News of Note: What You Might Have Missed in September 2023
Here are the latest promotions, appointments, and departures, as well as notable awards and accomplishments, from September 2023. Plus, new or newly available funding opportunities for dance artists.
Comings & Goings
Jodie Gates has stepped down as artistic director of Cincinnati Ballet. Rehearsal director Cervilio Miguel Amador will serve as acting artistic director for the 2023–24 season. President and CEO Scott Altman will depart the organization at the end of 2023. He will be succeeded by Deborah S. Brant in an interim capacity.
Mikelle Bruzina and Harald Uwe Kern have been appointed artistic directors of Louisville Ballet. Former rehearsal director Helen Daigle has been named principal repetiteur and senior rehearsal director.
Marcus Jarrell Willis has been named artistic director of Phoenix Dance Theatre, beginning in October.
Ty King-Wall has been named artistic director of Royal New Zealand Ballet, succeeding interim artistic director David McAllister in November.
Richmond Ballet artistic director Stoner Winslett will step down at the end of the 2023–24 season, moving into an advisory role as founding artistic director in July. She will be succeeded by current associate artistic director Ma Cong.
Minnesota Dance Theatre artistic director Lise Houlton has retired. Her daughter Kaitlyn Gilliland has been named interim artistic director for the 2023–24 season.
Harriet Clark and Calvin Hilpert have joined American Repertory Ballet as rehearsal directors.
Cameron Morgan has been named executive director of the Vilar Performing Arts Center, which hosts Vail Dance Festival. He succeeds Owen Hutchinson, who has been named artistic director.
White Bird cofounders Walter Jaffe and Paul King have retired, though they continue to serve as co-presidents of its board of directors. Executive director Graham Cole has assumed sole leadership of the organization.
Julieanne Ehre has left her post as director of Pivot Arts to serve as assistant director for programming and engagement at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Former Disney Theatrical president and producer Thomas Schumacher has shifted to the role of chief creative officer. Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart have been named executive vice presidents.
Yoshiaki Nokano and William Moore have been named choreographers in residence at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. Both will continue to perform with the company.
Awards & Honors
The 2023 Bessies Angel Award Honorees are adrienne maree brown, Lane Harwell, Young Soon Kim, and Gus Solomons jr.
New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project has awarded production grants, which includes $45,000 towards the creation of a new dance work, $11,500 for production residencies, and $10,000 unrestricted funds, to Baye & Asa, Ladies of Hip-Hop, inkBoat, RUPTURE, Adia Tamar Whitaker & Àse Dance Theater, Kayla Hamilton, Jenn Freeman, dani tirrell, Jasmine Hearn, Keshet Dance Company, Litebulb/LB Productions, DaEun Jung, Nejla Yatkin Dance, Kayla Farrish, Viver Brasil, Nava Dance Theatre, Morgan Thorson, Jay Carlon, Christal Brown/INSPIRIT, and SOLE Defined. Additionally, $10,000 Finalist Awards were granted to Big Dance Theater, Ananya Dance Theatre, Bridge Live Arts, Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape, Kyle Marshall Choreography, Dance Exchange, Prehistoric Body Theater, PUSH Physical Theatre, Inc., Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, little house dance, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener, CONTRA-TIEMPO, Jesse Factor, Hope Boykin, DNAWORKS, Jody Kuehner/Cherdonna Shinatra, Blue13 Dance Company, Culture Mill, and Yayoi Kambara.
New Funding Opportunities
Dance/NYC’s Disability. Dance. Artistry. Dance and Social Justice Fellowship Program will award $1,500-$4,000 grants to reimburse individual disabled dance workers for expenses incurred from engaging in dance and/or social justice activities from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. Application deadline is October 10 at 5 pm ET, more information available here.
New York State DanceForce has begun accepting applications for its 2024 New York State Choreographers Initiative, which will award 12 artists studio time, dancers, mentorship, and a $2,500 stipend. Application deadline is December 7. More information available here.
