BalletMet Artistic Director Information

Thank you for your interest in the Artistic Director position. BalletMet is not accepting applications at this time.

Our Vision and Mission

To create and foster world-class art and artists that inspire Columbus and beyond.

To entertain, engage and educate through dance.

Position Announcement-Duties & Responsibilities

BalletMet Seeks Artistic Director

Overview: BalletMet, a professional ballet company and school located in Columbus, Ohio, operating on a $8 million budget, invites applications for the position of Artistic Director. BalletMet seeks an individual with artistic vision and leadership skills to develop artistic plans and programs for the 26-member Company and to provide direction for its Dance Academy. The ideal candidate will recruit, train, and supervise all artistic personnel including guest artists; and deliver high quality performances and services to the community in partnership with the Board of Trustees and the Executive Director. Candidates should be committed to a diverse repertoire that includes classical, narrative and contemporary ballets, and the creation of new work. Performances are presented in the 2,700-seat historic Ohio Theatre, the 900-seat Capitol Theatre and in BalletMet’s own 225-seat Performance Space.

Qualifications: Significant experience with professional ballet companies, including performing, teaching, choreography and artistic administration. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Candidate Profile

Candidate must articulate a clear artistic vision and also demonstrate a commitment to the high standards of the classical vocabulary in training and repertoire. The artistic director should be committed to the full breadth of classical and contemporary ballet repertoire.
Candidate must demonstrate ability to work cooperatively with a community board of trustees, executive director and professional artistic/management team. Candidate should have team-building skills, be a consensus builder, and be a clear, persuasive and articulate communicator.
Candidate should have experience and ability to provide direction and oversight to a large Dance Academy with professional and avocational divisions and community engagement/access programs.
Candidate should exhibit fiscal responsibility and sensitivity to budget restraints as well as the ability to offer creative compromises. Candidate should have a willingness to participate in fundraising activities and to create a season that develops and responds to community interests.
Candidate should be able to think strategically and to articulate long-range plans and goals.
Candidate should have significant dance experience, including:
- Major performing career
- Choreography and/or staging
- Programming and management of diverse repertoire in diverse venues
- Production management
- Teaching, coaching, rehearsing and mentoring professional dancers

The BalletMet Artistic Director reports directly to the BalletMet Board of Trustees and is responsible for leading the artistic efforts of the organization consistent with BalletMet’s mission and core principles. The Artistic Director shall concentrate his or her efforts in:

Planning and implementing seasons of productions in collaboration with the Executive Director and other appropriate departments, which demonstrate the full breadth of classical and contemporary ballet repertoire. The production seasons should develop and respond to community interests.
Overseeing all artistic aspects of performances including casting, choreography and staging, music and design;
Utilizing both renowned and emerging talent to choreograph new artistic works;
Coaching, rehearsing, developing and mentoring professional dancers;
Recruiting, hiring, supervising and evaluating artistic and technical personnel;
Working collaboratively with the BalletMet Executive Director in developing the annual budget, planning strategic and long term goals and enhancing and promoting the BalletMet brand;
Engaging with the community serving as spokesperson for BalletMet’s artistic vision/endeavors via speaking engagements, public and social appearances, fundraising events and solicitations.

Other responsibilities include:

Providing direction and oversight to the Dance Academy, including its Trainee and avocational divisions in collaboration with the Executive Director;
Providing direction and oversight to the education and community engagement programs in Collaboration with the Executive Director;
Attending Board meetings and appropriate committee meetings;
Fostering the development of good relations with other community artistic and cultural organizations by participating in meetings and joint activities where appropriate;
Representing and actively promoting BalletMet in the national and international dance community;
Evaluating touring opportunities that will enhance the reputation and/or revenue of the ballet company.

BalletMet is an EOE.

Keep scrolling for more information on BalletMet.

About Us

For 45 years, BalletMet has served as a vital artistic, cultural, and educational resource for Central Ohio. Founded in 1974 as a civic company and school, BalletMet hired its first professional dancers in 1978 and has attracted world-class artists and choreographers to the region ever since. Today, BalletMet ranks among the largest ballet companies in the country, serving as cultural ambassadors for Central Ohio. We have performed in 28 states and toured internationally in Canada, Egypt, Poland, Spain, and Russia.

