leila parello, Neighbor

LEILA PARELLO has taught ballet since 1972. She holds a Life-time California Community College Teaching Credential in Dance, as well as a B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy, and a Preliminary Single Subject Credential in English. Leila is an Adjunct Professor of philosophy at Grossmont College, where she teaches Critical Thinking, Human Beings & Aesthetic Value. At The Design Institute of San Diego, she teaches Introduction to Philosophy and Values. Leila won the Excellence in Teaching Award on May 10th, 2012 from Grossmont College’s philosophy department. Leila’s ballet training began in Brazil when she was 5 years old. She was trained by Dimitri Romanoff of America Ballet Theater and studied at San Jose Ballet School (Dimitri and Francesca Romanoff), San Francisco Ballet School, Academy of Ballet San Francisco, Youskevitch Ballet School, American Ballet Theater School, and Ballet Arts at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She danced with San Francisco Ballet Company, San Francisco Opera Ballet, Berkeley Ballet Theater, San Jose Dance Theater, and Young Audiences of San Jose, CA. As principal dancer, Leila performed leading roles in such ballets as The Nutcracker, Pas de Quatre, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Raymonda, Les Sylphides, and performed in operas, such as Aida, Carmina Burana, Eugene Onegin, Turandot, Faust, Carmen, Les Troyens, La Traviata, Romeo and Juliet, Don Giovanni, A Masked Ball and others. Leila started the School of Ballet Arts in San Jose, CA, where she choreographed major productions such as The Nutcracker, Coppelia Act I, and other original works. She held the position of assistant to the director of the San Francisco Ballet School. After moving to southern California, Leila reopened her school, where she choreographed new productions, such as, Beauty and the Beast, La Boutique Fantasque, Winter Dream, Coppelia Act I, Scenes from Sleeping Beauty, Chopiniana, and Carmen. Leila has taught ballet at major institutions, such as, San Jose City College, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet (artistic director), USIU (now Alliant University), California Ballet School, and Grossmont-Cuyamaca Continuing Education Program.