From the Winston-Salem Journal:
The message that Jerry Nadal, who helps run Cirque Du Soleil, had for the 221 budding artists graduating from UNC School of the Arts Saturday was simple yet profound – what they do matters.
“The arts make an enormous difference in people’s lives,” Nadal told the graduates sitting on stage at the Stevens Center.
Nadal is the senior vice president of Cirque du Soleil’s Resident Shows Division and is responsible for the seven Cirque du Soleil shows in production in Las Vegas as well as one in Orlando, Fla. He is also in charge of the production of “Michael Jackson ONE,” which will debut June 29 in Las Vegas.
Nadal has been with Cirque du Soleil since 1998. He started out as a stage manager, which took him across the United States and the Caribbean on productions such as “A Chorus Line,” “Cabaret,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”
He told the graduates that when he first started in the business, he made $5 a day.
But he urged them to follow their passions and to realize that the art they create – whether through dancing, singing, writing, producing, filmmaking – is a service they provide to people that can have life-changing impact.
Nadal said that the reason that many of the students decided to attend UNC School of the Arts is likely because they saw a live performance that sparked their passion.
“Every one of you saw something as a child that said, “This is what I want to do,’” he said.
Read the original article here.
{ SOURCE: Winston-Salem Journal }