COMPANY

BalletMet is recognized for innovative artistry, exceptional dancers, and rigorous dance training. We perform ballets by leading choreographers that attract regional and national audiences. In our history, we have performed more than 200 world premiere ballets. Recent collaborators have included Amy Seiwert, Dana Genshaft, Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. We have been granted performance rights for world-renowned choreography by William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Twyla Tharp, Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine. Our local performances take place in the historic 2700 seat Ohio Theatre, the 900 seat Jo Ann Davidson Theatre located in the Riffe State office building and our own 225 seat black box performance space.

BalletMet company dancers are world-class artists selected through highly competitive, national auditions. Our dancers have trained at schools and performed with companies around the world. BalletMet artists are experienced in a wide range of styles and techniques, and they excel in diverse and demanding choreography.

Over its history, BalletMet has had five artistic directors – Wayne Soulant, John McFall, David Nixon, Gerard Charles and Edwaard Liang. Each brought their artistry and leadership to BalletMet to help serve our community through dance and grow the organization.

BalletMet strives through a variety of initiatives to make dance accessible to our entire community.

ACADEMY

The BalletMet Academy, one of the largest schools of its kind associated with a professional company, provides rigorous ballet training unmatched in the region and serves as a resource for dancers of all ages and skill levels. The Dance Academy is the only local school that provides opportunities for young dancers to perform in professional shows. The Academy is also home to BalletMet’s nationally and internationally recognized Trainee program, in which students train six days a week in preparation for professional dance careers. BalletMet trainees have gone on to perform with prestigious ballet companies including Miami City Ballet, Memphis Ballet, and San Antonio Ballet.

Each year, the BalletMet Summer Intensive brings promising students from around the country to spend five weeks training at our studios in downtown Columbus. Since the pandemic, BalletMet has seen extraordinary growth in our summer programs. Last summer, BalletMet added a new program, Partnering Week, to attract promising young artists to our Academy. We initially anticipated enrolling approximately 40 students, but student interest far outpaced expectations. 70 students participated in the program, with 50 students on the waitlist. We believe the success of Partnering Week demonstrates that there is sufficient student interest to continue expanding our Academy offerings.

In 2014, BalletMet founded BalletMet 2, a second company of early career dancers who receive a modest stipend to train and perform with the professional company. Additionally, BalletMet 2 dancers serve as community ambassadors who perform at local events and in schools. Many BalletMet 2 dancers have gone on to successful careers at BalletMet and other professional companies including Atlanta Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Alberta Ballet, and more.

Two programs provide free Academy training to under-resourced students. Soar on Saturdays, in partnership with the King Arts Complex, offers a series of free dance lessons for students with no prior dance experience. Classes are held in a variety of styles at both the BalletMet and KAC campuses. The recently expanded Discover Dance program offers full tuition scholarships and free dancewear to students selected through an audition process that may be renewed on an annual basis. Current BalletMet company dancer Vincent Van Harris began his ballet training as a Discover Dance student in 2010, demonstrating the importance of access programs that support students in the long term.

BalletMet 2 dancers at a Movement Makers Lecture Demonstration.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

BalletMet offers two complimentary ticket programs to expand access to our performances. The first is KidTix, a longstanding program which distributes free tickets to children and families in need through partnerships with social services, faith-based, and special needs organizations. In September 2022, BalletMet piloted an additional ticket access program with Columbus City Schools that offered free tickets to BalletMet at the Ohio to CCS students and families. More than 2,000 individuals attended as a result of the offer, many of whom had never seen a ballet before. In February, we decided to expand the program to students from both CCS and Reynoldsburg City Schools for Dorothy and the Prince of Oz. Demand was so high that after just a few hours, we were able to give away 5,000 tickets to students and families. We look forward to continuing to develop this successful method for engaging with local families.

Another way BalletMet creates accessibility is through our in-school programming. BalletMet works closely with local school districts and other programs that serve diverse student populations. Studies have shown that participation in the arts can help students achieve positive academic, social, and economic outcomes throughout their lives. Dance education is associated with positive physical and emotional health outcomes. However, in Franklin County, just 1% of students are enrolled in dance during the school day. BalletMet fills an unmet need for high quality movement education in schools.

