Marife Gimenez
Born in Venezuela Ms. Gimenez started her ballet studies in 1982 at the Fanny Montiel School of Ballet in Caracas. Ms. Gimenez repertoire includes the classics, Balanchine, and contemporary works by today's leading choreographers. Her professional career began at the age of fourteen with The National Ballet of Caracas under the Artistic Direction of Vicente Nebrada where she worked her way to a principal dancer performing many of the classics and Vicente Nebrada's repertoire and winning several awards like, Casa Del Artista, for her work as a classical ballerina and the Jose Felix Rivas medal from the Venezuelan Government for her outstanding artistic achievements.
In 1995 she moved to Miami Florida to join the Miami City Ballet as a principal dancer directed by Edward Villella. She has also worked for Maximum Dance Company under the direction of Yanis Pikieris and David Palmer. From 2006-2009 she danced for Ballet Florida under the artistic direction Marie Hale where she retired from her dancing career.
Some of the Ms. Gimenez special performances include tours to The Edinburgh Festival, The Kennedy Center Honors, The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Wolftrap's 25th Anniversary, appeared at the gala The Next Step (Career Transition for Dancer) in October 1997 in New York, international dance projects such as Dolomytica in Europe and Casablanca The Dance in China and guest artist appearances with different companies capturing the attention of the international press.
In 2001, 2002, and 2003 she was nominated the best female dancer in South Florida by the Sun Post. In the past few years she has given master classes around the Nation being invited by different schools such as Gulfshore Ballet in Fort Myers, Ballet Pacifica in California, The School of Dulce Anaya in Jacksonville, among others. Most recently Ms. Gimenez joined The Palm Beach Ballet Center faculty in West Palm Beach, and has been invited to teach the 2010 Summer program for the UNCSA.
In 1995 she moved to Miami Florida to join the Miami City Ballet as a principal dancer directed by Edward Villella. She has also worked for Maximum Dance Company under the direction of Yanis Pikieris and David Palmer. From 2006-2009 she danced for Ballet Florida under the artistic direction Marie Hale where she retired from her dancing career.
Some of the Ms. Gimenez special performances include tours to The Edinburgh Festival, The Kennedy Center Honors, The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Wolftrap's 25th Anniversary, appeared at the gala The Next Step (Career Transition for Dancer) in October 1997 in New York, international dance projects such as Dolomytica in Europe and Casablanca The Dance in China and guest artist appearances with different companies capturing the attention of the international press.
In 2001, 2002, and 2003 she was nominated the best female dancer in South Florida by the Sun Post. In the past few years she has given master classes around the Nation being invited by different schools such as Gulfshore Ballet in Fort Myers, Ballet Pacifica in California, The School of Dulce Anaya in Jacksonville, among others. Most recently Ms. Gimenez joined The Palm Beach Ballet Center faculty in West Palm Beach, and has been invited to teach the 2010 Summer program for the UNCSA.