News of Note: What You Might Have Missed in April 2024
Here are the latest promotions, appointments, and departures, as well as notable awards and accomplishments, from April 2024.
Comings & Goings
Claire Kretzschmar has been named artistic director of Ballet Hartford, beginning in August. She succeeds co-founder Leyna Doran, who will become executive director.
Daniela Cardim will succeed Ib Andersen as artistic director of Ballet Arizona on July 1. Andersen will be artistic director emeritus.
Mary Jennings has been appointed executive director of Grand Rapids Ballet, succeeding Glenn Del Vecchio in June.
Melanie Paglia has joined Pittsburgh’s Kelly Strayhorn Theater as co-executive director, joining current executive director Joseph Hall as the theater moves to a co-leadership model.
At Ballet West, David Huffmire has been promoted to principal artist, Lillian Casscells and Rylee Rogers to demi-soloist, effective with the start of the 2024–25 season. First soloist Chelsea Keefer and demi-soloist Olivia Gusti will retire at the conclusion of the current season.
At San Francisco Ballet, effective in July, Kamryn Baldwin, Carmela Mayo, and Joshua Jack Price have been promoted to soloist. Dores André and Max Cauthorn will return to the company as principals. Fernando Carratalá Coloma and Victor Prigent join from English National Ballet as soloists.
At Alberta Ballet, Aaron Anker and Alexandra Hughes have been promoted to principal, Scotto Hamed-Ramos and Allison Perhach to soloist.
At Birmingham Royal Ballet, Beatrice Parma has been promoted to principal, effective at the start of the 2024–25 season.
At Staatsballett Berlin, beginning with the 2024–25 season, Weronika Frodyma, Martin ten Kortenaar, and Haruka Sassa have been promoted to principal; Danielle Muir and Kalle Wigle to soloist; and Marina Duarte, Gregor Glocke, Leroy Mokgatle, and Clotide Tran to demi-soloist.
At Miami City Ballet, Francisco Schilereff has been promoted to soloist.
New York City Ballet principal Andrew Veyette will retire from the company at the end of the 2024–25 season. His final performance is scheduled for May 25, 2025.
Pacific Northwest Ballet rehearsal director Otto Neubert will retire at the end of the current season.
Yanis Pikieris has stepped down as co-artistic director of the Miami International Ballet Competition.
Awards & Honors
Shamel Pitts and Acosia Red Elk are among the recipients of 2024 Doris Duke Artist Awards, which includes a $525,000 unrestricted grant and an additional $25,000 in retirement funds.
2024 Guggenheim Fellows include Rosie Herrera, Ryan K. Johnson, Hari Krishnan, Rebecca Lazier, Victor Quijada, amara tabor-smith, and Abby Zbikowski in the field of choreography, and Emily Wilcox in the field of dance studies.
Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow has been named a 2024 Rainin Arts Fellow, which includes a $100,000 unrestricted award.
Jake Roxander and Frances Lorraine Samson are among the winners of the 2024 Clive Barnes Award for Dance and Theatre, which includes a $5,000 award.
Winners at the 2024 Olivier Awards included Isabela Coracy (Outstanding Achievement in Dance, Mthuthuzeli November’s NINA: By Whatever Means at Ballet Black), Gabriela Carrizo (Best New Dance Production, La Ruta for Nederlands Dans Theater), and Arlene Phillips with James Cousins (Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer, Guys & Dolls).
Bernadette Peters will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Chita Rivera Awards, which will be presented May 20.