BalletMet performing The Nutcracker in 2022.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

BalletMet recognizes that there are ways in which our organization and our art form can grow to better reflect the diversity of our world. Anti-racist practices help us create better art and build better relationships across our community. To that end, BalletMet works to understand the ways in which we can better serve our diverse artists, students, and audience members.

Three years ago, BalletMet founded our Anti-Racism and Equity Coalition consisting of community leaders, company dancers, staff, and organizational leadership who review our practices and advise us on the best methods for engaging our entire community. The Coalition examines all aspects of our organizational structure including governance, policies, programming, marketing, communication, education, and staff training. We recognize that lasting change requires long-term commitment and will continue working with our Coalition to identify ways we can grow in accordance with our values.

BalletMet has been working with Dr. Nyama McCarthy-Brown, an Assistant Professor of Community Engagement through Dance Pedagogy at the Ohio State University, as an ongoing consultant to help us achieve our anti-racism and equity goals. Dr. McCarthy-Brown authored Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Research, Theory, and Practice and has published research in the Journal of African American Studies, the Journal of Dance Education, Arts Education Policy Review, Research in Dance Education, Whiteness in Education, and the International Journal of Education and the Arts. Dr. McCarthy-Brown works with several organizations in addition to BalletMet including San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and the Rutgers Dance Department. Dr. McCarthy-Brown provides training on internalized bias in the dance field for BalletMet staff and board members.

Several recent initiatives help us to develop as a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization:

BalletMet’s professional company has grown to include more BIPOC dancers, ensuring our stage productions reflect the diversity of our community. For the 2022-2023 season, 46% of our professional dancers identified as BIPOC.
BalletMet will welcome several new BIPOC-identifying board members in 2023-24 as part of our ongoing efforts to diversify our board and leadership.
BalletMet costuming and uniforms now reflect appropriate skin tones for both our professional dancers and Dance Academy students.
BalletMet is committed to expanding access to dance to all members of our community. In our 2022-2023 season, BalletMet partnered with Columbus City Schools and nearby Reynoldsburg City Schools to make free performance tickets available to local families. 78% of CSS students identify as BIPOC, as do 71% of RCS students. BalletMet shared more than 5,000 tickets with families from these school communities last season.
We surveyed our Dance Academy students on belonging and inclusion, helping us better understand how to support students with a variety of life experiences.
We conducted a full audit of our social media and marketing presence to ensure our commitment to equity was reflected in our public messaging.
Posts on the BalletMet blog and social media accounts in honor of Black History Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrated BIPOC-identifying members of our company, Academy, staff, and community.
Prominent Black visiting artists strengthened our artistry last season:
- Christina Johnson, a former dancer with Boston Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem, taught a week of company classes.
- Guest principal dancer Brooklyn Mack inspired audiences as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, the first Black dancer to perform this iconic role.

COMMUNITY

Columbus, Ohio is the state capital and 14^th largest city in the United States. It is home to The Ohio State University, many international corporations, and a vibrant arts and culture community. The central Ohio region is becoming a preferred destination for major corporations such as Wells Fargo, Intel, Google and Honda. It was announced in 2022 that Columbus will soon be home to one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing plants. Intel will make an initial $20 Billion investment to build two new chip factories and Honda announced it is investing $3.5 billion to support a battery plant. It has a robust and growing workforce, affordable living and logistical infrastructure which attracts new business and residents from around the world. Columbus has been described as a friendly city of sleek modern high-rises mixed with century-old buildings along the Scioto River.

Columbus loves art, so there is a focus on performance, theatres, galleries, museums and cultural activities. Year-round performances fill theatres, including the Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, and Lincoln Theatre. Patrons and artists look forward to annual events like the Columbus Art Festival, which drew around 50,000 visitors last year and features over 200 visual artists from around the country. Of course you can also catch the Nutcracker ballet performed by BalletMet every holiday season.

Columbus is one of the most diverse Midwestern cities, highlighted by large Japanese, Korean and Indian populations. It is also home to the second-largest Somali population in the U.S. Columbus is also an LGBTQ+ friendly city.

