We had the good fortune of connecting with Cybele Zufolo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cybele, what do you attribute your success to?
It’s important to take risks, be yourself, do what you love, and try to inspire others the way I was inspired by my amazing professors and teachers, both in writing, literature and ballet. As Steve Jobs said, “Work is going to fill a large portion of your life so you need to do what you love.” in his Commencement Address.

The Creative Process fuses the arts together and that is similar to my spoken work variety show called Word Performances. In the Creative Process we read Keith Sawyer’s Zig Zag the Surprising Path to Greater Creativity and we look at Sawyer’s 8 Steps of Creativity: Ask, Learn, Look, Think, Play, Fuse, Choose and Make. Students interview an artist or creative person, make a self-taped video called My Super Powers and work in groups to create a group project. They make a video on their creative process and write about it in a final essay. In Short Form Writing, students create a travel press kit about their hometown with a press release and try fold three panel brochure. For the final project, students invent a fictional band and create a press kit called the Final Band Project. We look at various genres of writing all while keeping it brief.

I almost missed this interview because I was intensely focused on my students and coursework with grading deadlines and projects and essays to review. I don’t like to focus on myself sometimes. I want to make my student feel supported. All my stories, advice, thoughts and feelings about writing and life are told to my students. My student unlock the key to my passion for writing, literature, poetry, public speaking and presentation skills. When you read amazing student writing, videos and presentations, you might not have the chance to read a new novel.

My love for writing and literature stems from my childhood as a ballet dancer, dancing the youth roles with the New York City Ballet productions of The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Nights Dream, Mozartiana, Harlequinade and studying ballet at the School of American Ballet for many years. I was very fortunate to have the chance to study professional ballet and perform on a magnificent stage, with an orchestra, wearing gorgeous costumes and stunning set designs and feeling like I was in a fantasy that I never wanted to leave. Now I write about my years in the ballet world. I’m very close to my parents, my young daughter, my husband and good friends.

My education catalyzed my journey and trajectory. It was integral to my success. I am proud of my BA and MA Degree. When you have your degree no one can take it away from you my mom used to say. I have an MA Degree from Teachers College Columbia University and a BA Degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz and my year abroad studying at the University of Poitiers France. My education began before that, at the School of American Ballet and the LaGuardia HS of Music and Art and Performing Arts. All throughout my life I’ve had inspiring and brilliant teachers, professors and mentors. Now I’d like to give back and hopefully inspire my students in the same way.

I took risks in my journey as a writer and teacher, and I took risks as a former dancer too. This helped catapult me to the next level. I self published my first book Ocean Sounds in New York a collection of poems, non-fiction prose and essays about dance, family, love and New York.

I started a reading series called Word Performances, a literary variety show where words are the lead, music is featured and dance makes a cameo. I have a documentary film and a you tube channel for the show. I had to create things on my own and make my own opportunities when I wasn’t getting any chances to showcase my work as an artist. My show gives new, emerging and established writer, poets, musicians and performers a chance to share their work on a stage with an audience for 8 minutes each. I started my show in 2012 and we have produced and performed in many literary festivals in the Bay Area such as the Lit Crawl and the Beast Crawl. One of my shows was at the Great Star Theater in Chinatown on Jackson Street in San Francisco. I wrote and performed in a solo performance about my years in the ballet world which is now on you tube. I also performed in my friends shows.

I performed in a three woman musical variety show that I auditioned for in Backstage magazine right after I graduated college. It was a 5 month show in Idaho, Gumma Japan. We had 17 song and a dance numbers and the same amount of costume changes in two shows per night. I wrote an essay about it in my book. Years later, I wrote an essay about teaching Shakespeare to college students and I used my theatre training to keep the students motivated.

It was like not going to see the Maharaja with the Beatles. I was left behind but I was very happy to have the chance to teach a summer course.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It’s important to take risks, be yourself, do what you love, and try to inspire others the way I was inspired by my amazing professors and teachers, both in writing, literature and ballet. As Steve Jobs said, “Work is going to fill a large portion of your life so you need to do what you love.” in his Commencement Address. If didn’t love my work, love my students, feel inspired by their creativity, energy, and by the courses I teach at the Academy of Art University such as The Creative Process and Short Form Writing, my courses wouldn’t be as successful.

The Creative Process fuses the arts together and that is similar to my spoken work variety show called Word Performances. In the Creative Process we read Keith Sawyer’s Zig Zag the Surprising Path to Greater Creativity and we look at Sawyer’s 8 Steps of Creativity: Ask, Learn, Look, Think, Play, Fuse, Choose and Make. Students interview an artist or creative person, make a self-taped video called My Super Powers and work in groups to create a group project. They make a video on their creative process and write about it in a final essay. In Short Form Writing, students create a travel press kit about their hometown with a press release and try fold three panel brochure. For the final project, students invent a fictional band and create a press kit called the Final Band Project. We look at various genres of writing all while keeping it brief.

My students are the most important factor behind my success.

I almost missed this interview because I was intensely focused on my students and coursework with grading deadlines and projects and essays to review. I don’t like to focus on myself sometimes. I want to make my student feel supported. All my stories, advice, thoughts and feelings about writing and life are told to my students. My student unlock the key to my passion for writing, literature, poetry, public speaking and presentation skills. I read amazing student writing, watch excellent videos and presentations.

