EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The central responsibilities of the Executive Director are as follows:

• Partner with the Artistic Director and Board to implement a new five-year strategic plan.
• In concert with the Artistic Director, work to create synergy and strong collaboration across the organization.
• In concert with the Artistic Director, develop and oversee each season, ensuring fiscal responsibility and viability based on audience engagement and support.
• In concert with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, lead the comprehensive fundraising campaign and related activities with a strategic, hands-on approach; cultivate and expand relationships across the region, grow annual contributed revenue, and secure capital support.
• In concert with the Director of Community Engagement, expand the Ballet’s reach regionally through a wide range of in-school residencies, performance assemblies, before/after-school programs, student matinees, adaptive dance partnerships, audience engagement initiatives, and scholarship opportunities.
• In concert with the Louisville Ballet School Director, work to expand the school’s reach and create a nurturing environment for dance students.
• Represent Louisville Ballet within the greater Louisville metro area and the regional dance community through public speaking opportunities, media interviews, and other forms of community engagement.
• In concert with the Chief Marketing Officer, expand on successful communication strategies and guide the marketing, external messaging, and patron engagement of
• Louisville Ballet with a focus on increasing ticket sales.
• Forge strong relationships with and work actively to continue to build Louisville Ballet’s Board of Directors.
• Align all human and financial resources (including cash flow, budget, and financial systems) in a way that can sustainably realize the strategic and artistic vision for the company.
• Manage direct reports, which include the Chief Philanthropy Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Director of Community Engagement, Director of Finance, and Administrative Assistant/Board Liaison, and any other positions that may fall under the administrative functions of the company.

The successful candidate will be someone who is deemed easily able to establish strong and productive working partnerships with the Artistic Director and the Board; prior experience with building and cultivating such relationships is a strong plus. The successful candidate will also be able to demonstrate the following skill sets and experience:

• Strong passion for building a great cultural institution that can grow significantly.
• Demonstrated success in personally securing philanthropic support in a not-for-profit environment.
• Detail-oriented and methodical about organizational routines and processes.
• A successful management career within the professional performing arts. Dance experience is not required, but serious candidates will have demonstrated enthusiasm for arts and culture.
• A clear knowledge of the ramifications of artistic and budgetary decisions and the need to align them strategically.
• Ability to motivate and lead a team focused on long-term objectives.
• A collaborative, non-political style to work within a partnership and engage staff, Board, and key donors.
• A tenacity and drive to help Louisville Ballet continue to produce beautiful art at a consistently high level.
• Strong social and interpersonal skills in multiple social and business contexts.

The search for the Executive Director is headed by a committee, co-chaired by Pamela Thompson and Janet DenUyl, consisting of five Board members and a trusted advisor. The committee’s desire is to identify a candidate by August 2026, with the new Executive Director on site as soon as possible thereafter.  Interested candidates may email EDSearch@louisvilleballet.org. Please submit a cover letter and resume.

The salary range is $145K-$165K based on experience. Other benefits include health, dental, vision, and optional life insurance policies, as well as paid vacation/holidays.

Louisville Ballet is one of the oldest continuously operating ballet companies in the country and serves as the official state ballet of Kentucky. Founded in 1952, Louisville Ballet has steadily grown to become one of the nation’s leading regional ballet companies and has worked with some of ballet’s brightest lights, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp, Wendy Whelan, and Clinton Luckett, among many others.

Presenting a repertoire that spans beloved classics to bold contemporary works, Louisville Ballet engages with more than 71,000 people annually through performances, education, and community engagement. With over 1,200 students at The Louisville Ballet School and 31,000 reached through community programs, the company is committed to making dance accessible to all and fostering creativity, wellness, and connection across generations. The mission of Louisville Ballet is to inspire, engage, and educate the community through moving art, and the vision is to change lives through dance.

The company operates under a dual leadership structure, jointly led by an Executive Director and an Artistic Director, both of whom report to the Board of Directors. The Artistic Director is Anthony Krutzkamp, a nationally recognized artistic leader. Krutzkamp joined Louisville Ballet from Sacramento Ballet after nearly seven years as Artistic Director and Executive Director.

As Artistic Director of Louisville Ballet, Krutzkamp is responsible for shaping the company’s artistic vision, curating and choreographing productions, guiding and mentoring dancers, and collaborating closely with the Executive Director and staff. Krutzkamp is a former Principal Dancer with Cincinnati Ballet. He has appeared internationally as a guest artist in Asia and Europe, and his choreography has been commissioned by various companies, including Sacramento Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and Nashville Ballet. He co-founded the Kansas City Dance Festival and Moving Arts Cincinnati, and has been recognized by Dance Magazine and Pointe for innovation. Krutzkamp holds a B.S. in Business Management with High Honors from Northeastern University.

Louisville Ballet has just secured an unprecedented, historic $9 million investment as it prepares for its milestone 75th Anniversary Season. The funding, which stems from a strategic public/private partnership, will improve the Ballet’s physical infrastructure, create opportunities to partner with other arts organizations, and enable the Ballet to tour statewide.

