Originally from Havana, Cuba, Haydée Gutiérrez began her classical ballet training at the Academia Nacional Alicia Alonso. She continued her studies in Miami and in New York with American Ballet Theatre School, Richard Thomas, Barbara Fallis, David Howard and Ben Harkevy, among others. Royes Fernández, principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre for 25 years, was her coach, mentor and the most influential teacher in her career.
Ms. Gutiérrez was first soloist for eight years with Ballet Concerto Company and principal guest artist for 12 years in tours of the United States, Central America and Europe. Her repertory included the principal roles of most of the original classical ballets as well as works by many modern choreographers. Ms. Gutiérrez’ teaching career started in Miami in 1964. She was a professor in the Dance Department at the University of South Florida for six years. She has been guest faculty at the New York School of Ballet, the Briansky Saratoga Ballet Center, the Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Program, the Erie Ballet, Point Park College Conservatory, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Company and School, as well as at the Company and School of Oregon Ballet Theatre.
In 1997, Ms. Gutiérrez taught a one-week residency at the American University Extension in Okinawa, Japan, and has returned to Okinawa on a regular basis to guest teach each summer at the Naha City Ballet. From 1977 to 1978, Ms. Gutiérrez was assistant to Todd Bolender at the National Ballet in Istanbul, Turkey. She was artistic coordinator for the Tampa Ballet from 1984 to 1986 and owner and director of the Classical Ballet Center of Tampa from 1975 to 1995. She also served as the school director of Oregon Ballet Theatre from 1993 to 2000, and during this time taught and coached the company on a regular basis. Along with the company’s artistic director, James Canfield, she staged Oregon Ballet Theatre’s 1998 performance of Giselle. From 2000 to 2005, she was the director of the Classical Ballet Training Program at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa.
In 1999, one of Ms. Gutiérrez’ pupils, Angela Snow, won the Princess Grace Award in dance, which is bestowed upon only six students annually in the United States. This student also was the recipient of the prestigious Chris Hellman Award in dance, which is bestowed upon only one dancer in the United States each year. Most recently, Ms. Gutiérrez’s student Alexandra Koszeghy was awarded the 2010 Bronze Medal at the World Ballet Competition in 2011 and was honored as the First Place Winner at the 2011 Young Arts, which is the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.
Among the numerous scholarships awarded to her students, Ms. Gutiérrez’ students have received scholarships to:
- The School of American Ballet, New York City
- Stuttgart Ballet, Germany
- The Joffrey Ballet Company of Chicago
- San Francisco Ballet
- American Ballet Theatre, New York City
- Houston Ballet
- Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York City
- Miami City Ballet
Many have achieved high professional stature as dancers, teachers and choreographers with major dance companies throughout the world.