Monday Spotlight: René Daveluy of Central West Ballet | Modesto Bee

In Monday Spotlight, we share information about and highlight members of the regional arts and entertainment community

This week, we spotlight an artist and director who has made a mark on the region's classical dance scene.

Name: René Daveluy

Home base: Modesto. Originally from Montreal, Canada.

What you do: Artistic director of Central West Ballet, a classically based dance company in Modesto.

How you knew: I was born into a family of musicians. My mother, Marie Daveluy, was a opera singer (soprano coloratura) in Austria and Germany and is one of Canada’s foremost singing master teachers. I discovered the art of dance at 14 years old by joining a local ballet jazz group. Once I entered a dance studio, I found myself, never looked back and went on to have a rewarding dance career.

Go ahead, brag: Danced professionally for 20 years in both Canada and the USA. Senior soloist with Ballet West in Salt Lake City from 1995 to 2004. Performed many lead roles in full-length and contemporary ballets by master choreographers. Was mentored by illustrious names in the world of dance such as Frank Augustyn, Violette Verdy and John Hart CBE. I have led Central West Ballet with Leslie Ann Larson as ballet master since 2004. I was a recipient of the California Stanislaus Arts Council Award for Excellence in Dance (2006); winner of a prize for outstanding choreography, Youth America Grand Prix (2004); recipient of a prize from Du Maurier Arts in Montreal for my original one-man show “Daveluy Danse Brel” (1992).

Check you out: The annual Central West Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” opens Friday, Dec. 11, and will run through Dec. 20 at the Gallo Center for the Arts in downtown Modesto.

Online: www.centralwestballet.org