My love for writing and literature stems from my childhood as a ballet dancer, dancing the youth roles with the New York City Ballet productions of The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Nights Dream, Mozartiana, Harlequinade and studying ballet at the School of American Ballet for many years. I was very fortunate to have the chance to study professional ballet and perform on a magnificent stage, with an orchestra, wearing gorgeous costumes and stunning set designs and feeling like I was in a fantasy that I never wanted to leave. Now I write about my years in the ballet world. I’m very close to my parents, my young daughter, my husband and good friends.

My education catalyzed my journey and trajectory. It was integral to my success. I am proud of my BA and MA Degree. When you have your degree no one can take it away from you my mom used to say. I have an MA Degree from Teachers College Columbia University and a BA Degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz and my year abroad studying at the University of Poitiers France.

I taught writing and literature at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and the New York Institute of Technology. I got the job by walking into the school and submitting a resume at the front desk. I was hungry for a new teaching opportunity and I found one. I had four amazing years as a lead adjunct instructor of writing at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and the New York Institute of Technology teaching courses in Poetry, The Modern Novel, Short Stories, Essay Writing, Intermediate Literature and Introduction to Shakespeare. I was awarded a six week grant for college professors with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Shakespeare Center.

My education began before that, at the School of American Ballet and the LaGuardia HS of Music and Art and Performing Arts. All throughout my life I’ve had inspiring and brilliant teachers, professors and mentors. Now I’d like to give back and hopefully inspire my students in the same way.

I took risks in my journey as a writer and teacher, and I took risks as a former dancer too. This helped catapult me to the next level. I self published my first book Ocean Sounds in New York a collection of poems, non-fiction prose and essays about dance, family, love and New York.

I started a reading series called Word Performances, a literary variety show where words are the lead, music is featured and dance makes a cameo. I have a documentary film and a you tube channel for the show. I had to create things on my own and make my own opportunities when I wasn’t getting any chances to showcase my work as an artist. My show gives new, emerging and established writer, poets, musicians and performers a chance to share their work on a stage with an audience for 8 minutes each.

My husband and I started the show in 2012 and we have produced and performed in many literary festivals in the Bay Area such as the Lit Crawl and the Beast Crawl. One of my shows was at the Great Star Theater in Chinatown on Jackson Street in San Francisco. I wrote and performed in a solo performance about my years in the ballet world which is now on you tube. I also performed in my friends shows.

I performed in a three woman musical variety show that I auditioned for in Backstage magazine right after I graduated college. It was a 5 month show in Ikaho, Gumma Japan. We had 17 song and a dance numbers and the same amount of costume changes in two shows per night. I wrote an essay about it in my book. Years later, I wrote an essay about teaching Shakespeare to college students and I used my theatre training to keep the students motivated.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take my best friend to:

Monday: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Art of Noise exhibit.

Tuesday: The American Conservatory Theater, the Lehman Trilogy

Wednesday: Muir Woods or the ferry to Sausalito or Tiburon. Lunch at The Triad in Sausalito.

Thursday: Madonna at the Chase Center or concert at the Masonic. Lunch and walking tour at the Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco.

Friday: Literary Reading and Dinner in North Beach, San Francisco. Lunch at the De Young Museum.

Saturday: The San Francisco Ballet production of Mere Mortals and dinner at Sorrella on Polk Street, San Francisco. Lunch at the Ferry Building.

In Los Angeles: The Last Bookstore

In New York: The High Line and dinner in the West Village. Lunch on the Upper West Side and walk through the Central Park Zoo and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In San Francisco: The Lit Crawl, Quit Lightning Reading Series and the Beast Crawl.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a Shoutout and thank my former student Tryn Cheng, a immensely talented illustrator, writer, artist and leader who was in two of my classes at the Academy of Art University. Tryn’s artwork is gorgeous. I’d also like to dedicate my Shout Out to Teachers College Columbia University where I received my MA Degree in English Education, and my first college where I taught writing for four years, the Borough of Manhattan Community College and now the Academy of Art University, where I’ve been teaching writing since 2015. I’d like to give a Shoutout to the School of American Ballet and my brilliant teacher Garielle Whittle for teaching me to love the ballet, its beauty, elegance, and the discipline and dedication required. Gabrielle gave me confidence when I needed it most as a young girl. I am forever grateful. I’d like to give a Shout Out to my friend, former ballerina, real estate broker, and writer Heather Stein and former ballerina and author Gavin Larsen.

I’d like to give a Shout Out to my mom real estate broker Suzanne Hebron and my dad, poet, travel writer and former advertising professional in New York, Michael Zufolo. My mom raised me as a single mom in New York City and was a great mom. My dad gave me an amazing opportunity in the dance world finding me the audition. My dad has written two books of poems.

Website: http://www.cybelezufolo.com/

Linkedin: Cybele Zufolo Siegel (married name)

Other: http://wordperformances.com/

Documentary on YouTube:

Image Credits
Richard Shiu Photography for the first photo I posted wearing a green silk suit. This is my faculty photo.

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