Dalia Rawson

Executive Artistic director

Dalia Rawson is the Director, Founder and primary choreographer of New Ballet. From 1991 to 2006, Dalia Rawson performed a wide variety of leading roles as a dancer with Ballet San Jose. She began teaching at BSJ School in 2000, was named Ballet Mistress in 2007, Principal in 2012, and Director in 2014.

In 2013 Rawson was awarded a Fellowship from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet. An ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 of the ABT National Training Curriculum, Rawson is also a member of the ABT Artistic Board of Examiners.

In 2016, Rawson’s production of The San Jose Nutcracker premiered to sold out houses and critical acclaim. About the work, Tad Malone of The San Jose Metro said, “Ultimately, this show’s captivating success comes down to the meticulous and inspired vision of New Ballet’s executive director and choreographer, Dalia Rawson. The routines were intricate, graceful - oftentimes unfurling into each other in remarkably fluid transition.”

Since then Rawson has created a repertory of ballets for New Ballet’s professional company, including the story ballets “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Swan Lake,” “La Boutique Fantasque,” as well as the contemporary sleeper hit “Less than Three. “

Dr. Elizabeth Hutter

Principal

Dr. Elizabeth Hutter, PsyD trained with Boston Ballet and danced with Boston Ballet II. She earned her B.A. at Georgetown University, her certification in Shakespearean literature and performance at Oxford University, and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in Chicago, followed by an internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She worked as a psychotherapist at the Art Institute of Chicago, encouraging healthy development of artistic expression.

A leader in the field of performance psychology, Dr. Hutter was elected President of the American Psychological Association in that field. Her extensive experience with dancers around the world and her expert care of New Ballet dancers and students have helped create at New Ballet a community that puts the mental, emotional and physical health of dancers first.

An ABT Distinguished Teacher, Dr. Hutter delights in combining her career and personal passions as Ballet Faculty and Primary Division Coordinator, and in teaching ballet in an environment that supports psychological wellness. She additionally serves as Performance Enhancement Advisor as part of The New School's Wellness program.

Thomas Shoebotham

Chief CONDUCTOR

Shoebotham is chief conductor for New Ballet in San Jose, California. From 2007-2018 he was Music Director of Palo Alto Philharmonic, where he gained recognition for creating compelling concerts that featured both traditional masterpieces and newer works by various current composers, including Chris Theofanidis, Roberto Sierra, Stephen Paulus, Lee Actor, and Jennifer Higdon. In addition, he has conducted numerous other orchestras in both the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere, including Peninsula Symphony, the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra, Albuquerque Philharmonic, Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra, the St. Peter’s Chamber Orchestra, and the Rio Grande Chamber Symphony.

As an opera and ballet conductor Shoebotham has conducted performances with Opera San José (Les Pêcheurs de Perles), Lyric Theatre of San Jose (Iolanthe), The New Ballet (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker), West Bay Opera (The Last Tycoon), Emerald City Opera in Steamboat Springs (Le Nozze di Figaro), Berkeley Opera (Otello, Béatrice et Bénédict, Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen, Cosí fan Tutte, and L’italiana in Algeri), Opera on Tap San Francisco (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Verismo Opera (Otello).