New Year's
Training Camp

While They Rest, You Train and Audition for Summer Programs and Scholarships

3 Days.
27 Hours of Exceptional Training.
8 Stellar Faculty.
1 Transformative Experience.

A rigorous and holistic intensive to accelerate training, inspire and motivate greater individual effort, and prepare students for successful auditions, intensives, performances, and competitions in the new year ahead.

Frequently called a ‘breath of fresh air’ by students, parents, teachers, and directors alike, every one of Francisco Gella’s programs deliver on a central commitment: To transform hardworking young adults into remarkable young artists regardless of body type or background, and instilling a belief in them that anything is possible with hard work, a sense of purpose, and a willingness to take risks.

Enrollment

New Year's Training Camp offers different options for enrollment outlined below. We offer 50% deposits up to 30 days before the program begins so that you may hold your space in the program. The remaining amount is due by December 5th. Please note that deposits will require an additional fee of $9.95 for processing the payments.

The Joan Myers Brown
Equity Dance Scholarship Fund

A limited amount of scholarships are available for especially deserving dancers. Scholarships will be allocated according to the combined consideration of both merit and financial need. Decisions on scholarships will be made a few weeks after each deadline. Since a limited amount of scholarship awards will be offered, it is better to apply by the early deadline. Please click below to learn more about this opportunity and to apply.

About New Year’s Training Camp

2024 Schedule

To help you prepare for the experience, here is a downloadable PDF of last year’s (2023) schedule as an example of what you can expect this year until we update the schedule closer to the program launch.

Class Size

We will have three different studio classrooms. Classes will be limited to up to 50 dancers per age group depending on enrollment.

Teaching Artists & Mentors

Francisco Gella’s distinguished thirty-year career as a compelling dancer, award-winning choreographer, and widely recognized dance educator, began when he took his first formal dance class during his freshman year at the age of nineteen. His innovative choreography and highly effective teaching methods are sought after by professional companies, universities, arts high schools, ballet conservatories, and studios across North America and around the globe.

In addition to a successful performance and choreographic career, Francisco is a renowned educator, artistic director, and arts entrepreneur. He is the founding co-artistic director of Zeitgeist Dance Theatre launched in January of 2020. He is also the founding artistic director of NUEVO School of Contemporary Dance and COLABO Youth Dance Collective (2008-2015). As Chief Creative Officer of Francisco Gella Dance Works, he has created numerous influential educational programs; Ballet+ (beyond technique) workshops, the Preprofessional Dancer Institute, New Year’s Training Camp, Seattle Dance Advance, the New Century Dance Project (a festival for choreography and performance) and the College Dance and Career Prep program. Additionally, Francisco is the lead ballet and modern faculty member, and adjudicator for the 24 Seven Dance Convention.

Julie Friedrich’s distinguished career as a professional dancer, mentor, and dance educator in the areas of ballet and contemporary dance spans more than 20 years. Julie received her primary dance education from Meredith Baylis of the Joffrey Ballet School and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Upon graduation, Julie joined the American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Septime Webre; and then went onto join Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. Discovering her passion for contemporary dance during her time with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, she made the move to Europe where she danced professionally for five years. In Europe she had the opportunity to dance with Compagnia Zappala Danza and Teatro di Bari.

Currently, Julie serves on the performing arts faculty at the Windward School in Culver City, where she teaches, directs, and curates the dance program. Along with her full time work at Windward, she serves as the ballet director for Danceology, and as guest ballet faculty at Westside Dance Project. Since 2012 she has been an integral part of the artistic team at Francisco Gella Dance Works. In 2019, Julie was named the artistic associate of career and college programs for all of FGDW. In 2016 Francisco and Julie created the Pre Professional Dancers Institute, a five day program they direct, serving the highest level of young artists in the nation. Julie continues her work mentoring students in preparation for their entrance into the collegiate world through her College Preparatory Program that has developed into a nationwide program serving students and families. In 2013, through the Young Arts Foundation, President Obama and the White House named Julie one of the most influential arts teachers in the country for her mentorship of young dancers.

