ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | CHOREOGRAPHER

Born in El Paso, Tx and raised in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico- Valeria Y. Gonzalez is a dynamic and passionate dance artist, choreographer, educator, and producer. Valeria holds an MFA in Dance from NYU Tisch School ofthe arts, focusing on Performance and Pedagogy. Her thesis, "Regarding the Female Body, Sexuality, and Identity in Dance," continues to influence her work today, and after her Gender studies she continues to add, edit and continue the research. During her time at Tisch, she had the privilege of learning from esteemed professors and choreographers such as Phyllis Lamhut, Sean
Curran, Pam Pietro, Bobbi Jenne Smith, Rashaun Mitchell, Jeremy Nelson, Betsy Coker, Giada Matteini, and more. She also had the opportunity to dance in "HELPLESS PEOPLE" by MADBOOTS with the Second Avenue Dance Company. 

Before Tisch, her pre-professional journey began in Guadalajara in 2007 under the tutelage of Ballet Master Hector Hernandez, where she honed her Classical skills before earning a scholarship to Ballet Divertimento in 2009 in Montreal. It was in Montreal that Valeria discovered her passion for Dance Theater, a discovery that would profoundly shape her artistic vision. She performed works by Gioconda Barbuto (Nederlands Dans Theater), Eric Miles (BJM Danse), David Pressault (Toronto Dance Theater), Rayco-Cano
Cortes (Götenborg ballet) and more. In 2011, she moved to New York City to study at The Ailey School. Valeria is a dedicated lifelongmlearner, having participated in over 30 prestigious dance intensives worldwide. Most recently, the Atlas Biennial Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico, OBOC: Countertechnique, and GAGA.

In 2014, Valeria founded VALLETO, a contemporary and experimental dance company based inNew York. VALLETO is dedicated to challenging systems of oppression through thought-provoking contemporary dance theater works that explore universally relatable themes. Valeria also holds a Certificate in Graduate Women and Gender Studies from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Valeria has served as a Lecturer in Dance at both UTEP and El Paso Community College and has been a Guest Choreographer at UT Austin. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes community, safety, and unapologetic self-expression.

Before Tisch , she earned a BFA in Communications and TV production at NYIT which led her to land a job as an Associate Producer at NBCNY where she worked for 4 years. Fast forward to today- after five years of a nomadic lifestyle through El Paso, Guadalajara, Miami, and Austin, Valeria is thrilled to return to her true home, New York City.

"I worked closely with Valeria on her MFA thesis and she exhibited a real passion for feminist politics and bridging different disciplines and forms of research into her creative practice and choreographic vision. Through the soul-searching process she developed a clear voice as a Mexican American artist, speaking boldly to the female psyche and experience. She demonstrated a real ease with the working process of her pieces and produced a piece of enigmatic beauty and kinetic rigor. She has an innate feel for drama and risk. Her movements can be soft and vulnerable one moment and then explosive and ferocious the next moment. Her work contains a singular movement sensibility, a unique and timely point of view that needs to be heard. As a professional in the field, Valeria is a hard worker, and is able to juggle different aspect of her life as a dance artist in the city, while maintaining a peak level of physical and creative excellence." - Rashaun Mitchel (Cunningham Trustee, Guggenheim Fellow)

Creating dance is my way of surviving in a beautiful complex world. Dance is with me, in my body, my soul, and my mind, no matter what. My choreographic work embodies protest, love, feminininty, sexuality, fantasies, exploration of indentity, the intricacies of relationships, and the joy of feeling present with the art and with one self.  Music, film, and my love fantasies are my deepest inspiration, meeting new humans who speak up, expand my perspectives about the world. I grow with my dancers, I learn with my dancers.

I draw inspiration from my ancestors including the dance legends who made a world for us. I draw inspiration from dreams, my parents stories, the painful feeling of being away from them. I draw inspo from astrological sign, symbols, film, words, and the observation of both the outer and inner worlds. These elements shape my work, and it recognizes my voice as a Mexican-American multidisciplinary intersectional AFAB feminist dance artist. My work vividly reflects my memories of growing up in Juarez, Mexico. My work reflects my vulnerability, nostalgia, and the challenges of navigating diverse cultural landscapes as a woman with a strong accent. For me, dance is more than an art form—it is an act of liberation, a powerful medium through which I assert my sexuality and embrace unfiltered self-expression.

My creative process is fueled by a commitment to take actions on the things that truly matter to me, and create inclusive spaces. My hope is to amplify the voices of women, non-binary individuals, and other marginalized communities. I aspire to create work that transcends my personal narrative, revealing shared experiences of oppression, resilience, and desire. As a survivor of intimate partner violece, dance has become my sanctuary—a vessel for healing and advocacy, where I connect with others who share similar histories, and everything comes from me being a dance educator. I learn from the next generations

Through dance, I seek a deeper understanding of myself and others, allowing each creation to uncover new layers of meaning as it is witnessed by an audience. My process and choreography bridge the intimate and the universal, celebrating human expression and advocating for mental health awareness. 

more to come.....

