Mr. Naska is an internationally known, award winning choreographer, dancer, and master teacher with over three decades of performing and teaching experience in Europe and the United States. He was soloist with Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, the Istanbul City Theater in Turkey, and a soloist with Tirana State Opera and Ballet in his native Albania. Mr. Naska graduated from the Albanian Arts Conservatory and also studied choreography at the Tirana Institute of Arts. After moving to Chicago in 1999, Mr. Naska performed with the national and international tour companies Thodos Dance Chicago and Mordine & Company.

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He has also been a guest in several suburban productions of “Nutcracker” and “Cinderella, choreographed for the following:

 

• Thodos Dance Chicago’s New Dances 2000-2003

• The Dutch National Ballet’s 2004 New Voices program

• The Joffrey Ballet dancers for Dance Chicago 2005 Choreography Project

• Stars of Dance Chicago 2006 – 2016

• Chicago Dance Theatre as the Artistic Director for 2007 season

• SPACE Conservatory for Music, Dance and Drama as co-founder and director 2005-2015.

 

Mr. Naska is recognized for his fusion of ballet, character and modern techniques and has taught master classes and workshops all around Chicago-area, nationally and internationally.

In 2003, Mr. Naska was honored with Albania’s highest artistic achievement award for his choreography and outstanding professional career overseas. In 2007 he received the Dance Chicago’s Outstanding Choreography Award, and in 2012 was chosen as one of the 100 success stories of Albanian Excellence.

Currently, besides owning and directing Plainfield Dance Academy, Mr. Naska serves in several NFP dance organizations.

 

• Co-founder and artistic director of the International Dance Embassy, a organization committed to honor and celebrate culturally diverse forms of dance through presentation, education and support of local artists.

• Executive and Artistic Director of Wheatland Dance Theater, a youth dance company affiliated with PDA with mission to foster a passion for artistic dance, to increase the community’s cultural awareness.

• Director of Cultural Exchange of Dance Chicago.

• Artistic and Touring Director of the Stars of Dance Chicago.