Wilson Mendieta is an Assistant Professor in Dance at Chapman University, where he has choreographed for Chapman Celebrates and the Dance Faculty concert. Prior to his arrival to Southern California, Wilson served as the Director of the Musical Theater Program at the University of Washington in Seattle (2013 – 2017), where he also earned an M.F.A. degree in Dance and a Nonprofit Management Certificate from the Evans School of Public Affairs. His creative credits at the University of Washington includes directing a production of Pippin and Sweet Charity for the Musical Theater Program. He also earned a B.F.A. degree in Acting with a minor in Dance from Montclair State University.

Wilson’s other credits include being the recipient of a grant to conduct research on musical theatre production and training methodologies in Latin America. He also is the co-author of a new book about the collaborative nature of dance production to be released in the Fall of 2022.

Steven Sofia is presently teaching at Chapman University and CSULB after serving three years an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington for the Musical Theater Program. Steven is an Educator, Broadway performer, dance captain, choreographer and Pilates master trainer. His Broadway and National tours credits include: Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Chicago, Kiss Me Kate, Beauty and The Beast, Guys and Dolls (‘92 revival), Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story, An evening with Betty Buckley at Carnegie Hall and Applause at City Center’s Encores. He danced with The American Dance Machine where he worked with such choreographers as Ron Field, Agnes DeMille, Buzz Miller and Gwen Verdon, to name a few.

He has been an assistant to Broadway choreographers Tony Stevens and Chris Chadman. Steven choreographed the National Tour of Chicago for Troika, a number for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Andy Williams, productions of Pippin and Anything Goes at the UW, a production for the Wings Theater, and directed and choreographed Pippin for NYU’s Cap21. Steven has been on the dance faculty with NYU, Cap21, SUNY Purchase, Marymount College, Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway. Steven is co-owner of Synergetic Movement and certification program for Pilates, Reki and Yoga.

Sharmila Mitra is one of Southern California’s most distinguished Pilates instructors. As an instructor, teacher-trainer, and entrepreneur, she has over 20+ years of progressive Pilates experience. In 1999, she apprenticed with the late master teacher Romana Kryzanowska, a protégé of Joseph Pilates, consequently earning her a certification under Kryzanowska’s tutelage. Sharmila’s 25+ years of dance experience as a performer, choreographer, and adjudicator, in essence, was the precursor for her passion in examining the convergence of technical and artistic human movement.

Zak Ryan Schlegel is a performer with Shen Wei, educator at The Joffrey Ballet School, founding curator of cross-genre salon CONGRESS, and co-artistic director of AXIOM Dance Theatre. His work has been presented from The Juilliard School in NYC to Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA and is a three-time Outstanding Choreographer of the Youth America Grand Prix. He is the official recipient of the New Century Dance Project 2022 Choreography Award Grand Prize Honor, his film “In Beauty It Is Unfinished” is an official selection of The Athens International Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, and recently won the Knight Foundation award at the Miami Film Festival. The New York Times calls him “a star” & Wall Street Journal “eye-catching & effortless”. His extensive research of Eastern and Western movement traditions adjacent to the philosophical tenets of observation, logic and mathematics largely inform his presence of being, technical vocabulary, arresting language and physical study of identity. Query is his primary motivation of understanding—where mortal repetition and shifting layers define performance as a series of cascading epiphanies.

Fiona Lummis was a dancer for twenty years with Netherlands Dance Theater (1981-2001). Fiona created roles in 15 of Jiří Kylián’s ballets, and in numerous works by Hans Van Manen, Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin and Mats Ek among others. She danced featured roles in the repertoire of William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins, Lar Lubovitch and Glen Tetley. She graduated from the Elmhurst School of Dance and The Rambert School in England, and also has a comprehensive Pilates teaching certificate from B.A.S.I. (Body Arts and ScienceInternational). In 1992 she received the Gouden Theaterdans Prijs for her performances in William Forsythe’s “Steptext” and in 2000 was awarded the “Oeuvre Prize” in recognition of her career in The Netherlands.

Fiona can be seen on many of the Arthaus films of Kylián’s ballets, including the “Black and White Ballets” and “Kaguyahime.” She is also featured in 8 recordings of Hans Van Manen’s ballets in his “Master of Movement” DVD collection, and is recognized as one of his Muses. Fiona works closely with the Kylián and Van Manen foundations, teaching their repertoire in colleges, schools, and companies in the US and Europe.

