Marek Cholewa

Marek Cholewa, Professor of Dance, began his studies at the National School of Ballet in Poznan, Poland.  As a young dancer his talent was noted by his teachers during the early stages of his training and he received continued support by the Polish government throughout his tenure in Poland. He achieved the rank of a Soloist with the National Ballet of Poland and performed as a guest artist with the Polski Teatr Tanca-Balet Poznanski in Poznan, Poland. In 1978 he was sent by the Ministry of Culture in Poland, on full scholarship to study at the world renowned N. Rimsky-Korsakov Music State Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia.  While in Russia, he was able to refine and polish his ballet technique and learn classical repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre.  He obtained his master's degree from the N. Rimsky-Korsakov Music State Conservatory as a Choreographer/Répétiteur in 1982. That same year he was invited by Dame Margot Fonteyn to join the National Ballet of Panama where he was Associate Artistic Director/Master Teacher/ Choreographer. From 1983 to 1985 he served as the Dance Adviser for the Latin-American Dance Chapter to the INAC (Instituto Nacional de Cultura).  Although Mr. Cholewa left the Republic of Panama in 1988, he has preserved his special connection with the National Ballet of Panama, its dancers and the expansion of its cultural outreach. For 20 years (1990-2010), he has worked as a guest Artistic Director/Choreographer in Panama, Republic of Panama by staging, choreographing and directing many ballet productions such as; The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, La Vivandière, Esmeralda, Simfonia Simple, La Simfonia de una Vida, Sarabanda Sentimental.

As a professional choreographer Mr. Cholewa has been working on a commission basis since 1982, and his works have been shown throughout the United States, Central and South America, and Europe. Over the years Mr. Cholewa has been revered as an “on demand” choreographer. Among his many original works are ballet-oratorio The Messiah, Vivencias, Vocalisa, Nupsias, Adagietto, Firebird, Sarabanda Sentimental, Danzon, Dreaming with Open Eyes, At a Gathering, A Dialogue, Rhapsody, A Midsummer Night's Dream, White Happiness, The Other Self, A Path, Displacements, Travesì in Retro, Inception

His other well known contributions to the world of dance pertain to the staging of classical repertoire such as; Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Paquita, La Vivandière, Esmeralda, Le Corsaire.  Also to his credit he has choreographed the classical full-length ballets of La Fille Mal Gardée, Coppélia and The Nutcracker.

As a master teacher, Mr. Cholewa has taught for international dance programs in Denmark, Russia, Panama, Taiwan and Poland. In the United States he has taught for Boston Ballet Company, Boston Ballet’s summer dance programs, Indianapolis Ballet Theatre and a number of regional ballet schools and dance companies in St. Louis, MO, Chicago, IL, New Orleans, LA, Richmond, VA, and Fort Wayne, IN. In 1988, Mr. Cholewa began his teaching career in the United States when he joined the dance faculty at Butler University.  He has always tried to give the students and the university the wealth of his experiences and expose them to the cultures he has been associated with throughout his career. In 1995, he started international study/performance tours for Butler University’s Dance Department.  The first tour began with St. Petersburg, Russia, and since it has grown to include: Warsaw, Cracow, Poznan, Gdansk, Poland; Taipei, Taiwan; Tbilisi, Rep. of Georgia, Vienna, Salzburg, Austria, Bratislava, Slovak Rep., Prague, Czech Rep.  He has served as an Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Teacher for these international programs. These programs have allowed for cultural exchange and outreach while giving the chance for study outside of the university classroom.  Mr. Cholewa's areas of special expertise are the full Vaganova syllabus and XIXth century classical ballet repertory learned in St. Petersburg, Russia.  At present he holds the position of Full Professor at Butler University, and has the honor of being named a Fulbright Scholar for 2003.