Spotlight on Gulfshore Ballet Artistic Director Franklin Gamero
Since 2011, Franklin Gamero has served as co-Artistic Director of Southwest Florida’s premiere ballet school, Gulfshore Ballet. He reprises the role of mysterious toymaker and Clara’s godfather, Drosselmeyer, in this year’s production of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet.
Gamero’s career
in ballet began in Venezuela and continued through the San Francisco Ballet, the Cleveland Ballet and as soloist with the Deutsche Opera Berlin and the Deutsche Opera am Rhein in Dusseldorf. In 1987 he became a Principal Dancer with the Miami City Ballet, where he remained for eighteen highly-productive years.
Recognized as one
of the world’s leading dancers, he has performed as guest principal dancer internationally for numerous ballet companies, as well as for Gala of the Stars and the most important dance festivals in the world. He performed all of the leading roles in the classical repertoire, as well as in works by Balanchine, Bejart, Van Manen, MacMillan, Petit, Nebrada and Kylian, among others.
During the years 
with the Miami City Ballet, he performed the principal roles in Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds, the Prodigal Son, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Theme and Variations, La Source, Raymonda Variations, Allegro Brillante, Concerto Barroco, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, La Source, Scotch Synphony, Square Dance, Stars and Stripes, Bugaku and many others. He also originated many of the principal roles in the company’s repertoire, such as Carmen, Prokofiev Piano Concerto, La Casa de Bernarda Alba, D Symphony, Aria, Purple Bend, Concerto for la Donna and Tobiniana.
His dedication and passion for career earned him special awards, such as the Orden Arturo Michelena in Venezuela, the Key of the City of Baton Rouge in Louisiana, the Proclamation of Miami-Dade County by Mayor Alex Penelas, the Proclamation of Hialeah by Mayor Raul Martinez, who declared “March 12” the Franklin Gamero Day, a special award for his contribution to the Arts in Naples, Florida by the Naples Philharmonic and a special award from the Jackie Gleason Theatre for his outstanding contribution to the Arts in the City of Miami Beach.
He also had the distinction of performing for President Gerald Ford and President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton at the White House. Afterward, he was invited to perform for former Prime Minister Isaac Shamir and Princess Caroline of Monaco
Mr. Gamero has served as Artistic Advisor with Ballet Teresa Carreño in Venezuela, guest Ballet Master with the Ballet Nacional Dominicano, Ballet Concierto Dominicano and Western Ballet in Puerto rico. He has also served as a choreographer for the National Ballet School of the Dominican Republic and Ballet Clasico Alina Abreu, Conservatorio de Danza in Santo Domingo, as well as for the America’s Ballet School in Tampa, Florida.
December 16, 2023.
About the Author
Tom Hall is both an amateur artist and aspiring novelist who writes art quest thrillers. He is in the final stages of completing his debut novel titled "Art Detective," a story that fictionalizes the discovery of the fabled billion-dollar Impressionist collection of Parisian art dealer Josse Bernheim-Jeune, thought by many to have perished during World War II when the collection's hiding place, Castle de Rastignac in southern France, was destroyed by the Wehrmacht in reprisal for attacks made by members of the Resistance operating in the area. A former tax attorney, Tom holds a bachelor's degree as well as both a juris doctorate and masters of laws in taxation from the University of Florida. Tom lives in Estero, Florida with his fiancee, Connie, and their four cats.