By: Ashmar Mandou

The Joffrey Ballet recently announced the addition of seven dancers, including three Latinos hailing from Brazil, Spain, and Puerto Rico. “I am pleased to welcome these beautiful dancers to the Joffrey as we begin our 2018-2019 season. Their artistry exudes all the qualities of a Joffrey dancer -energetic, versatile, dynamic, said Ashley Wheater, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet. Among the new dancers are Valentino Moneglia Zamora, born in Murcia, Spain where he trained at The Conservatorio Profesional de Danza de Murcia and Robles Ballet School; Xavier Núñez, born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, trained at age ten at The Hartt Community Dance Division in Hartford, Connecticut; and Leticia Stock, who grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and trained at the Maria Olenewa State Dance School. Núñez and Stock shared their excitement about joining The Joffrey Ballet with Lawndale Bilingual Newspaper.

Xavier Núñez

Lawndale Bilingual Newspaper: What poignant moment occurred in your life that inspired you to become a dancer?
Xavier Núñez: I remember the first time I had a male ballet coach, Miguel Campaneria. He would show me famous male dancers such as Carlos Acosta and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Miguel became my mentor and taught me what the role of a male dancer is; to be powerful while making everything light and effortless. I knew that dance was something I loved to do and having real examples of how to achieve it made it reality. 

You have had a lustrous career performing in iconic productions, what has been your favorite production, thus far?
One of my favorite moments performing has been performing George Balanchine’s Jewels. Each section is completely different than the other and each has its own set of difficulties. There is no story line, it’s a moment to feel the music and allow it to take over the way you dance. However, my favorite production to watch is Le Corsaire. It’s a fun ballet that takes you away from reality, who doesn’t like pirates?

As a new member of The Joffrey Ballet, what are you looking forward to the most?
I have been looking forward to being part of a team that cares about putting out great work all while being new and innovative. With dance being such a historic art form, it’s hard to break the boundaries of tradition. I believe that The Joffrey Ballet is amazing at bringing ballet to the modern world while staying true to its history. 

What message do you have for aspiring dancers who have the dream of working for a company like the Joffrey Ballet one day?
To aspiring dancers, make sure you’re dancing because you truly love it. A ballet career is not an easy one. There will be times where you will be told no, you will doubt yourself, and you will strive for perfection when its unobtainable. However, if you find yourself inseparable from dance, work hard! Be true to yourself and most importantly, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. While it may not be easy, it’s also one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done. 

Leticia Stock

Lawndale Bilingual Newspaper: What poignant moment occurred in your life that inspired you to become a dancer?
Leticia Stock: I started dancing when I was 3, I was watching my sister take ballet classes and just like every good younger sister I wanted to copy her. Although I started very early, I decided to become a ballet dancer and take it more seriously when I was 7 after my ballet teacher told me a had talent and should try auditioning to the state school in Rio de Janeiro. After passing the audition I knew that that was what I wanted to do.

You have had a lustrous career performing in iconic productions, what has been your favorite production, thus far?
I was very lucky to perform in numerous great productions while dancing with The Royal Ballet in London, to name just a few of my favorites: Symphonic Variations (Sir Frederick Ashton), Viscera (Liam Scarlett), The Winter’s Tale (Christopher Wheeldon), Wolf Works (Wayne McGregor) and many others.

As a new member of the Joffrey Ballet, what are you looking forward to the most?
I’m looking forward to working again with Liam Scarlett on our program Across the Pond, and also to be dancing Christopher Wheeldon’s Chicago -based Nutcracker.

What message do you have for aspiring dancers who have the dream of working for a company like The Joffrey Ballet one day?
Work very, very hard, but also don’t forget to have fun. Ballet is the most demanding, challenging and rewarding art form and our careers are too short to get caught up on negativity.