Graciela Acedo began her dance training in Caracas, Venezuela. She earned scholarships, from the Venezuelan government to study at the Boston Ballet, and from Harkeness Ballet to be part of the youth company working with Eleanor D’Antuono. In 2005 she was honored with a grant award from University of San Francisco to study pedagogy in Cuba.

Her professional career started in Venezuela at the Ballet Teresa Carreño, where Acedo performed the classical repertoire, sharing the stage with prestigious ballet dancers such, Rudolf Nureyev, Fernando Bujones and Julio Boca. In 1982 she joined Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas, a contemporary ballet company where she become a principal dancer and worked with choreographers such as Judith Jamison, Ulises Dove, John Butler, Gustavo Mallajoli, Elisa Monte, Paulo Denubila, Dennis Nahat, Choo San Goh, and Donald Mackayle among others.

Throughout her career as professional Ballet Dancer, she performed at prestigious theaters around the world --Europe Asia, North and South America and the Caribean. In the United States Graciela performed with Boston Ballet, Oakland Ballet and has been a guest artist with the Margaret Wingrove Dance Company, Pacific Dance Theater of San Francisco, Western Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theater, and Princeton Ballet among others.

Her vast teaching experience includes Oakland Ballet, University of Nebraska, Diablo Ballet, Shawl Anderson, Pacific Dance Theater of San Francisco (Assistant director to the summer programs), Pacific Ballet, Teen Dance Company, Ballet San Jose, and Marin Ballet, San Francisco Dance Center among others.  Ms. Acedo was Associate Director of Western Ballet from 1998 to 2003 and she has guest taught at America’s Ballet in FL, in Venezuela and in Costa Rica. Currently Graciela teaches at University of San Francisco, Berkeley Ballet, Ayako Ballet School, Diablo Ballet pre-professional program, San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA) and Dance Attack. She has been a judge of important ballet competitions.

Graciela is excited to be part of Napoles Ballet and work with the company’s talented dancers.

BALLET MISTRESS

GRACIELA  ACEDO

Photograph by Rob Kunkle