Choreographer David Fernandez first came to the United States when he was given a scholarship to dance in Chicago. He had no idea he would one day choreograph for the New York City Ballet, Ask La Cour, Misty Copeland and many more. The next step in his career is teaching in Kenya.
Fernandez grew up in Mexico City, studying classical ballet at the Centro de Arte y Ballet. He then got a scholarship for the Giordano Jazz Dance in Chicago, and he moved to America. Dance got him to America, where he had opportunities that led his career to the success it is today.
“Dance was my key to the world,” Fernandez said.
In recent years, Fernandez has focused on giving back to the dance community by teaching. Locally, he has been teaching at Westport’s Academy of Dance for 18 years, has choreographed for Bedford Acting Group and famously plays the role of Drosselmeyer in the Westport’s Academy of Dance’s production of “The Nutcracker.”
“He made every rehearsal exciting and fun,” Caitlin Hand ’28, a member of Bedford Acting Group and Westport’s Academy of Dance, said.
In addition to all this, Fernandez has been working with Kenya Ghetto Classics, where he is the Ballet Master and Resident Choreographer. Ghetto Classics is an arts program in the outskirts of Nairobi in Kenya. The goal of this program is to give the native children opportunities through art or dance. The dance program has 24 students ages 6-18. The students study African Dance, Hip Hop and classical ballet.
I can, through dance, give them the key to the world.
— Choreographer David Fernandez
“There are some truly talented dancers over there,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez is going to Kenya in April. His goals are to build them a dance floor, make social media content on their talent and improve their classical ballet technique. The dance floor was donated, and Fernandez will be doing the construction to install the proper flooring in the studios. He has a large social media platform that he can use to bring awareness and support for the African company while teaching ballet classes.
“[I want to] teach them the universal language of ballet,” Fernandez said.
For the past couple years, Fernandez has been raising money for Ghetto Classics through dance fundraisers, a go-fund-me page, social media and his connections to large companies such as Alvin Ailey, National Ballet of Canada, LA Dance Project and more. His goal is to get at least one student a scholarship to a company through social media or his connections, and give them the opportunities he got through dance. He wants to do what his dance teacher did for him when he was younger.
“I can, through dance,” Fernandez said, “give them the key to the world.”
