Carlos Carvajal

Carlos Carvajal
(2004 resume)

Carlos Carvajal is an internationally known choreographer of more than 200 works for ballet, opera, and television. A native San Franciscan, Carvajal is a sixth-generation theatrical artist, of Spanish-Filipino-Swedish descent.

He began his dance career with the Christensens at San Francisco Ballet, then travelled to Europe. He danced with the International Ballet of the Marquis de Cuevas as a soloist, then became a principal dancer and choreographer with Theater der Frien Hansastadt Bremen,Grand Theatre de Bordeaux, and Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas.

During his career in Europe, he choreographed over 78 works for ballet, opera, and the television show of Aldemaro Romero.

After ten years abroad, Carvajal returned to the San Francisco Ballet as Ballet Master and Associate Choreographer to Lew Christensen and created eighteen ballets.

In 1970 he founded and directed San Francisco Dance Spectrum. Carvajal and his company were recognized leaders in the dance renaissance of the '70s, choreographing over 50 works during its existence.

In 1981 he received the first San Francisco Art Commission Award of Honor for Outstanding Work in Choreography and Dance, and in 1986 he received the Isadora Duncan Award for a lifetime of significant work. Carvajal received the Critics Circle Award in 1990.

Currently Carvajal continues as Director of Dance for the San Francisco Girls Chorus and Opera Apprentice Workshop, as well as a teaching and movement coach. While he continues to create new works as a guest choreographer, Carvajal accepted the appointment as Artistic Director of Peninsula Ballet Theater (PBT) in April of 1995. Carvajal choreographed and directed a new full-length Nutcracker production for PBT in December 1994, and Peter and the Wolf in May 1995. He restaged some of his favorite works for PBT in Spectrum of the Dance in February of 1996, and closed the 1996 season with a revival of his acclaimed Crystal Slipper (Cinderella). In 1997 he revived his production of Carmina Burana.