Paula de Castro Fernández  Ph.D.
 
Neuropsychologist, Professor of Classical Dance, Pedagogue and Researcher

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

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• Doctorate (Outstanding “Cum Laude”).

• Official Master’s Degree in Neuropsychology.

• Official Master’s Degree in Teacher Training Pedagogy.

• Official Master’s Degree in Performing Arts.

• Official Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology.

• Master’s Degree in Behavioral Psychology.

• Master’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Psychology.

• Master’s Degree in Psychopedagogical Intervention.

• Master’s Degree in Psychological Intervention Therapies.

• Master’s Degree in Emotional Education.

• Master’s Degree in Prevention and Treatment of Addictive Behaviors.

• Master’s Degree in Mental Health and Geriatric Psychology.

• University Degree in Psychology.

• University Degree in Hispanic Philology and studies in French Philology.

• University Degree in Classical Dance Pedagogy.

• University Degree in Choreography and Dance Performance (Certification Equivalence).

• Degree in Classical Dance by the Royal Superior Conservatory of Dramatic Art and Dance of Madrid.

• State Diploma of Dance Teacher: “Dispense du Diplôme d’Etat de Professeur de Danse par Renommée Particulière” (Honorary Title of Dance Teacher, for “Outstanding Personality”) awarded by the French Ministry of Culture.

• Harvard University Higher Education Teaching Certificate.

• Cambridge University Certificate: The Psychology of Emotions.

• DAEFLE (French as a Foreign Language Teacher Certificate) from the Alliance Française of Paris.

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Training in:

• Methodology applied to education.

• Child Psychology.

• Music Therapy.

• Constructivist Psychopedagogy.

• Research and didactic innovation.

• Educational paradigms.

• Development of teaching programs.

• Psycho-evolutionary characteristics of students.

• Didactic and pedagogical resources.

• Occupational risk prevention.

• Food, nutrition, and gastronomy.

• School organization: leadership and management.

• Digital competence for teachers.

• Psychoeducational intervention in special education.

• Mindfulness.

• Sports Psychology.

• Psycho-oncology.

• Teachers training.

• Systemic family therapy.

• Psychoneurolinguistics.

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TEACHING AND RESEARCH

• Professor of Classical Dance at the Superior Conservatory of Dance “María de Ávila” in Madrid.

• Guest Classical Dance teacher in numerous courses and masterclasses in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Japan, etc. since 1997.

• Head of Pedagogy Department of the CSDMA.

• Trainer of Classical Dance teachers invited by public conservatories and private centers, internationally recognized.

• Director of meetings, symposiums, and training courses at Universities and Congresses (UIMP, ICESD, FECIES, CSDMA, FUESCYL, EIDEF, CIPSE, CD+I, FUESCyL, CIIIAS, CICPES, etc.).

• Founder and director of the Spain-France International Dance Meetings (EIDEF), held at the CSDMA of Madrid in 2014 and 2016 in collaboration with the Institut Français and the French Embassy, bringing together conservatories from all over Spain and prominent teachers and stars from the Paris Opera Ballet, Monte Carlo Ballet, etc.

• Member of the Scientific Committee and Organizing Committee at International Congresses.

• Reviewer for Scientific Journals.

• Jury member in competitions, scholarships, and official exams in Spain and abroad, collaborating with Professional Conservatories, Higher Education Centers, Councils, and Ministries of Culture, etc.

 

PUBLICATIONS

• Author of the book “EATING DISORDERS: NEW PERSPECTIVES FROM CLASSICAL DANCE.”

• Editor of “MARIEMMA AND HER TIME.” Documentation Center of Music and Dance – INAEM and CSDMA.

• As a researcher, she has presented numerous papers at congresses, university conferences, and publications on Methodology and Didactics of Dance teaching, Pedagogy, Psychopedagogy, and Applied Psychology.

 

LANGUAGES

English – Advanced level EOI Certificate.

German – Advanced level EOI Certificate.

French – Level C2.

Galician – Level C1.

Portuguese – Level C1.

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ARTISTIC TRAINING

• She started classical and contemporary dance studies at the “Degas” school with her mother Marigel Fernández and Celia López, further training with Mercedes Suárez and joining “Ballet Druida” at 16.

• In 1989, she obtained the Classical Dance Diploma from the Royal Superior Conservatory of Dramatic Art and Dance of Madrid.

• She awarded a scholarship by the Education and Culture Council of the Xunta de Galicia, studied in New York at the Martha Graham School and Peridance Studio with Igal Perry, Robin Becker, Deborah Zall, William Adair and Elisa King.

• Scholarship recipient from the Provincial Government of A Coruña, studied in Madrid with Virginia Valero, Azari Plissetski, Carmen Roche, Ana Baselga and Lola de Ávila.

• In 1992 she joined the "Rudra-Béjart Lausanne” of Maurice Béjart, again sponsored by the Provincial Government of A Coruña.

• She perfected her skills over more than 20 years of professional career with renowned masters: Vladimir Semenov, Irina Kolpakova, José Parés, Eva Borj, Haydée Caychu, Aurora Bosch, Christine Anthony, Carl Paris, Robert Denvers, Luk de Lairess, Christine Marchand, Jean-M. Bouvron, Monique Loudières, Menia Martínez, etc.

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PROFESSIONAL ARTISTIC CAREER

• International principal dancer. Leading various companies in Europe and as a guest at international galas, she has performed principal roles in the classical repertoire (especially praised for “Giselle” and different versions of “Romeo and Juliet”) as well as choreographies by G. Balanchine, W. Forsythe, J. Cranko, M. Béjart, H. van Manen, U. Scholz, T. Schilling, K. Macmillan, H. Spoerli, N. Duato, etc.

