{{Short description|Cuban ballet dancer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox dancer | name = Joan Boada | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|41|2016|04|14}}<!-- {{birth date and age|yyyy|mm|dd}} or {{birth date|yyyy|mm|dd}} For living people supply only the year unless the exact date is already WIDELY published, as per WP:DOB. --> | birth_place = Havana, Cuba | nationality = | citizenship = | education = Cuban National Ballet School | occupation = Ballet dancer | years_active = | height = | spouse = | partner = | children = | website = <!-- {{URL|website}} --> | current_group = Boston Ballet II | former_groups = San Francisco Ballet<br/>Cuban National Ballet | dances = | module = }} '''Joan Boada''' (born {{birth based on age as of date|41|2016|04|14|noage=1}}<ref name=Whiting/>) is a Cuban retired ballet dancer, teacher and ballet master. His career started at the Cuban National Ballet, where he was promoted to principal dancer at age 16. He defected to France in 1994, then performed with several companies and as a guest, before joining the San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer in 1999. After he retired from performing in 2016, he worked as a guest teacher and répétiteur. In 2019, he joined the Spanish National Dance Company as ballet master and choreographic assistant. In 2021, he became the artistic director of both Conservatory Ballet and Kirov Academy of Ballet. In 2022, Boada became the associate director of Boston Ballet II.
==Early life and training== Boada was born in Havana.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfballet.org/company/dancers/principals/Joan_Boada|title=Principal Dancers: San Francisco Ballet|website=San Francisco Ballet|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808085041/https://www.sfballet.org/company/dancers/principals/Joan_Boada|archivedate=8 August 2016}}</ref> He was sent to ballet classes at age nine by his mother, in order to keep him away from the streets.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/2003/06/26/features/index.html|title=Ballet rebel|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|last=Arcayna|first=Nancy|date=26 June 2003}}</ref> He trained at Cuban National Ballet School under Alicia Alonso.<ref name=Roca/><ref name=Roca2>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Cuban-Dancer-Joan-Boada-Joins-Ballet-as-a-3001985.php|title=Cuban Dancer Joan Boada Joins Ballet as a Principal / Solomakha, Smith earn promotions|work=San Francisco Chronicle|last=Roca|first=Octavio|date=30 June 1998}}</ref>
==Career== Boada was chosen to join the Cuban National Ballet by Alonso, who promoted him to principal dancer when he was 16. He was soon cast as Franz in her production of ''Coppélia'',<ref name=Roca>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fOM0Gbg4e9kC|title=Cuban Ballet|last=Roca|first=Octavio|year=2010|isbn=9781423615408|pages=187–188}}</ref> and had also dance with Alonso.<ref name=Roca2/> In 1994, while the company was touring in Mexico City, Boada defected to France.<ref name=Roca2/><ref name=Ulrich>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Cuban-dancers-welcome-chance-to-move-freely-in-6217908.php|title=Cuban dancers welcome chance to move freely in Bay Area|work=San Francisco Chronicle|last=Ulrich|first=Allan|date=22 April 2015}}</ref> Following his defection, he joined Jeune Ballet de France, a touring company. He also performed with Roland Petit's Ballet National de Marseille, the Royal Ballet of Flanders and the Australian Ballet, and as a guest artist.<ref name=Roca/><ref name=Roca2/> He later recalled that he had requested Alonso to let him dance at Jeune Ballet de France, but Alonso refused and said he would not learn anything abroad.<ref name=Ulrich/> Though he could return to Cuba via his French passport,<ref name=Ulrich/> he has not performed in his home country since he was 18.<ref name=Whiting/>
In 1999,<ref name=Hemlin/> Boada joined the San Francisco Ballet, despite also receiving offers from Paris Opera Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. He had previously performed with the San Francisco Ballet in two galas and in Landar's ''Études''.<ref name=Roca2/> In early March 2003, it was announced that Boada would be one of four dancers whose contracts would not be renewed, due to budget deficit, though he was expected to continue to perform until the season's conclusion.<ref name=SFGate>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-Ballet-dismissing-4-dancers-Cuts-seen-as-2667338.php|title=S.F. Ballet dismissing 4 dancers / Cuts seen as necessary due to $1 million predicted budget deficit|work=SFGate|date=1 March 2003}}</ref> However, by the end of the month, the decision to dismiss Boada was reversed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/SF-Ballet-rethinking-dancer-s-contract-2658827.php|title=SF Ballet rethinking dancer's contract / Money-strapped company may keep Boada|work=SFGate|date=31 March 2003}}</ref> The following year, he and Lorena Feijóo won the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Ensemble Performance, for their performances in ''Don Quixote''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.izzies-sf.org/2007|title=2007–2000 – The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards|website=The Izzies|accessdate=20 June 2021}}</ref>
