Val Caniparoli's versatility has made him one of the most sought-after American choreographers internationally.

He has been most closely associated with San Francisco Ballet, his artistic home for over 50 years, and has the distinction of being a full-time continuous dancer with San Francisco Ballet from 1973-2023. Val first worked under the co-artistic directorship of Lew Christensen and Michael Smuin, and in the early 1980s, was appointed a  Resident Choreographer. He was appointed as a Rehearsal Assistant and Principal Character Dancer under Helgi Tomasson's Artistic Directorship. At San Francisco Ballet, he has created internationally performed works including Lambarena, Ibsen's House, Connotations, Aria, Double Stop, Hamlet & Ophelia, Foreshadow, and Pulcinella. Val Caniparoli is currently working with the company under the leadership of Artistic Director Tamara Rojo.

Val has contributed to the repertoires of more than 60 companies, including Joffrey Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Scottish Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Kansas City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet West (resident choreographer 1993-97), Washington Ballet, Israel Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Singapore Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, State Theatre Ballet of South Africa, Alberta Ballet, and Tulsa Ballet (resident choreographer 2001-06). He has also choreographed for the Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, and The Metropolitan Opera and for several productions with the San Francisco Symphony, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), including A Christmas Carol, A Doll's House, A Little Night Music, Arcadia, and the creation, with Carey Perloff, of a new movement-theater piece, Tosca Cafe. One of his most popular ballets, Lambarena, was nominated for the Prix Benois de la Danse in 1997 for Best Choreography and was also featured on Sesame Street with dancers Lorena Feijoo and Lorna Feijoo. In 2015, Val co-choreographed, with Helgi Tomasson, a commercial for the 50th Anniversary Super Bowl including dancers from San Francisco Ballet.

Val's full evening-length ballets include Lady of the Camellias; five different productions of The Nutcracker for Royal New Zealand Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Tulsa Ballet (co-created with Ma Cong); Jekyll & Hyde for Finnish National Ballet and Val Caniparoli's, A Cinderella Story choreographed to music of Richard Rodgers for Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

Born in Renton, Washington, Val chose a professional dance career after studying music and theatre at Washington State University. He received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to attend San Francisco Ballet School. He performed with San Francisco Opera Ballet before joining San Francisco Ballet in 1973.

Jekyll & Hyde; Kansas City Ballet, Photography by Gabriel Lorena

Dancers: Cameron Thomas, Gavin Abercrombie