• After her time at Rudra-Béjart Lausanne, at the Staatstheater Wiesbaden (Germany), she performed soloist and principal roles in ballets such as "La Sylphide" by Peter Schauffuss and A. Bournonville, "Pas de 4," “Till Eulenspiegel,” “Brel,” “Les trois Mousquetaires,” and "Improvisations" by Ben van Cauwenberg.

• Continued her career at Aalto Theater Essen (Germany) as soloist and principal dancer: "Romeo and Juliet" by H. Schwaarz, "Before Nightfall," "D.C.," "Pub" by Nils Christe, "Der Grüne Tisch" by Kurt Jooss, "Der Nussknacker" by H. Schwaarz, "Max und Moritz" by Peter Marcus, "Septième Symphonie" by T. van Schayk, "Giselle," "Five Tangos," "In and Out," "Lieder ohne Worte" by Hans van Manen.

• In 1995, Paula de Castro was invited to join the prestigious Ballet of the Niedersächsisches Staatstheater Hannover (State Theater of Hannover), Germany, directed by Lothar Höfgen and Mehmet Balkan, where she became internationally recognized as Principal Dancer. She performed principal roles in classical repertoire ballets such as “Giselle,” “Don Quixote,” Youri Vamos’s “The Nutcracker,” Tom Schilling’s “Romeo und Julia,” L. Höfgen’s “The Sleeping Beauty,” Heinz Spoerli’s “La Fille mal Gardée,” and others including: “Serenade” by G. Balanchine, “The Vertiginous Thrill of the Exactitude” by W. Forsythe, “Relationships” created especially for her by M. Balkan, “Auf der Schöne Blaue Erde” by R. Jaroschinski, “Symphonie Fantastique” by Uwe Scholz, etc.

• In 2002, she is contracted by the National Ballet of Portugal (CNB), where she performed choreographies such as “Who cares” by G. Balanchine, “Kammerballet” by H. van Manen, “Pedro e Inés” by O. Roriz, “Giselle,” “The Nutcracker,” “La Dame aux Camélias” created for her by M. Balkan, “Without Words” by Nacho Duato, etc.

• In 2004, she is invited to join the Ballet of the Opéra de Nice, directed by Marc Ribaud and Eric Vu An, from the Paris Opera, where she performed leading roles in the company’s repertoire: “Roméo et Juliette,” “Le Casse-noisette,” “Carmen,” “Cendrillon” by M. Ribaud, “Le Sacre du Printemps,” “Le Messie” by M. Weinrot, “Duo Concertante,” “Symphonie en trois mouvements,” “Pulchinela” by Nils Christe, “L’après-midi d’un faune,” “La Mer,” “Alter Tango,” “Le Tricorne” by E. Gori, “Conservatoire” by A. Bournonville, “Les Sylphides” by M. Fokine, “Allegro Brillante” by G. Balanchine, “Cantate 51” by M. Béjart, etc.

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GALAS AND EXCEPTIONAL COLLABORATIONS

Principal Guest Dancer in numerous galas and performances worldwide, where she performed principal roles in “La Dame aux Camélias” and “The Five Seasons” by M. Balkan, “The Nutcracker,” “Romeo and Juliet” by T. Schilling, “Nussknacker” by S. Gordjenko, “Vasos Comunicantes” by Goyo Montero, “Daemonen” by R. Jaroschinski, “Giselle,” “Roméo et Juliette,” “Les Sylphides,” “Citizen Kane” by J. Ulrich, “Romeo and Juliet,” “Alter Tango” by E. Gori, “Amets” by Jon Ugarriza, “The Sleeping Beauty,” “La Fille mal Gardée” by H. Spoerli, “Symphonie Fantastique” by U. Scholz, “In and Out” by H. van Manen, etc., sharing the stage with Cyril Atanassoff, Isabelle Guérin (Paris Opera Ballet), Simona Noya, Brigitte Stadler, Tamas Solimosi (Vienna State Ballet), Katherina Markowskaya, Jon Vallejo (Semperoper Dresden), Hervé Ilari (Nice Opera Ballet), Sabine Kupferberg, Gérard Lemaitre (Nederlands Dans Theater), Monique Janotta, Joan Boix, Roberta Mazzoni (Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf), Raimondo Rebeck, Janick Boquin (Deutsche Oper Berlin), Tamas Detrich, Ivan Cavalari, Alicia Amatriain (Stuttgart Ballet), Vladimir Karakulev, Sergej Savochenko (Bolshoi Ballet), Evgenj Bondarenko, Sergej Gordjenko (Kiev Ballet), Jesús Pastor (American Ballet Theater), Giuseppe Picone (La Scala Milan), Bernice Coppieters, Asier Uriagereka (Monte Carlo Ballet), Deborah Bull, Adam Cooper (The Royal Ballet), etc.

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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITIONS

• Paula De Castro received the “Dispense du DIPLÔME D’ÉTAT DE PROFESSEUR DE DANSE par renommée particulière” in 2007 (Official Dance Teacher Title awarded by the French Ministry of Culture to personalities of special renown).

• Academician of the Academy of Performing Arts of Spain.

• Member of the International Dance Council (CID) of UNESCO, the International Association of Psychopedagogy, Dance+Research Association, Spanish Society of Psychology, COPM, IADMS, and WAOPF.

• She has received the GOLDEN BADGE of her hometown for her artistic merits and her work as an international cultural ambassador.

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