By Cindy Christy Fertsch
Ionut Zaharia is the Ballet Master and a principal dancer at the Atlantic City Ballet. Born in Romania, Ionut tried a wide variety of activities as a young child. But it was when he first began dancing at the age of seven, he knew he had found his calling. He has been dancing ever since. By the age of nine, Ionut was invited to audition for the professional dance academy. Ionut was selected amongst hundreds, a prestigious honor for any dancer.
The training needed to become a professional ballet dancer is extremely demanding. It takes years to perfect the necessary techniques. Ionut did so and then went on to earn a degree from the School of Choreography “Floria Capsali” in Bucharest Romania. Following graduation, Ionut was hired as a Company member at Atlantic City Ballet where he has remained for 11 years.
During his years with the Atlantic City Ballet, he worked with the Artistic Director in creating new and inspiring works. “I have been privileged to work on original ballets such as Caught Up In The Swing, Dracula, Ballet Goes Broadway, Carmen, and Romeo and Juliet,” said Ionut “The choreography of these ballets were the creation of our Artistic Director, Phyllis Papa. When she creates an original ballet she creates the choreography for a specific dancer. It is an honor to be selected as the dancer with whom she will work with to create this new role in each ballet.”
As Ballet Master, Ionut’s responsibilities include overseeing company class, running rehearsals, mentoring new dancers and setting new choreography for the company.
When Ionut is not in the studio rehearsing, he is teaching classes in collaboration with the following studios: Atlantic City Ballet Academy, Dance Factory, Rising Stars, Dance Forum South and Downtown Dance Academy in order to pass on the art to children studying ballet. Ionut resides in Egg Harbor City and enjoys cooking in his spare time.
Although all performances are currently suspended due to the pandemic, you can learn more about the Atlantic City Ballet at www.acballet.org