Juliette Martinez, a San Diego native, discovered her passion for dance at the age of two. She honed her skills through training with Tessandra Chavez and Kevin Frey at a local studio, and later received the majority of her training in Contemporary, Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, Tap, and Hip-Hop Choreography during her competitive training at Evoke Dance Movement and Mather Dance Company. Graduating with honors from Orange County School of the Arts in the Commercial Dance Conservatory in 2018, she performed in principal roles of George Balanchine’s Apollo and Serenade, and established a lasting relationship with Young Arts as a Winner in 2017. Throughout her high school years, she toured the country as an assistant for several renowned dance conventions and esteemed choreographers. Juliette constantly pursued training opportunities of the highest caliber. She had the opportunity to train with the Joffrey Ballet School, as well as numerous programs produced by Francisco Gella Dance Works.

Upon moving to Los Angeles to attend UCLA, she continued to work professionally, both nationally and internationally, with credits including So You Think You Can Dance, the YouTube Streamy Awards, LA Opera: La Traviata, Generation (HBO Max), and live performances with notable artists. Juliette has worked as a model for brands including Uniqlo, Away Travel, and Vogue Italia. Most recently, Juliette has partnered with Nike as a brand ambassador at Coachella 2024 and is working as a performer at Legoland California.

Anastasia Miller, originally from Houston, Texas, now resides in Los Angeles as a freelance dancer and choreographer. She is a recent graduate of the University of Arizona, where she earned her BFA in Dance and BA in Biochemistry. During her time at university, she trained extensively in a diverse range of dance styles, including tap, jazz, ballet, ballroom, modern, contemporary, and hip hop. Throughout her university years, she had the privilege of performing works by renowned choreographers such as Juel D. Lane, Lauren Edson, Tamara Dyke-Compton, Yusha Marie Sorzano, Jess Hendricks, Thang Dao, Sam Watson, Francisco Gella, and many others.

In her professional career, she has been a part of Zeitgeist Dance Theatre, Whirlwind Dance Company, DXX Tap Company, and The Klein Collective. She has also appeared in Social Fatigue's "Paris" music video and participated in concept videos choreographed by Luam Keflezgy, Aaron Czuprenski, Wade Robson, and Jaci Royal. Additionally, she has traveled the country as a dance assistant, working with esteemed industry names such as Francisco Gella, Jess Hendricks, Yusha Marie Sorzano, Madi Hicks, Joshua Manculich, Kayla Kalbfleisch, and Lenorris Arnold.

More faculty to be announced soon…

Program Location

NYTC will be held on the beautiful CalArts campus. 

ABOUT CALARTS

Founded in 1961 by Walt Disney and his brother Roy, CalArts offers comprehensive degree programs across the full range of the visual, performing, media, and literary arts through its six schools. Admission is decided primarily on artistic merit and creative promise. 

As one of the six academic schools at Cal Arts, The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance educates the dance artist of the future—agile, intelligent, innovative, and in command of an expanded skillset to meet the complex demands of a 21st-century professional dance career.

The department's dance studios measure 36x50 feet each. Each of the rooms are bright, open spaces with high ceilings, large windows, and clerestories.  The three spaces have state-of-the-art L’Air sprung floors covered in seamless Lonstage.

CalArts is located at:
24700 McBean Pkwy. 

Valencia, CA 91355-2340

Lodging

About Los Angeles, California

New Years Training Camp Enrollment

Feel free to contact us in the chatbox below or contact us if you have any questions.

Cancellation & Refund Policy

No full refunds will be issued for registered participants. A 50% refund will be issued with cancellations made up to sixty days prior to the start of the program. An exception will be made for documented medical or health reasons due to an unforeseen injury or illness. For dancers with an injury or illness, 100% of the tuition will be refunded up to thirty days prior to the start of the program. If the illness or injury reported to the program director is under 30 days, a 50% refund will be issued no more than five business days after the completion of the program and the other 50% may be used as a credit for another program in the next twelve months that is produced and owned by Francisco Gella Dance Works. In the case of any injury or illness, a documented note or letter from a licensed physician on their letterhead must be submitted before a refund will be considered.

Feel free to contact us in the chatbox below or contact us if you have any questions.