For 45 years, BalletMet has served as a vital artistic, cultural, and educational resource for Central Ohio. Founded in 1974 as a civic company and school, BalletMet hired its first professional dancers in 1978 and has attracted world-class artists and choreographers to the region ever since. Today, BalletMet ranks among the largest ballet companies in the country, serving as cultural ambassadors for Central Ohio. We have performed in 28 states and toured internationally in Canada, Egypt, Poland, Spain, and Russia.

COMPANY

BalletMet is recognized for innovative artistry, exceptional dancers, and rigorous dance training. We perform ballets by leading choreographers that attract regional and national audiences. In our history, we have performed more than 200 world premiere ballets. Recent collaborators have included Amy Seiwert, Dana Genshaft, Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. We have been granted performance rights for world-renowned choreography by William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Twyla Tharp, Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine. Our local performances take place in the historic 2700 seat Ohio Theatre, the 900 seat Jo Ann Davidson Theatre located in the Riffe State office building and our own 225 seat black box performance space.

BalletMet company dancers are world-class artists selected through highly competitive, national auditions. Our dancers have trained at schools and performed with companies around the world. BalletMet artists are experienced in a wide range of styles and techniques, and they excel in diverse and demanding choreography.

Over its history, BalletMet has had five artistic directors – Wayne Soulant, John McFall, David Nixon, Gerard Charles and Edwaard Liang. Each brought their artistry and leadership to BalletMet to help serve our community through dance and grow the organization.

BalletMet strives through a variety of initiatives to make dance accessible to our entire community.

ACADEMY

The BalletMet Academy, one of the largest schools of its kind associated with a professional company, provides rigorous ballet training unmatched in the region and serves as a resource for dancers of all ages and skill levels. The Dance Academy is the only local school that provides opportunities for young dancers to perform in professional shows. The Academy is also home to BalletMet’s nationally and internationally recognized Trainee program, in which students train six days a week in preparation for professional dance careers. BalletMet trainees have gone on to perform with prestigious ballet companies including Miami City Ballet, Memphis Ballet, and San Antonio Ballet.

Each year, the BalletMet Summer Intensive brings promising students from around the country to spend five weeks training at our studios in downtown Columbus. Since the pandemic, BalletMet has seen extraordinary growth in our summer programs. Last summer, BalletMet added a new program, Partnering Week, to attract promising young artists to our Academy. We initially anticipated enrolling approximately 40 students, but student interest far outpaced expectations. 70 students participated in the program, with 50 students on the waitlist. We believe the success of Partnering Week demonstrates that there is sufficient student interest to continue expanding our Academy offerings.

In 2014, BalletMet founded BalletMet 2, a second company of early career dancers who receive a modest stipend to train and perform with the professional company. Additionally, BalletMet 2 dancers serve as community ambassadors who perform at local events and in schools. Many BalletMet 2 dancers have gone on to successful careers at BalletMet and other professional companies including Atlanta Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Alberta Ballet, and more.

Two programs provide free Academy training to under-resourced students. Soar on Saturdays, in partnership with the King Arts Complex, offers a series of free dance lessons for students with no prior dance experience. Classes are held in a variety of styles at both the BalletMet and KAC campuses. The recently expanded Discover Dance program offers full tuition scholarships and free dancewear to students selected through an audition process that may be renewed on an annual basis. Current BalletMet company dancer Vincent Van Harris began his ballet training as a Discover Dance student in 2010, demonstrating the importance of access programs that support students in the long term.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

BalletMet offers two complimentary ticket programs to expand access to our performances. The first is KidTix, a longstanding program which distributes free tickets to children and families in need through partnerships with social services, faith-based, and special needs organizations. In September 2022, BalletMet piloted an additional ticket access program with Columbus City Schools that offered free tickets to BalletMet at the Ohio to CCS students and families. More than 2,000 individuals attended as a result of the offer, many of whom had never seen a ballet before. In February, we decided to expand the program to students from both CCS and Reynoldsburg City Schools for Dorothy and the Prince of Oz. Demand was so high that after just a few hours, we were able to give away 5,000 tickets to students and families. We look forward to continuing to develop this successful method for engaging with local families.

