness’. She's created work for principal dancers attending international galas, most recently for Sarah Van Patten/Wei Wang of San Francisco Ballet for Tahoe Dance Camp.
Andrea has created 7 original works for Louisville Ballet, including having the honor of recreating two iconic Martha Graham works in collaboration with Louisville Ballet and Louisville Orchestra. “Appalachian Spring” and “Judith”. “Appalachian Spring” will be performed at Carnegie Hall in an upcoming season. She has upcoming work with Royal New Zealand Ballet and Compania Nationala de Danca, Spain, amongst others. Her most recent dance film ‘Rite of Spring’ for Louisville Ballet received outstanding reviews including “the best pandemic film produced in the US”. by ARTS AIR.
JOHN CLIFFORD, STAGER (Valse-Fantaisie)
Producer, director, and choreographer, John Clifford, founder and artistic director of both the original Los Angeles Ballet and the chamber sized Ballet of Los Angeles, and the more commercially oriented Los Angeles Dance Theater, has had a long and unusually varied career in theater and dance.
Born in Los Angeles, Mr. Clifford was first a teenage actor and featured young dancer on many television series, including the weekly musical variety shows starring Danny Kaye, Dinah Shore, and dramatic anthologies such as Death Valley Days and the Donna Reed Show. During these years Mr. Clifford also appeared with the New York City Ballet as the 11 yr-old “Nutcracker Prince” in their acclaimed production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, thus beginning his long association with the master choreographer. Mr. Clifford joined the New York City Ballet at age 19 and quickly rose to Principal Dancer status with a repertoire of over 45 leading roles, many choreographed expressly for him by Balanchine, Todd Bolendar, John Taras, Jacques d’Amboise, and...Jerome Robbins.
Widely acknowledged as George Balanchine’s protégé, Mr. Clifford choreographed his first of eight original ballets for New York City Ballet at 20 years of age, thus making him the youngest choreographer in history to choreograph for a major company, second only to Balanchine himself, who was 20 years old when he became a choreographer for Sergei Diaghilev’s “Ballets Russes.” In his early twenties, Mr. Clifford also choreographed major ballets for the San Francisco Ballet, Deutsche Oper Ballet (Berlin) the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (Canada), and for many companies throughout the USA.
Mr. Clifford founded the original Los Angeles Ballet while still continuing as choreographer and dancer with the NYCB. He soon after left that company to devote himself full-time to the creation of this, the first professional ballet company in Los Angeles’ history. This company received unanimous praise for its five tours across the United States, Canada, Manila, and the Far East. During this period Mr. Clifford also directed and choreographed a national tour of the musical, “L’il Abner” and his choreography was seen in several major Hollywood films such as “Flashdance.” The Los Angeles Ballet was also seen regularly on numerous television shows and appeared with the Rock groups “Chicago” and “George Benson,” and with both the Los Angeles and New York City Philharmonic orchestras...in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl and LA Music Center, and in New York City at Lincoln Center.
An acclaimed international choreographer, Mr. Clifford’s ballets have been performed in the repertoire of companies as far reaching as Monte-Carlo, Buenos Aires, Rome, Zurich, London, and Berlin. He has also been a guest Ballet-Master and Choreographer for the Bolshoi Ballet, (Moscow) Mariinsky Ballet, (St. Petersburg) the Paris Opera Ballet, England’s Royal Ballet, Italy’s La Scala and Rome Opera Ballets, and virtually every major company in the United States. Mr. Clifford has choreographed works to music by Gershwin, Mahler, Stravinsky, Joplin, and even Sting, Annie Lennox and Van Halen,
“Casablanca, The Dance” was Clifford’s co-production with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, and received standing ovations at its premiere in Beijing, China, at The Great Hall of the People. www.youtube.com/casablancaspectacle. His autobiography, BALANCHINE’S APPRENTICE: From Hollywood to New York and Back, was released September, 2021 to unanimous rave reviews.
