News of Note: What You Might Have Missed in January 2021

February 1, 2021

Here are the latest promotions, appointments and departures, as well as notable awards and accomplishments, from the last month.

Comings & Goings

Australian Dance Theatre artistic director Garry Stewart will step down at the end of 2021.

Christine Windsor
has retired from Sarasota Ballet after 14 seasons.

Bashaun Williams
will leave Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company at the end of the 2020–21 season.

Thomas Bruner
has been appointed executive director of Oregon Ballet Theatre through December 2021.

Andrea Blesso
has been named executive director of Sonia Plumb Dance Company.

Ayodele Casel
has been named an artist in residence of Little Island, a new park scheduled to open this year in New York City.

Casel in a warehouse-looking setting, with large windows and wooden floors. She is up on the toe of one of her tap shoes, and kicks her other leg forward.
Ayodele Casel

Patrick Randak, Courtesy Casel

Awards & Honors

Debbie Allen
and Dick Van Dyke are among the 2021 Kennedy Center Honorees.

Jerron Herman
, mayfield brooks, Niall Jones and Anna Martine Whitehead are among the recipients of Foundation for Contemporary Arts’ 2021 Grants to Artists, which are $40,000 unrestricted awards.

Christopher Rudd
and nicHi douglas are among the 2020–21 New Victory LabWorks Artists, which includes a $15,000 grant.