ARTISTIC STAFF

 

Paula Nuñez


FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Paula Nuñez is on the dance faculty at the University of South Florida and the founder and Artistic Director of the Tampa City Ballet. Nuñez is a former principal company member of the International Ballet of Caracas, Ballet Nuevo Mundo, and the Cleveland Ballet, San Jose. In 1992, Nuñez co-founded the well-known “Fundación Ballet de las Americas” now in residence at the Teresa Carreno Cultural Performing Arts Center in Caracas, Venezuela.  

 Ms. Nuñez founded Tampa City Ballet School in 2002 and established the Tampa City Ballet, a contemporary, interdisciplinary, cutting-edge professional company with a focus on community connection. She has directed and choreographed numerous commissions, short films, and collaborations with various international and local organizations. Her works bring artistic investigation, quality experimental programs performed in a variety of spaces in unconventional settings outside the theater walls.  

 In 2012 Nuñez launched a community engagement initiative, “On Your Feet”. This program offers scholarships and high-quality dance education in collaboration with well-known organizations such as the University Area Community Development and Prodigy, their research-based prevention and diversion program for youth.

 Since 2022 she is part of the contemporary collective art space at the Historic Ybor City Kress Building in the new Gas Worx District. Nuñez’ mission is to create a collaborative model that integrates intergenerational and intercultural productions, demonstrating the alchemy that occurs between disciplines, creators, and performers. 

 She has made a significant impact on the cultural landscape of Tampa Bay. Nuñez received numerous awards for her teaching, choreography, and contributions to the arts and was nominated for the prestigious City of Tampa’s Hispanic Heritage Award. Her dedication to fostering innovation and community engagement through dance has been contributing to the social and cultural life in Florida. Her work cultivates the power of the dance arts to heal.