Ariana Gonzalez received her training primarily from her parents Steven and Elizabeth Wistrich. As a principal dancer with the City Ballet of San Diego, she has danced such roles as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Giselle in the full-length Giselle, Kitri in the full-length Don Quixote, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Carmen in Carmen, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Esmeralda in Esmeralda and the Hunchback, the title roles in House of Alba, Swan Lake, La Baydere, Spartacus Pas de Deux, Grand Pas Classique, Ramona and Carmina Burana. Additionally, she has been featured in leading roles in works by George Balanchine, including Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Agon, Valse Fantaisie, Who Cares?, Serenade, Divertimento No. 15, Apollo, The Four Temperaments, Rubies, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Tarantella, Emeralds, Sonatine, Concerto Barocco and Danses Concertantes. In 2017 she danced the lead roles in the company’s premiere of Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun and Peter Martins’ Hallelujah Junction and his Ash. After a season with Atlanta Ballet and two seasons with the Joffrey Ballet, under the direction of Gerald Arpino, Ariana returned to City Ballet of San Diego in 2006. While at Joffrey Ballet, Ariana performed in many ballets including Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi, Clowns, Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, Jerome Robbins’ New York Export Opus Jazz, Anthony Tudor’s Dark Elegies, Fokine’s Petroushka, George Balanchine’s Square Dance, and Nijinsky’s Sacre de Printemps. She was featured in On the Move and the Company’s virtual productions Moving Forward, A Masquerade Nutcracker, Rhapsody in Blue and Raymonda during the 2020-21 Season.
Before the start of the 2023-2024 season, Ariana was appointed to Associate Artistic Director of City Ballet of San Diego. She is married to Resident Choreographer Geoff Gonzalez.
