{"id":12326,"date":"2021-07-14T17:14:21","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T17:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=12326"},"modified":"2025-04-21T07:16:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T07:16:23","slug":"chidozie-nzerem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/07\/14\/chidozie-nzerem\/","title":{"rendered":"Chidozie Nzerem"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Chidozie Nzerem<\/strong><\/h2>\n

San Francisco Ballet: Apprentice (1995-1996), Corps de Ballet (1996-?)<\/strong>
\nSouth African Ballet Theatre (Joburg Ballet): Guest (2006-2007)<\/strong>
\nTucson Ballet: Guest<\/strong>
\nBallett am Rhein (2009-present)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Chidozie
Photo via Deutsche Oper am Rhein<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chidozie Vincent Nzerem was born in Lorman, Mississippi ca. 1977 to a Mississippian mother Joyce Coleman and Nigerian father Dom Nzerem. Nzerem then moved to San Francisco at age four. When his sisters began their training at San Francisco Ballet School, their mother also signed Chidozie up for classes. He attended the school until he joined the company as an apprentice in 1995 and the corps de ballet in 1996, the same year he was awarded a Princess Grace Award.<\/p>\n

With the company, Nzerem\u2019s repertoire included Ivonica Satie\u2019s Shogun<\/em>; The Nutcracker <\/em>(Arabian); George Balanchine\u2019s Stravinsky Violin Concerto<\/em>; Christopher d\u2019Amboise\u2019s Fly by Night<\/em>; Helgi Tomasson\u2019s Silver Ladders<\/em>, Con Brio<\/em>, and Tuning Game<\/em>; Stanton Welch\u2019s Taiko<\/em>; and Val Caniparoli\u2019s Lambarena<\/em> and Slow<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Even while in the corps de ballet, newspapers consistently noted Nzerem\u2019s talent, with both the San Francisco Examiner <\/em>and London\u2019s Evening Standard<\/em> declaring he \u201cstood out\u201d in performances throughout his tenure with the company. The Examiner<\/em> also praised his \u201cfervor and modest elevation\u201d in 1997.<\/p>\n

In both 1994, as a junior competitor, and 2002, as a senior, Nzerem participated in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. In the latter year, he made it through three rounds, becoming a finalist, and was offered a position as a guest artist with South African Ballet Theatre (now the Joburg Ballet). While performing in South Africa, he taught classes as part of an outreach program sponsored by the company. Additionally, Nzerem danced as a guest with Tucson Ballet and at the Balanchine Centennial of Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, as the Dark Angel on Serenade<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Looking for a change, Nzerem auditioned for companies in Europe and received six offers, including those from Monte Carlo and Ballett am Rhein, based in D\u00fcsseldorf and Duisburg. He joined the latter and performed leading roles in ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, Regina van Berkel, Nils Christe, Mats Ek, William Forsythe, Young Soon Hue, Antoine Jully, So Yeon Kim, Terence Kohler, Hans van Manen and Remus \u015euchean\u0103 as well as the role of Death in Kurt Jooss\u2019 The Green Table<\/em>. Martin Schl\u00e4pfer, ballet director and chief choreographer of Deutsche Oper am Rhein, created principal roles for him. He performed the pas de deux from Schl\u00e4pfer\u2019s DEEP FIELD<\/em> at the Prix Benois Gala 2015 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.<\/p>\n

In 2017, Nzerem’s own piece Edge of Reason <\/em>was performed at the \u201cYoung Moves\u201d program.<\/p>\n

Paul Parish, dance critic for San Francisco Magazine<\/em>, described Nzerem as a \u201cclassical dancer on a heroic scale.\u201d<\/p>\n