News of Note: What You Might Have Missed in February 2023
Here are the latest promotions, appointments and departures, as well as notable awards and accomplishments, from February 2023.
Comings & Goings
Dani Rowe has been appointed artistic director of Oregon Ballet Theatre, effective February 27.
Moscelyne ParkeHarrison has been appointed associate artistic director of Post:ballet. She will continue to serve as resident choreographer and company artist.
Alabama Ballet artistic director and CEO Tracey Alvey will retire at the end of the current season in June.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet artistic director and CEO André Lewis will step down in 2025.
Marco Goecke has been terminated from his position as ballet director of Hanover State Opera, following a widely-publicized physical assault on journalist Wiebke Hüster. The company plans to keep existing works of his in its repertory.
Elizabeth Sweeney has joined San Jose Dance Theatre as executive director.
At New York City Ballet, Emilie Gerrity, Isabella LaFreniere, Roman Mejia and Mira Nadon have been promoted to principal.
At Miami City Ballet, Dawn Atkins Hilty has been promoted to principal, Damian Zamorano to principal soloist, and Cameron Catazaro and Nicole Stalker to soloist.
At Birmingham Royal Ballet, Max Maslen and Lachlan Monaghan have been promoted to principal.
At Royal New Zealand Ballet, Kihiro Kusukami has been promoted to principal.
At Cincinnati Ballet, Katherine Ochoa has been promoted to soloist.
Tiit Helimets gave his final performance as a principal dancer at San Francisco Ballet on February 11. He will continue as a principal character dancer through the end of the 2023 season.
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre principal Amanda Cochrane has retired.
Pacific Northwest Ballet principal Lesley Rausch will retire at the end of the current season. Her final performance is scheduled for June 11.
Royal Ballet principal Laura Morera will retire at the end of the 2022–23 season. Her final performance is currently scheduled for July 8. She will return to stage and coach repertory, including overseeing Kenneth MacMillan’s works for the MacMillan Estate.
National Ballet of Canada principal character artist Rebekah Rimsay will retire from the company in June. Principal dancer Piotr Stanczyk will retire in November.
Awards & Honors
Ayodele Casel and Rosy Simas have received 2023 Doris Duke Artist Awards, which include a $550,000 unrestricted grant. Previous recipients each received an additional $20,000 unrestricted grant.
Rennie Harris will receive the 2023 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award, which includes a $50,000 prize, on June 9. Jody Gottfried Arnhold will receive the 2023 Balasaraswati/Joy Anne Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching, which includes a $5,000 honorarium, on June 28.
Jasmine Hearn is the recipient of a 2023 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award, which includes a $45,000 unrestricted grant. The Merce Cunningham Award, with a grant in the same amount, went to devynn emory.
Akeim Toussaint Buck was awarded a 2023 Arts Foundation Futures Award, which includes a £10,000 unrestricted grant.
At the Venice Biennale, Simone Forti will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, TAO Dance Theater the Silver Lion.
James Kudelka is among the recipients of the 2023 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
