Marek Cholewa
Marek Cholewa, Professor of Dance, began his
studies at the National School of Ballet in Poznan, Poland.
As a young dancer his talent was noted by his teachers during the
early stages of his training and he received continued support by
the Polish government throughout his tenure in
Poland. He achieved the rank of a Soloist with
the National Ballet of Poland and performed as a guest artist with
the Polski Teatr Tanca-Balet Poznanski in Poznan, Poland. In 1978
he was sent by the Ministry of Culture in Poland, on full
scholarship to study at the world renowned Rimsky-Korsakov Music
State Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. While in
Russia, he was able to refine and polish his ballet technique and
learn classical repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre. He
obtained his master's degree from the Rimsky-Korsakov Music State
Conservatory as a Répétiteur/Choreographer in 1982. That same year
he was invited by Dame Margot Fonteyn to join the National Ballet
of Panama where he was Assistant Artistic Director/Master Teacher/
Choreographer. From 1983 to 1985 he served as the Dance
Adviser for the Latin-American Dance Chapter to the INAC (Instituto
Nacional de Cultura). Although Mr. Cholewa left the Republic
of Panama in 1988, he has preserved his special connection with the
National Ballet of Panama, its dancers and the expansion of its
cultural outreach. For the past 20 years, he has worked as a guest
Artistic Director/Choreographer in Panama by staging,
choreographing and directing many ballet productions such as;The
Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides,
La Vivandière, La Esmeralda, Simfonia Simple, La Simfonia de una
Vida. As a professional choreographer Mr. Cholewa has been
working on a commission basis since 1982, and his works have been
shown throughout the United States, Central and South America, and
Europe. Over the years Mr. Cholewa has been revered as an "on
demand" choreographer. Among his many original works are
ballet-oratorio The Messiah, Vivencias, Vocalisa, Nupcias,
Adagietto, Firebird, Sarabanda Sentimental, Danzon, Dreaming with
Open Eyes, At a Gathering, A Dialogue, Rhapsody, A Midsummer
Night's Dream, White Happiness, The Other Self, A Path. His
other well known contributions to the world of dance pertain to the
staging of classical repertoire such as;Giselle, Sleeping Beauty,
La Bayadère, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Paquita, La Vivandière, La
Esmeralda, Le Corsaire. Also to his credit he has
choreographed the classical full-length ballets of La Fille Mal
Gardée, Coppélia and The Nutcracker. As a master teacher, Mr.
Cholewa has taught for international dance programs in Denmark,
Russia, Panama, Taiwan and Poland. In the United States he
has taught for Boston Ballet Company, Boston Ballet's summer dance
programs, Indianapolis Ballet Theatre and a number of regional
ballet schools and dance companies in St. Louis, MO, Chicago, IL,
New Orleans, LA, Richmond, VA, and Fort Wayne, IN. In 1988,
Mr. Cholewa began his teaching career in the United States when he
joined the dance faculty at Butler University. He has always
tried to give the students and the university the wealth of his
experiences and expose them to the cultures he has been associated
with throughout his career. In 1995, he started international
study/performance tours for Butler University's Dance
Department. The first tour began with St. Petersburg, Russia,
and since it has grown to include: Warsaw, Cracow, Poznan, Gdansk,
Poland; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tbilisi, Rep. of Georgia. He has
served as an Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Teacher for
these international programs. These programs have allowed for
cultural exchange and outreach while giving the chance for study
outside of the university classroom. Mr. Cholewa's
areas of special expertise are the full Vaganova syllabus and XIXth
century classical ballet repertory learned in St. Petersburg,
Russia. At present he holds the position of Professor of
Dance at Butler University, and has the honor of being named a
Fulbright Scholar for 2002-2003.