NANCY TURANO DANCE

Nancy Turano is a Director, Master Teacher and Choreographer for Dance, Film, Opera and TV. She received a BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase and performed as a principal dancer with Ballet Hispanico of New York, Buglisi Dance Theatre and guested with many noted companies.She performed throughout the U.S. Europe, South America, Caribbean and at prestigious theaters including the Kennedy Center with invitations to the White House and Casa Rosada in Argentina. 
She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the NJ State Counsel on the Arts (NJSCA) Distinguished Teaching Artist Award, NJSCA Governor’s Award, NJSCA Individual Artist Fellowship for Excellence in Choreography, and Outstanding Alumni Award by the Chancellor of SUNY University Schools. She has been a National panelist and Chair for YOUNG ARTS for Presidential Scholars for the Arts. A master teacher, Turano has taught at Ballet Hispanico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Aspen Ballet, National Ballet of Sweden School, National Ballet of Panama, Teatro San Martin in Argentina, Bat-Dor in Israel, Vancouver Arts Umbrella, Celine Dion’s “A New Day, New York University, Purchase College, and over 30 Universities in the US. She served on the ballet faculty of Ballet Hispanico and as rehearsal diretor and repetiteur over a span of 18 years and faculty for the Pre-Professional Division of the Ailey School for 21 years where she assisted to build ballet curriculum for the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. Turano has trained and mentored generations of aspiring dancers who are in distinguished companies such as, New York City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Netherlands Dans Theatre, Houston Ballet, Ballet Jazz Montreal, Complexions  Alvin Ailey, Ballet Hispanico and on Broadway.
As Artistic Director of the New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble for 31 years, Turano is acknowledged for building a state of the arts conservatory for dance with nine levels of curriculum. Her innovative training programs in the NYC metro area Movement Invention Project MIP® & MIP2®, were named top 10 international contemporary summer programs, which provided pre-professionals access to international contemporary artists and cutting￾edge technologies. She commissioned over 58 works by master choreographers Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, David Parsons, Robert Battle and forward artists such as, Sidra Bell, Andrea Miller, Adam Barruch, Shannon Gillen, Kate Skarpetowska & Bradley Shelver and provided “artist in residence” programs for emerging dance companies. Her choreography has been presented theaters throughout the US, Mexico, Panama, Israel, Sweden, and Germany. Her full-length “Carmen” was filmed for a feature on PBS Channel 13. Her short film “Tango Octogenario” has been featured on PBS and at the New Films/New Directors series at Lincoln Center, the Tribeca Film Festival, and over 40 film festivals around the world. She has choreographed TV episodes of Law-and-Order Criminal Intent and for Operas presented at BAM in NYC and Three Penny Opera in Dessau, Germany. Turano has collaborated with photographer, Jenny Mayfield to create a photographic book “Journey of a Young Dancer” featuring NJDTE Dancers. Turano’s passion is to mentor pre-professional dance artists to achieve their goals as dancers and guide professional artists throughout their careers.