Another way BalletMet creates accessibility is through our in-school programming. BalletMet works closely with local school districts and other programs that serve diverse student populations. Studies have shown that participation in the arts can help students achieve positive academic, social, and economic outcomes throughout their lives. Dance education is associated with positive physical and emotional health outcomes. However, in Franklin County, just 1% of students are enrolled in dance during the school day. BalletMet fills an unmet need for high quality movement education in schools.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

BalletMet recognizes that there are ways in which our organization and our art form can grow to better reflect the diversity of our world. Anti-racist practices help us create better art and build better relationships across our community. To that end, BalletMet works to understand the ways in which we can better serve our diverse artists, students, and audience members.

Three years ago, BalletMet founded our Anti-Racism and Equity Coalition consisting of community leaders, company dancers, staff, and organizational leadership who review our practices and advise us on the best methods for engaging our entire community. The Coalition examines all aspects of our organizational structure including governance, policies, programming, marketing, communication, education, and staff training. We recognize that lasting change requires long-term commitment and will continue working with our Coalition to identify ways we can grow in accordance with our values.

BalletMet has been working with Dr. Nyama McCarthy-Brown, an Assistant Professor of Community Engagement through Dance Pedagogy at the Ohio State University, as an ongoing consultant to help us achieve our anti-racism and equity goals. Dr. McCarthy-Brown authored Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Research, Theory, and Practice and has published research in the Journal of African American Studies, the Journal of Dance Education, Arts Education Policy Review, Research in Dance Education, Whiteness in Education, and the International Journal of Education and the Arts. Dr. McCarthy-Brown works with several organizations in addition to BalletMet including San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and the Rutgers Dance Department. Dr. McCarthy-Brown provides training on internalized bias in the dance field for BalletMet staff and board members.

Several recent initiatives help us to develop as a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization:

BalletMet’s professional company has grown to include more BIPOC dancers, ensuring our stage productions reflect the diversity of our community. For the 2022-2023 season, 46% of our professional dancers identified as BIPOC.
BalletMet will welcome several new BIPOC-identifying board members in 2023-24 as part of our ongoing efforts to diversify our board and leadership.
BalletMet costuming and uniforms now reflect appropriate skin tones for both our professional dancers and Dance Academy students.
BalletMet is committed to expanding access to dance to all members of our community. In our 2022-2023 season, BalletMet partnered with Columbus City Schools and nearby Reynoldsburg City Schools to make free performance tickets available to local families. 78% of CSS students identify as BIPOC, as do 71% of RCS students. BalletMet shared more than 5,000 tickets with families from these school communities last season.
We surveyed our Dance Academy students on belonging and inclusion, helping us better understand how to support students with a variety of life experiences.
We conducted a full audit of our social media and marketing presence to ensure our commitment to equity was reflected in our public messaging.
Posts on the BalletMet blog and social media accounts in honor of Black History Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebrated BIPOC-identifying members of our company, Academy, staff, and community.
Prominent Black visiting artists strengthened our artistry last season:
- Christina Johnson, a former dancer with Boston Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem, taught a week of company classes.
- Guest principal dancer Brooklyn Mack inspired audiences as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, the first Black dancer to perform this iconic role.

COMMUNITY

Columbus, Ohio is the state capital and 14^th largest city in the United States. It is home to The Ohio State University, many international corporations, and a vibrant arts and culture community. The central Ohio region is becoming a preferred destination for major corporations such as Wells Fargo, Intel, Google and Honda. It was announced in 2022 that Columbus will soon be home to one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing plants. Intel will make an initial $20 Billion investment to build two new chip factories and Honda announced it is investing $3.5 billion to support a battery plant. It has a robust and growing workforce, affordable living and logistical infrastructure which attracts new business and residents from around the world. Columbus has been described as a friendly city of sleek modern high-rises mixed with century-old buildings along the Scioto River.

Columbus loves art, so there is a focus on performance, theatres, galleries, museums and cultural activities. Year-round performances fill theatres, including the Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, and Lincoln Theatre. Patrons and artists look forward to annual events like the Columbus Art Festival, which drew around 50,000 visitors last year and features over 200 visual artists from around the country. Of course you can also catch the Nutcracker ballet performed by BalletMet every holiday season.

Columbus is one of the most diverse Midwestern cities, highlighted by large Japanese, Korean and Indian populations. It is also home to the second-largest Somali population in the U.S. Columbus is also an LGBTQ+ friendly city.

Company Dancers dancing in Edwaard Liang's Seasons

Images by Jennifer Zmuda