ALEXANDRA WELLS | FORMER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF MIP®
Alexandra Wells is the Founder and Artistic Director of SPRINGBOARD DANSE MONTRÉAL and former Artistic Director of Movement Invention Project. As Principal dancer of the Ballet National de Nancy, Ms. Wells toured the world and formed lasting partnerships with the late Rudolf Nureyev for six years and Patrick Dupont for four. During this time, she danced leading roles in the classics as well as the ballets of Balanchine, Fokine, Nijinsky, Lifar, Culberg, Bejart, DeMille, Neumier, Kylian, Van Manen, Limon, Christy, and Dove.
Following her performing career, Ms. Wells returned to the United States and was offered the position of rehearsal director with Ballet Hispanico of New York. In 1995, she was invited to join the faculty of l’École Supérieure de Danse du Québec, (formerly associated with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens). Here, Ms. Wells served as Interim Director and had the opportunity to work with young talent in a professional school setting, as well as foster relationships with many contemporary companies and choreographers in Montreal. This experience would eventually lead her to create Springboard Danse Montréal in 2001 with General Director Susan Alexander. Over the past 15 years, this project has become an international destination for world-renowned companies, emerging choreographers and dancers. The networking and career building opportunities it provides for the dance community are unparalleled. Participants and companies have referred it to as an “APAP for dancers."
Ms. Wells was a full-time faculty member at The Juilliard School in New York City for 18 years, teaching various levels of ballet and pointe, as well as acting as a rehearsal director. She has worked with William Whitener on Twyla Tharp’s “Deuce Coupe,” with Donald Mahler on Anthony Tudor’s “Dark Elegies,” with Gary Cryst on Jerome Robbin's "Opus Jazz", with Jill Johnson on William Forsythe’s “Limbs Theorum" and with Shelley Washington on Twyla Tharp's " Bakers Dozen." She also functioned as an advisor, mentor and Colloquium facilitator for students in all artistic disciplines at Juilliard.
Ms. Wells has been a guest teacher for many companies including: BJM Danse (Montreal), Ballet BC (Vancouver), Cedar Lake (NY), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (NY), A.I.M. Abraham in Motion (NY) and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (CO). She served as a curator for emergent choreographers as part of the M.A.D. Air performance series at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting (NYC) for 6 years. In 2010 she was selected by the Joyce Theater to be editing advisor on the Bessie Award winning production of Kyle Abraham's, "Radio show."
In 2009, Ms. Wells collaborated with New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble to create create the New York Summer Intensive, Movement Invention Project. This project was developed for advanced dancers 18-22 years old to encourage risk-taking. The dancers collaborate with contemporary choreographers using improvisational skills to foster their own creativity. Ms. Wells has been recognized for her entrepreneurial work with Springboard Danse Montreal at the 2012 Juilliard Convocation.
photo credit courtesy of NJDTE: Veronika Antanavich
Alexandra Wells is the Founder and Artistic Director of SPRINGBOARD DANSE MONTRÉAL and former Artistic Director of Movement Invention Project. As Principal dancer of the Ballet National de Nancy, Ms. Wells toured the world and formed lasting partnerships with the late Rudolf Nureyev for six years and Patrick Dupont for four. During this time, she danced leading roles in the classics as well as the ballets of Balanchine, Fokine, Nijinsky, Lifar, Culberg, Bejart, DeMille, Neumier, Kylian, Van Manen, Limon, Christy, and Dove.
Following her performing career, Ms. Wells returned to the United States and was offered the position of rehearsal director with Ballet Hispanico of New York. In 1995, she was invited to join the faculty of l’École Supérieure de Danse du Québec, (formerly associated with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens). Here, Ms. Wells served as Interim Director and had the opportunity to work with young talent in a professional school setting, as well as foster relationships with many contemporary companies and choreographers in Montreal. This experience would eventually lead her to create Springboard Danse Montréal in 2001 with General Director Susan Alexander. Over the past 15 years, this project has become an international destination for world-renowned companies, emerging choreographers and dancers. The networking and career building opportunities it provides for the dance community are unparalleled. Participants and companies have referred it to as an “APAP for dancers."
Ms. Wells was a full-time faculty member at The Juilliard School in New York City for 18 years, teaching various levels of ballet and pointe, as well as acting as a rehearsal director. She has worked with William Whitener on Twyla Tharp’s “Deuce Coupe,” with Donald Mahler on Anthony Tudor’s “Dark Elegies,” with Gary Cryst on Jerome Robbin's "Opus Jazz", with Jill Johnson on William Forsythe’s “Limbs Theorum" and with Shelley Washington on Twyla Tharp's " Bakers Dozen." She also functioned as an advisor, mentor and Colloquium facilitator for students in all artistic disciplines at Juilliard.
Ms. Wells has been a guest teacher for many companies including: BJM Danse (Montreal), Ballet BC (Vancouver), Cedar Lake (NY), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (NY), A.I.M. Abraham in Motion (NY) and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (CO). She served as a curator for emergent choreographers as part of the M.A.D. Air performance series at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting (NYC) for 6 years. In 2010 she was selected by the Joyce Theater to be editing advisor on the Bessie Award winning production of Kyle Abraham's, "Radio show."
In 2009, Ms. Wells collaborated with New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble to create create the New York Summer Intensive, Movement Invention Project. This project was developed for advanced dancers 18-22 years old to encourage risk-taking. The dancers collaborate with contemporary choreographers using improvisational skills to foster their own creativity. Ms. Wells has been recognized for her entrepreneurial work with Springboard Danse Montreal at the 2012 Juilliard Convocation.
photo credit courtesy of NJDTE: Veronika Antanavich