In 2020, Valeria also founded VALLETO Heal, a holistic community platform for individuals from all walks of life. This platform offers embodied workshops, deep discussions, projects, and retreats led by Valeria and a diverse group of guest healers who share their knowledge and expertise in healing practices. VALLETO Heal holds various sessions and workshops focusing on healing practices such as movement, somatics, meditation, journaling, energy work, and more.

"Valeria’s curious and open minded. There is a quixotic and playful quality to her dancing that partners naturally with her focused and receptive nature in the studio. She is an inventive, hard working talent and is exactly the kind of artist that this medium needs to promote contemporary dance not only here in the US, but also in her native Mexico." - Shannon Gillen (VIM VIGOR)

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

As a Mexican American intersectional feminist educator and choreographer, my journey within the academic and artistic realms is deeply intertwined with my personal narrative. Guided by creating inclusive spaces, fostering self-expression, and celebrating autonomy, my teaching philosophy reflects my commitment to nurturing a safe, respectful, and accessible learning environment. In my dance studio, every individual is welcomed and valued. Drawing from my own experiences of feeling marginalized, I prioritize diversity, inclusion, vulnerability, open-mindedness, and respect. My goal is to ensure that each student feels a profound sense of belonging and empowerment. I emphasize the importance of presence, both physically and emotionally, encouraging my students to fully inhabit the moment. This approach not only enhances their artistic expression but also fosters a deep connection with themselves and their peers. By sharing my journey and embracing my identity as a female Mexican American educator, I aim to inspire resilience and confidence in my students, helping them to find and respect their unique voices. Inspired by my formative years, where I faced challenges due to cultural and language barriers, I am dedicated to making each student feel seen and heard. My teaching encourages students to honor their personal stories and the spaces we share, promoting an atmosphere of mutual respect and empathy. This environment nurtures the development of each dancer's unique voice, encouraging them to explore their creativity and personal narratives.

unpredictable bodies and Practicing Presence

In my technical classes, I delve into a rich tapestry of dance elements, including composition, improvisation, flexibility, strength, endurance, musicality, rituals, alignment, and artistry. Drawing inspiration from my teacher, Shannon Guillen, and her "learning by doing" ethos, I challenge dancers to push beyond their limits and embrace the safety of taking risks. This approach leads to synthesizing all the techniques I've absorbed over the years, culminating in a distinct style that is uniquely my own. I possess an intuitive ability to read the room, adapting to meet the immediate needs of my students. Yet, the essence of my teaching transcends mere physicality. I am deeply committed to nurturing self-expression, resilience, discipline, and reflection within my students. My classroom is a vibrant crucible of growth, where active participation, attentive listening, keen observation, and diligent practice converge, enriching students’ understanding and appreciation of dance not just as an art form but as a profound medium for personal discovery. I aspire to act as a beacon of change, urging students to traverse beyond conventional boundaries and explore the vast expanse of their capabilities. In cultivating a supportive and open-minded atmosphere, my goal is to unleash the creative essence inherent in each individual, enabling them to inject their distinct voices into the fabric of the dance community. At the heart of my teaching philosophy lies the conviction that dance is a potent catalyst for healing, connection, and inspiration, offering a path to both personal and communal emancipation. Through this lens, I view dance as a transformative force capable of elevating the human spirit and fostering a sense of unity and liberation among us all.

Valeria's classes take you on a physical and sensory journey to awaken the unconscious and emotional inner knowledge. Valeria cultivates a safe space for the students to have a deeper connection to the movement practices. Her workshops also focus on exploring partnering dynamics, undoing old movement habits, and unveiling the psyche through a variety of contemporary dance methodologies, improvisation, and acting methods. 

VALLETO CHOREOGRAPHIC / CREATIVE PROCESS

Valeria’s choreographic process excavates deep emotional states and memories through movement research, shapes, geometry, voice, the outer and inner world, sound, curiosity and collaborative exploration. She safely invites her dancers to be vulnerable and allows them to unveil the many layers that our collective consciousness hides.
Valeria is interested in creating work that comes from the HEART and that is real to all the people involved. Her process allows the dancers to tap into themselves in every way, discovering the creature we all hold within, unmasking ourselves to find our true expression.  

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"Valeria pushed me to places emotionally and physically that I normally shy away from, but in the most honest and safe way where I felt entirely supported by everyone in the studio. She created a safe space from day one, and set the tone of honesty to all of us having a deeper connection and conversation every day. Her movement practices feed on the energy of the room, riding the impulse of where to push us next. Nothing she did was predictable and I love that. Instead of feeling like her (or any of the teachers) were "at the front of the room" I felt like we were on a journey together, growing together, and sharing ideas."

Intensive Participant

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