DENISE DEBROWSKI, ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE & STAGER (Swan Lake)
Denise Dabrowski, a native of San Diego, received her training at the California Ballet School. In 1980 Ms. Dabrowski became a member of the Joffrey Ballet Company where she worked with celebrated choreographers Gerald Arpino, Glen Tetley, Marjorie Mussman, and Robert Joffrey. Upon her return to San Diego, she became Principal Dancer and Prima Ballerina with the California Ballet Company. After her retirement from the stage Ms. Dabrowski was named Regisseur of the CBC: staging repertory, assisting choreographers in new works, and coaching solo and principal dancers.
Noted for her intelligence, musicality, and depth of interpretation, Ms. Dabrowski’s repertoire included principal roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Charles Bennett’s Dracula, Balanchine’s Serenade and Concerto Barocco, José Limon’s The Moor’s Pavane, and other ballets, classical and contemporary, many of which she originated for the Company.
Ms. Dabrowski was also a member of Three’s Company and Isaacs/McCaleb and Dancers, with whom she performed locally and internationally. She made guest appearances with the San Diego Opera, Starlight Opera, Luscious Noise, the San Diego Symphony, and the Old Globe Theater. Ms. Dabrowski has also performed as guest artist, staged repertory, and coached dancers for companies in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Texas, Utah, Alaska, and Connecticut.
For four decades Ms. Dabrowski has been teaching and mentoring young dancers. She is now proud to be on the faculty of Golden State Ballet Academy and San Diego Civic Youth Ballet.
As Artistic Associate of Golden State Ballet, working closely with Artistic Director Raul Salamanca, Ms. Dabrowski teaches, coaches and mentors the Company dancers and is honored to share her wealth of knowledge and experience with Golden State Ballet.
JOHN STUBBS, GSB MUSIC DIRECTOR / CONDUCTOR
John Stubbs, GSB Music Director and Conductor, is also a violinist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, Mainly Mozart Festival, and the creator and director of Luscious Noise. His experience as a ballet conductor have ranged from ballet standards such as The Nutcracker, Paquita, and Serenade to premieres of new works with music of Bach, Vivaldi, De Falla, Albinoni, George Crumb and Yoav Talmi. Mr. Stubbs has conducted the Colorado Springs Symphony, the Wyoming Symphony and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra at the re-opening Gala of the historic Balboa Theatre. Most recently, he conducted the world premiere of ALICE: Re-imagining Wonderland through Dance, Music and Spoken Word, a collaboration between Art of Élan and Colette Harding Contemporary Dance Company with a commissioned score by composer Joseph Hallman. As the creator and director of Luscious Noise, an eclectic performance series formerly at local jazz club Anthology, Mr. Stubbs brings new audiences to classical music through the combination of live music and videos in a hip dinner club setting. John Stubbs has been a member of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra since 1977.
NICOLE HOUGHTON, PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER
Nicole Houghton has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters of Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She is currently the Production Manager of the San Diego Symphony and Carlsbad Music Festival. She has held previous positions in operations management with the Maryland Symphony from 2014 - 2017 and the Pittsburgh Symphony from 2012 - 2014. With over 8 years of management experience, she is passionate about helping arts organizations thrive in San Diego.
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GOLDEN STATE BALLET
Founded in 2021, Golden State Ballet’s mission is to enhance Southern California’s arts scene by instilling a love and appreciation for dance through artistic excellence, invigorating performances, innovative choreography, and engaging educational programs. We value giving respect to our diverse community, holding ourselves accountable to conducting business ethically, and creating a workplace that attracts and retains talented and creative artists and staff.
LUSCIOUS NOISE
Luscious Noise breaks the barrier of tradition by bringing classical music performances down to earth in unique settings. Drawing on musicians from the San Diego Symphony, its focus is creating compelling combinations of music, dance and film that are meant to become an experience for the audience that transcends the sum of the parts.
