News of Note: What You May Have Missed in July 2019

July 31, 2019

Here are the latest promotions, appointments and transfers, plus notable awards and accomplishments from the last month.

Comings & Goings

Tigran Mkrtchyan
has joined Boston Ballet as a soloist, Chisako Oga as a second soloist.

At English National Ballet, Aitor Arrieta, Katja Khaniukova and Ken Saruhashi have been promoted to first soloist, Julia Conway, Daniel McCormick, Erik Woolhouse and Stina Quagebeur to first artist. Quagebeur has also been named associate choreographer.

At Hamburg Ballet, Madoka Sugai and Jacopo Bellussi have been promoted to principal, Florian Pohl and Lizhong Wang to soloist.

At Milwaukee Ballet, Randy Crespo has been promoted to leading artist.

Emily Molnar
has been named artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater, effective August 2020.

Chanon Judson-Johnson and Samantha Speis have been named co-artistic directors of the Urban Bush Women Company. Jawole Willa Jo Zollar remains chief visioning officer and artistic director of the overall UBW organization.

Chanon Judson-Johnson
Hayim Heron, Courtesy Urban Bush Women

Jamar Roberts
has been named resident choreographer at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Gia Kourlas
has been named dance critic at The New York Times.

Awards & Honors

Donald Byrd
and Michelle Ellsworth have been named 2019 Doris Duke Artists, which comes with a $275,000 award.

Alastair Macaulay
and Kim Brandstrup have been named 2019–20 Director’s Fellows at New York University’s Center for Ballet and the Arts.

Ahead of its October 14 award ceremony, NY Dance and Performance Awards (“Bessies”) have been awarded to Alice Sheppard (2019 Juried Bessie Award) and Daina Ashbee (2019 Outstanding Breakout Choreographer Award).

Alice Sheppard
Beverlie Lord, Courtesy Sheppard

New England Foundation for the Arts has awarded National Dance Project Production grants ($45,000 for creation of new work, $10,000 unrestricted) to Ananya Dance Theatre, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, BODYTRAFFIC, Caleb Teicher, Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Christopher K. Morgan & Artists, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, DANCE iQUAIL!, GERALDCASELDANCE, KM Dance Project, Nichole Canuso Dance Company, PHILADANCO, Pioneer Winter Collective, Ragamala Dance Company, Raja Feather Kelly | the feath3r theory, RGWW (Rosanna Gamson/World Wide), Sara Juli, Step Afrika!, The Era Footwork Crew and Vanessa Sanchez.

Ayodele Casel
has been named a 2019–20 Frances B. Cashin Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Kenny Ortega
received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.