Artistic Director

 

Călin Rădulescu is originally from Bucharest, Romania. His passion for the arts started at age five when he was admitted into the George Enescu School of Fine Arts, studying piano. When Călin turned ten, he enrolled in the ballet program, beginning training with his mother, Elena Radulescu. Over the next nine years, he studied under several teachers to acquire excellent technique and knowledge of the performing art. During high school, he became part of

"Ensemble Dor," with which he toured the U.S.A., France and Italy. At the same time, he became an apprentice with the Romanian National Ballet. Upon graduation, he joined the company and was raised to principal dancer two years later. He toured with the company worldwide, performing in Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, Bulgaria and Luxembourg. In 1998, Călin traveled to Germany, dancing for the Kaiserslautern Pfaltz-Theater. In 1999, he joined Cincinnati Ballet. In 2001, he accepted a position with Tulsa Ballet, and in 2002, he called Grand Rapids his home. There, he began dancing and teaching for Grand Rapids Ballet, completing ten years of a professional career. During this time, he performed soloist and principal roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, La Fille Mal

Gardée, Don Quixoté, Les Sylphides, Le Corsaire, Carmen, Paquita, Romeo and Juliet, Coppélia, Belling the Slayer, Scheherazade, and Gift of the Magi.

In 2004, Călin had the pleasure of becoming an Affiliate Professor of Dance and Ballet Master at Grand Valley State University, where he commenced his career as a choreographer and has created a few successful ballets, such as: "Carmen," "Tango Ballet," "The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night," "Later On," and "Reflection." During his tenure at GVSU, he became the

founder and Associate Artistic Director for the Great Lakes Youth Ballet Company, choreographing full-length classical ballets like "The Nutcracker" and "Coppélia."  Călin also taught at numerous schools and summer intensive programs during this period.  After fifteen years in the United States, he returned to his home country of Romania to work again for the Romanian National Ballet as the Assistant Artistic Director and Principal Ballet

Master under Johan Kobborg. He also returned to dancing and performed the role of "Vronsky" in the ballet "Anna Karenina" by Ion Tugearu, "Rhapsody" by Sir F. Ashton, "Espada" from "Don Quixote," "Birbanto" in "Le Corsaire," "Gurn" in "La Sylphide," "Widow Simon" from "La Fille Mal Gardée" by Sir F. Ashton, and "The husband" in the ballet "Women" by Gheorghe Iancu.  He also had the chance to work firsthand with Alina Cojocaru, Ethan Stiefel, Xander Perish, and

Osiel Gouneo, among others.

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In 2016, Călin returned to the U.S.A., accepting the position of Interim Artistic Director with Southold Dance Theater. The same year, he was part of the "Fall For Dance Festival" at the New York City Center, where he had the opportunity to appear in the ballet "Marguerite and Armand" and guest teach for the Sarasota Ballet.

 

Under Călin's artistic leadership, Southold Dance Theater secured the honor of being named the "2017 Outstanding School of the Year" award and the "2022 Outstanding Teacher Award" at the internationally renowned competition "Youth America Grand Prix." In 2022, under his training, Southold was represented at the world-renowned competition "Prix De Lausanne" in Switzerland, where his student advanced to the final round. Many of his students are accepted with scholarships into internationally renowned Summer Intensives and year-round programs, while some graduates continue dancing in college and

professional ballet companies.

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Today, alongside his family, Calin is happy to call South Bend his home.