Karina Gonzalez, former Tulsa Ballet dancer, on the cover of the November 2011 issue of Dance magazine.
Former Tulsa Ballet principal dancer Karina Gonzalez will grace the cover of the November issue of Dance magazine. Gonzalez, who now performs with Houston Ballet, is the subject of the issue's main story, "A Delicate Fire" by Nancy Wozny.
Gonzalez has made as immediate an impression on Houston dance audiences as she did during her tenure in Tulsa, where she rose rapidly from corps de ballet to principal dancer.
"Petite, with a wide-eyed expressive face, Gonzalez brings on the wonder, whether it's a contemporary or classic ballet," the article states. "Effortless technique and an alluring stage presence made her the new girl to watch last season."
Stanton Welch, the Houston Ballet artistic director, says of Gonzalez, "She's strong, feminine and full of that Spanish fire. It's so great to have a Latina dancer of her caliber."
Welch got to know Gonzalez during visits to Tulsa to set his ballets "Bruiser" and "Maninyas." "I knew instantly," Gonzalez says about Welch's ballets, "this is me, this is what I want to be doing."
Gonzalez also praises Tulsa Ballet, saying, "Tulsa changed my life. I would not be here in Houston without that experience. I am thankful for every single day I spent there. Marcello Angelini and Daniela Buson believed in me."
This is the second time Gonzalez has graced the cover of a national dance magazine. She was featured on the cover of the February/March 2008 Pointe magazine for a story about Tulsa Ballet (which, in the interests of full disclosure, I wrote).
There is one small error in the Dance magazine story -- Rupert Edwards, Gonzalez's boyfriend, is referred to twice as "Rubert."
