Born in Mexico, Luisa moved to New York at the age of 8 and continued her dance training--which had begun when she was 3--at the School of American Ballet. That same year she began singing lessons under Emilia del Terzo at Carnegie Hall. At the age of 10 she moved to Paris, where she continued on her dual track: dance at the Paris Opera Ballet School and the Compagnie Ballet Stanlowa, and music at the Salle Pleyel.

     Back in Mexico City at age 12, Luisa won the Gold Medal in the National Ballet Contest for three years in a row (1995-1997). Many people might have been content to rest on laurels like those. But Luisa also sang as a soloist with the Young Symphony Orchestra, produced a CD on which she sang some of her favorite opera arias, worked on a television program promoting arts for children, spent summers in Cannes under the tutelage of Rosella Hightower, and wrote a book, La Danse au Méxique. In 1998, at the invitation of the legendary ballet teacher Claude Bessy, she moved back to Paris to attend the Paris Opera Ballet School. Two years later she became the only Mexican graduate in the school's history. She also won a prize from Danza and Danza in Palermo, Italy, for Emerging Ballerina.   Read more.

     The company will be returning to the Kennedy Center in January for a brief engagement of Romeo and Juliet; Irina Golub, second soloist and proud Gaynor Minden wearer will be performing the lead role of Juliet for two performances.

     Mara excelled at international ballet competitions, winning the Gold Medal, La Coupe de la Ville, and the Grand Prix at the International Classical Dance Competition in Biarritz, France (2002), first place at the 12th Annual International Classical Dance Competition in Italy (2002), a Gold Medal in the junior category and the overall Grand Prix at the International Classical Dance Competition in Mexico (2003). She was named one of the Top 12 Finalists at the Youth American Grand Prix (2003), which earned her a scholarship at the Kirov Academy in Washington, D.C.

Read more.

Do you know a remarkable dancer? Please tell us. “In The Wings” is a regular feature of Gaynor Minden’s dancer.COMMENT in which we profile an extraordinary dancer, nominated by our readers, who wears Gaynor Minden pointe shoes and who is not (yet!) a star. Perhaps it’s a student who has been recognized with an award, a scholarship, an acceptance to a terrific school or program. Or maybe it’s someone whose passion for dance is so strong that she has had to overcome an obstacle in order to pursue it. Or possibly it’s a gifted teacher whose talent and generosity have enabled the next generation to soar.

     So, in an Ebeneezer Scrooge-like frame of mind, I went to see it again last weekend. And like Scrooge, I ended up beaming, and full of Christmas joy. The Nutcracker had worked its magic once again—but it wasn’t just the dancing.

     The production, in a real theater complete with growing Christmas tree, adorable angels, hilarious mice, sparkling snowflakes, and all the trimmings was by the Connecticut Dance School. Thirty-five years ago that school was a handful of girls in my mother’s basement. Last weekend it engaged an entire community.

     Parents had made costumes and some were in the party scene; they had supervised backstage and managed their children's demanding rehearsal schedule, and now they were cheering in the audience. The dancers were radiant. Their solid training made nerves fade away, and their joy and pride in their dancing was apparent to all.

I surrendered.

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Photographs: Alina Cojocaru by Johan Persson; Mara Thompson De La Rosa by Marcelo Cervantes Mejia; Luisa Diaz Gonzalez by William Dupont; Tatiana Tkachenko by Costas; Eliza Minden by Sardi Klein.