Dance took him from New Mexico’s rodeos to New York City’s Lincoln Center where he spent 24 years with the New York City Ballet (NYCB), 20 years as a principal dancer. On August 23, the 20th anniversary of his 2005 retirement from NYCB, Jock Soto returns to the stage for a celebration of his trailblazing dance career as a New Mexican Diné (Navajo)-Puerto Rican, as a major star of New York City Ballet, and as a teacher passing his knowledge to the next generation of dancers. This time the stage isn’t in New York, but in his native New Mexico.
The celebratory evening includes comments by Soto and a sneak preview of Jock Soto: The Dancer and His Life—a searchable digital archive, produced in partnership by the International Museum of Dance (IMOD) and ChromaDiverse (CD), two California organizations co-sponsoring the event. Soto’s archive is the latest searchable digital archive in IMOD’s growing library.
Jock Soto – Photo by Todd Muchow.
The event will also launch the Jock Soto Scholarship to be awarded annually to at least one indigenous dancer inside or outside New Mexico to continue their dance training. Soto and IMOD are partnering to award the scholarship. A portion of the event’s VIP tickets will help fund the scholarship.
Explaining IMOD’s involvement, its founder and event co-chair Hilary Palanza Gutkin said, “At a time of strife and suffering in so many parts of the world, IMOD offers a much-needed sanctuary to celebrate our common humanity through this universal art form. Our partnerships with visionary technology leaders, leading educational and cultural institutions, and a diversity of dance artists and companies, are creating a vibrant, inclusive dance ecosystem that reimagines the way we learn, teach, share and safeguard dance.”
Speaking about their joint efforts producing the digital archive, Judy Tyrus, the founder and CEO of ChromaDiverse said “Partnering with IMOD to honor Jock Soto’s legacy through the creation of a digital archive is a powerful step toward ensuring that underrepresented voices are remembered so that they can continue to inspire future generations.”
Jock Soto at the School of American Ballet – Photo by Steve Caras.
The event brings the focus of Soto’s life and career back to where he began dancing on New Mexico’s Navajo nation. Taught traditional hoop dancing by his Navajo mother, Soto performed with her at rodeos using hoops crafted by his grandfather. Soto has recounted that he saw his first ballet on television at age 5 and was smitten. His mother enrolled him in ballet classes, including a stint in California at Westside Ballet in Santa Monica. At age 13, Soto quit school and left for New York where he studied at the New York City Ballet-affiliated School of American Ballet. At age 16, he joined NYCB, where George Balanchine elevated him to principal dancer four years later.
Jock Soto – Photo by Martha Swope.
While his solo dancing at NYCB drew praise, Soto became best known for what the New York Times called “an astonishing sixth sense: he is a born partner.” Soto was long paired with principal dancer Heather Watts, who also was a friend offstage. Together they co-authored a 1997 cookbook, “Our Meals.”
Jock Soto and Heather Watts – Photo by Pat Kepic.
After Watts’ retirement, Soto partnered the top tier of NYCB ballerinas. In his 2005 farewell concert, he partnered three of them, Darci Kistler, Miranda Weese, and Wendy Whelan. Soto’s first post-retirement non-dance gig was Whelan’s wedding, catering with his business and life partner, chef and sommelier Luis Fuentes. When New York legalized same sex marriage, Soto and Fuentes had their own wedding.
Jock Soto and Wendy Whelan – Photo by Richard Corman.
Beyond the catering business, Soto continued teaching at the School of American Ballet, polishing the upcoming generation of dancers, especially male dancers in the art of partnering. Since he and Fuentes moved to New Mexico, Soto has continued to teach and choreograph, inside and outside the state. In 2024 he returned to California to give a masterclass in Santa Monica at Westside Ballet Academy.
This event is only the latest demonstration to show the regard in which Soto is held. Gwendolen Cates’ 2008 PBS documentary Water Flowing Together focused on Soto’s career, his heritage, and that final farewell performance. The current accolade comes on top of other New Mexico honors, including last year’s presentation of the Governor’s Arts Award.
Jock Soto – Photo by Ben Calabaza.
While IMOD and CD are sponsors of the New Mexico event, they bring a strong California presence to their efforts. Both organizations are working to digitize, protect, and contextualize dance archives. IMOD has built digital partnerships and funding to enable the archiving of dance stories throughout the world. IMOD established branches in Santa Fe and Philadelphia as well as San Francisco where a physical museum is planned.
While the August 23 Soto event, digital preview and scholarship efforts are in New Mexico, California is a main focus of IMOD’s activities including harnessing proprietary technology in partnership with Microsoft and Adobe to build its online multimedia platform to spotlight diverse artists and dance forms. New additions to the archive lead to the surfacing of never-before-shared collections from legendary dance artists. The online platform is accompanied by a school education program (Philadelphia hosts the first), and in-person exhibitions.
Jock Soto – Photo by Ben Calabaza.
One in-person exhibition is a partnership in Los Angeles with the Duncan Miller Gallery. On August 2, the gallery opened its current exhibit, Dance with dance photographs by internationally known photographers, a tantalizing sampling from IMOD’s permanent collection captures contemporary and historic moments in dance. The evening with Jock Soto is one night in Santa Fe. The dance photography exhibit in downtown LA is scheduled to run through mid-September.
An Evening With Jock Soto at the Lensic Theater, 211 W. San Francisco St., Santa Fe, New Mexico; Sat., Aug. 23, 5-8 pm, 6 pm, $27-$185 ($185 VIP benefits include reception and includes donation to Soto Scholarship) An Evening With Jock Soto.
Dance – International Dance Photographs from the IMOD Collection at the Duncan Miller Gallery 1933 S. Broadway #1270, Downtown LA; Wed.-Sat., noon to 6 pm, or by appointment. 310-838-2440, info@duncanmillergallery.com website: Duncan Miller Gallery.
More information about International Museum of Dance at https://www.museumdance.org/
More information about ChromaDiverse at https://chromadiverse.org/
Written by Ann Haskins for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Jock Soto with Heather Watts – Photo by Steve Caras.
