He has received recognition for his contributions to the Southwest Virginia Ballet over the past 15 years and has been instrumental in its exponential membership growth.
ROANOKE, VA, February 14, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Pedro G. Szalay has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Szalay is a well-known local dancer and artistic director who has been influencing art throughout his community for decades. Affiliated with the Southwest Virginia Ballet (SVB) since 2006, he has received regional, national and international recognition for his contributions over the past 15 years and has been instrumental in its exponential membership growth. Mr. Szalay has also been a resident artist of the Dr. Robert L.A. Keeley Healing Arts Program at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, since 2015, and has been the founder of Dance Español since 2012.
Since joining SVB, Mr. Szalay created his first original full-length ballet, "TIES," in 2008, as well as several full-length productions, including "Cinderella," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Metamorphosis: Movement through Time." He also created several original works alongside some incredible choreographers.
An expert in ballet, character dance and mind dance, Mr. Szalay began his career as a company dancer for the National Ballet of Caracas, where he previously studied. He later traveled to the United States, where he performed with the New York Dance Theatre in New York City before becoming a company dancer and teaching artist at the Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia, between 1996 and 2006. While with the Richmond Ballet, Mr. Szalay was notably involved with the Minds in Motion program, which he later brought to Martinsville and Roanoke. Among other roles, Mr. Szalay was a coach and choreographer for the several Richmond dance schools; a guest teacher in several South Carolina and Pennsylvania schools, the Virginial School of Art, and Washington and Lee University; an artistic advisor for the Chesterfield Ballet School; and a dance teacher at the Dance Centre of Southwest Virginia.
Through his local community, Mr. Szalay is a board member of the Thursday Morning Music Club. Some of his other commitments include chairing the Roanoke City Public School Education Foundation, Inc., and serving as a member of the International Dance Council. As a parishioner of Our Lady of Nazareth Church, Mr. Szalay enjoys giving back by volunteering his time with its various initiatives.
Mr. Szalay fell in love with dance as a child growing up in Venezuela. He took dance lessons at a local school and later received a scholarship to attend the Ballet Nacional of Caracas. He was also fortunate to receive training from Vladimir Isayey and several other international dancing instructors. Mr. Szalay has held a Bachelor of Science from the Colegio San Vicente de Paul since 1990.
As a testament to his success, Mr. Szalay received the 2009 Perry F. Kendig Award for Outstanding Performing Artist. He then received First Place in Classical from the Southwest Virginia Ballet and Best Local Celebrity for Charity Events from The Roanoker Magazine in 2010, and a Bransow Award in recognition of exceptional dedication and service to the Virginia museum community in 2017.
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