COMMONWEALTH CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD

Artistic Director

Anthony Krutzkamp is the former Artistic and Executive Director of Sacramento Ballet, where he led a dynamic revitalization of the company. Under his leadership, Sacramento Ballet achieved record-breaking ticket sales, launched a groundbreaking Second Company, and awarded more than $125,000 annually in student scholarships. He expanded the repertoire to include works by George Balanchine, Alejandro Cerrudo, Penny Saunders, Ihsan Rustem, and others, while also creating acclaimed productions of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

In 2023, Krutzkamp brought the company to perform at the Bremerhaven International
Summer Gala in Germany, marking Sacramento Ballet as the only American troupe to participate. His tenure has also seen the development of the company’s first endowment and the production of a new Sacramento’s Nutcracker, reflecting his
blend of visionary leadership and financial acumen.

A former principal dancer with Cincinnati Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, Krutzkamp performed leading roles in both classical and contemporary works, from Romeo and Juliet to Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco. He co-founded the Kansas City Dance Festival and Moving Arts, fostering national and international collaborations, and directed Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company. Recognized as a visionary leader, Krutzkamp blended artistry, community engagement, and strategic growth to position Sacramento Ballet as a vibrant cultural force. A Kentucky native, he is also a husband and father of two girls.

Krutzkamp holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with high honors from Northeastern University and a certificate from Cornell University. His rare combination of artistic excellence, strategic planning, and community-centered leadership continues to shape the future of American ballet.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential dancers of her generation, Wendy Whelan serves as the Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet. Her appointment in 2019 marked a homecoming to the institution where she spent three decades defining the standard for contemporary classical dance.

Performance Legacy
During her storied 30-year career at NYCB, 23 of those as a Principal Dancer, Whelan became the most choreographed-on dancer in the company’s history. Her vast repertoire included:

• Masterworks: Principal roles in over 125 ballets, including virtually every major work by George Balanchine.
• Collaborations: A deep artistic partnership with Jerome Robbins and world premieres by modern masters such as Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe, and Alexei Ratmansky.
• Global Reach: Guest appearances with The Royal Ballet and The Mariinsky Ballet, performing on four continents.

Artistic Leadership & Innovation
Since retiring from the stage in 2014, Whelan has remained at the forefront of the cultural landscape through multi-disciplinary collaborations with artists like Lucinda Childs and Kyle Abraham. As Associate Artistic Director, she now oversees the artistic direction of NYCB alongside Jonathan Stafford, focusing on diversifying the company’s repertoire and nurturing the next generation of choreographic voices.

Born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Norton is an internationally acclaimed artist whose career spans the premier stages of South America, North America, and Europe. His technical foundation is rooted in the world’s most prestigious traditions, having trained at the School of Ballet Vera Bublitz, the Bolshoi Ballet School (Brazil), and the School of The Washington Ballet.

Global Career Highlights
Renowned for his versatility and commanding stage presence, Norton has held Leading Dancer positions at several of the world’s most distinguished companies:

• Europe: Ballet du Capitole (France) and Dortmund Ballet (Germany).
• United States: The Washington Ballet and Tulsa Ballet.
• Brasil: São Paulo Companhia de Dança.

Throughout his career, Norton has balanced the rigorous precision of classical ballet with the athletic demands of contemporary repertoire, establishing himself as a refined and dynamic force in the international dance community.