His repertory in San Francisco include lead roles in full-length classics and works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Mark Morris, Helgi Tómasson, Christopher Wheeldon and Yuri Possokhov.<ref name=Roca/> His role creations include Wheeldon's ''Within the Golden Hour'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Dance-review-Possokhov-Wheeldon-Taylor-works-3218156.php|title=Dance review: Possokhov, Wheeldon, Taylor works|work=SFGate|last=Howard|first=Rachel|date=24 April 2008}}</ref> Tómasson's ''7 for Eight''.<ref name=Hemlin>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/S-F-Ballet-losing-2-principal-dancers-6622267.php|title=S.F. Ballet losing 2 principal dancers|work=San Francisco Chronicle|last=Hamlin|first=Jesse|date=15 November 2015}}</ref> and ''On a Theme of Paganini'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Review-S-F-Ballet-puts-Rachmaninoff-on-ice-3223365.php|title=Review: S.F. Ballet puts Rachmaninoff on ice|work=SFGate|last=Howard|first=Rachel|date=10 March 2008}}</ref> Possokhov's ''Magrittomania'',<ref name=Ulrich2>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/performance/article/A-superlative-evening-honors-superlative-dancers-7255188.php#photo-9823009|title=SF Ballet bids farewell to an era along with 3 principal dancers|work=San Francisco Chronicle|last=Ulrich|first=Allan|date=18 April 2016}}</ref> ''Fusion'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/arts/dance/24tayl.html|title=What Audiences Haven't Seen Before|work=New York Times|last=Macaulay|first=Alastair|date=24 April 2008}}</ref> and ''Diving into the Lilacs''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/S-F-Ballet-s-dancing-outshines-choreography-3252893.php|title=S.F. Ballet's dancing outshines choreography|work=SFGate|last=Howard|first=Rachel|date=29 January 2009}}</ref>
In 2016, the 40-year-old Boada retired from the San Francisco Ballet, and stated he wanted to focus on being a ballet master and teacher. In April, a one-night-only program was held to celebrate him, Pascal Molat and Gennadi Nedvigin, two other retiring principal dancers.<ref name=Whiting>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/performance/article/Last-dance-for-3-SF-Ballet-principals-7248499.php#photo-9798798|title=Last dance for 3 SF Ballet principals|work=San Francisco Chronicle|last=Whiting|first=Sam|date=14 April 2016}}</ref><ref name=Ulrich2/> Though the program was initially reported to be his last performance with the company,<ref name=Ulrich2/> he later appeared as Prince Gremin in Cranko's ''Onegin''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Ballet-season-ends-with-grand-Onegin-7386359.php|title=Ballet season ends with grand 'Onegin'|work=SFGate|last=Ulrich|first=Allan|date=1 May 2016}}</ref> In 2017, Boada was one of the Sustained Achievement Honorees at the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.izzies-sf.org/2017|title=2017 – The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards|website=The Izzies|accessdate=20 June 2021}}</ref>
After Boada retired from performing, he worked as a guest teacher at various schools, as well as répétiteur at the San Francisco Ballet and Boston Ballet. In 2019, he joined the Spanish National Dance Company as ballet master and choreographic assistant.<ref name=Depcariza>{{cite news|url=https://dance-teacher.com/joan-boada-kirov-academys-new-ballet-artistic-director-shares-how-he-prepares-students-for-professional-life/|title=Joan Boada, Kirov Academy's New Ballet Artistic Director, Shares How He Prepares Students for Professional Life|work=Dance Teacher|last=Deocariza|first=April|date=October 27, 2021}}</ref> After a two year stint,<ref name=BWW>{{cite news|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/boston/article/Boston-Ballet-Announces-Joan-Boada-as-New-Associate-Director-of-Boston-Ballet-II-20211213|title=Boston Ballet Announces Joan Boada as New Associate Director of Boston Ballet II|work=BroadwayWorld|last=Rabinowitz|first=Chloe|date=December 13, 2021}}</ref> he returned to the United States in 2021 to serve as the artistic director of the Reston, Virginia-based Conservatory Ballet.<ref name=Depcariza/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kirovacademydc.org/2021/08/30/kirov-academy-has-engaged-a-remarkable-ballet-dancer-as-the-new-artistic-director-mr-joan-boada/|title=Kirov Academy has engaged a remarkable ballet dancer as the new Artistic Director Mr. Joan Boada|work=Kirov Academy of Ballet|date=August 30, 2021}}</ref> In September that year, he was appointed the artistic director of the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C., amid leadership changes and an embezzlement scandal.<ref name=Depcariza/><ref name=Ritzel/> In November, Kirov announced to parents that it will close in May 2022 for financial reasons.<ref name=Ritzel>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/arts/dance/kirov-academy-ballet-school-closing.html|title=The Kirov Academy, a Leading Ballet School, to Close in May|work=New York Times|last=Ritzel|first=Rebecca J.|date=February 8, 2022}}</ref> In June 2022, Boada became the associate director of Boston Ballet II, Boston Ballet's second company.<ref name=BWW/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Boada, Joan}} Category:Living people Category:Dancers from Havana Category:Cuban male ballet dancers Category:San Francisco Ballet principal dancers Category:Cuban National Ballet dancers Category:Jeune Ballet de France dancers Category:Dancers of the Australian Ballet Category:Boston Ballet Category:Cuban expatriates in the United States Category:Cuban expatriates in France Category:Cuban expatriates in Spain Category:20th-century Cuban ballet dancers Category:21st-century ballet dancers Category:Year of birth missing (living people)