salim gauwloos
Choreographer
His career commenced when he began training in his native Belgium, at the Ballet of Flanders in Antwerp. At the age of seventeen, Salim auditioned in Belgium for a scholarship to the prestigious Steps Dance School in New York City. Out of the two thousand dancers that auditioned, Salim was one of the two dancers who were awarded the scholarship.
In 1990 he began his association with Madonna, he is most famous for his performances in The Blond Ambition Tour, the documentary film, Truth or Dare, and he has also performed in several of her videos, such as Vogue, Hanky Panky and Holiday (live).
In addition, he has performed in music videos for the most popular artists in the entertainment industry. He has worked with Mia Michaels' company R.A.W and with Margo Sappington's Company The Daring Project. He performed in New York City Opera's productions of "Salome", “Daphne”, and “Candide”. His Broadway credits include Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida" on Broadway, and Mambo Kings, The Workshop.
Salim has acquired a reputation as not only as an extraordinary dancer, but also as an exceptionally gifted choreographer. He was selected to showcase his choreography in the prestigious Ballet Builders 2002, 2004, and 2006. His work choreographing the number for Aida's performance at Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids, won "Gypsy of the Year 2003".
He presented two world premieres set on Orlando Ballet under the Artistic Direction of Fernando Bujones, which received rave reviews — “His synergy of forms is so fresh” — “This dance is as cerebral as it is visceral” — by Diane Hubbard Burns for the Orlando Sentinel. His popular “I Breathe You In” dedicated to Fernando and Maria Bujones, was performed at the “Bravo Bujones Gala,” a tribute to Fernando Bujonesʼ Legacy, under the artistic direction of Bruce Marks.
The contemporary solo titled “Coming of Age” that Mr Gauwloos created for Joseph Gorak (ABT II and all around winner of the Youth America Grand Prix 2006) was performed at the Gala “Stars of Today meet the Stars of Tomorrow”, held at City Center.
Salim has been invited as a master teacher to Ballet de Monterrey, in Mexico, as well as Amsterdam Dance Center in Holland, Arena21 in Zurich and ImpulsTanz in Vienna.
In 2007 he created a piece in Buenos Aires titled “Between Hope and Fear” which was presented as part of Argentinaʼs Mozarteum Program ʼ07, and set a piece on the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company titled “11:11”.
In 2008, he won the choreography award at the YAPG 2008 in South Carolina, and presented a new work titled “The Room” at the Wadsworth Atheneum, in Hartford CT.
Most recently he choreographed the Wella Trend Vision ʼ09 Campaign shot by world-renowned photographer Alexi Lubomirski, as well as the Sebastian Trilliant Campaign featuring Charlotte Ronson, shot by Robert Lobetta.