Under the leadership of former Chief Executive Officer Leslie Smart, the Ballet’s momentum shifted; Smart strengthened the company’s financial stability through securing more than $18.5 million in philanthropic support since 2023. During its 2025-2026 season, Louisville Ballet enjoyed 13 sold-out performances, in addition to a sold-out performance of Appalachian Spring, produced by the Louisville Orchestra, in which dancers performed on stage in front of the orchestra. Resident Choreographer Andrea Schermoly’s reimagined interpretation brought a fresh, contemporary perspective to Appalachian Spring, blending expressive choreography with Aaron Copland’s iconic score performed live, and highlighting the strength of Louisville’s collaborative arts community.

The Louisville Ballet’s milestone 75th Anniversary Season (2026-2027) features a mix of world-class storytelling and new works:

• Hamlet & Ophelia (Aug 5-9, 2026): A new, free, open-air performance at Louisville’s Central Park during the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival.
• Frankenstein (Oct 30-31, 2026): A new, visceral, and emotional production to open the season at the Brown Theatre.
• The Brown-Forman Nutcracker (Dec 11-21, 2026): The signature holiday tradition, featuring live music by the Louisville Orchestra at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.
• Carmen (Feb 12-13, 2027): A new, stylized, and vibrant production choreographed by Andrea Schermoly at the Brown Theatre.
• Bourbon & Ballet (March 19-21, 2027): A choreographers’ showcase featuring new works by Louisville Ballet Company Artists at Actors Theatre of Louisville.
• Momentum (May 21-23, 2027): A triple bill featuring works by Adam Hougland, Alejandro Cerrudo, and a world premiere work at Actors Theatre.

As part of the triple bill, Louisville Ballet will host the inaugural Commonwealth Choreography Award. This is an international annual award established by Louisville Ballet, made possible through the generosity of visionary anonymous donors. The award is designed to identify, elevate, and invest in exceptional choreographers at pivotal moments in their artistic development — those poised to shape the future of dance on a global scale — while the $100,000 supports the production to showcase the premiere, and provides a generous $25,000 honorarium for the awardee.

Other highlights of the season include a special 75th Anniversary exhibition in partnership with the Filson Historical Society, honoring the company’s rich history. The company will also host a series of special events paired with each production, featuring guest appearances by Louisville Ballet alumna Wendy Whelan, Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet, and Clinton Luckett, Associate Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre.

Louisville Ballet’s professional company includes 24 dancers and a resident character artist. These skilled professional artists, the true heart and soul of our organization and a vital part of our city’s arts community, come from across the globe to live, work, and create here in Louisville. Many of our Company Artists also teach at The Louisville Ballet School and at local dance and fitness studios. The company operates on a 33-week annual contract, offering opportunities for the artists to train daily, perform classical and contemporary works, and make special guest appearances at events around the city. Dancers are supported by professional physical therapy services provided by KORT Physical Therapy, as well as a dedicated physician and care navigator from Norton Healthcare.

To learn more about our Company Artists, click here. 

The Louisville Ballet School, celebrating its 50th Anniversary, is the official training center of Louisville Ballet, committed to the highest level of dance education in the art and artistry of classical ballet, with a strong focus on student outcomes.

The School operates in two locations: within the primary East Main Street studios and at the St. Matthews Studios, located 15 minutes away in one of Louisville’s east-end suburbs. Most classes are taught within the seven studios at the St. Matthews location. The School offers classes from ages 3 months through adult and currently serves over 1,200 students.

The Louisville Ballet Studio Company is a program designed to provide professional-caliber training in technique and artistry in preparation for a professional career in classical ballet, as well as versatility in various derivative styles. Our goal is to further dancers’ education and aid in the aspirations of gaining employment, by providing the opportunity to experience work in a fully professional company environment.

The Studio Company is a four-year program, comprising Levels 7, 8, 9 and 10 — a post-secondary extension of the Pre-Professional Program at The Louisville Ballet School. These emerging artists are essentially the bridge between the School and Company.

In addition to offering our standard training-based track, the Ballet now offers an accredited degree program with Bellarmine University in Louisville. Dancers receive the same high-quality training with the Studio Company while also completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Arts Administration with a focus in Dance.

Louisville Ballet is committed to making the art form accessible to the community of Louisville and beyond. Our community engagement efforts have two primary objectives: to provide access and to build diversity in the world of dance. Programs provide high-quality dance education experiences throughout Kentucky through in-school residencies, performance assemblies, after-school programs, community workshops, and student matinee performances.

Longstanding residencies and partnerships exist in many local schools and social service agencies, including adaptive dance programs for students with and without disabilities. These programs reach over 31,000 participants annually.

Ballet Bound, now in its sixth year, provides young dancers from across Greater Louisville the opportunity to study classical ballet free of charge in a professional setting. Louisville Ballet believes that children should have access to high-quality dance training regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. Ballet Bound is designed to build diversity in the world of ballet while serving as a pathway for dancers to The Louisville Ballet School, Louisville Ballet Studio Company, and eventually a career with Louisville Ballet.

Last year, the Community Engagement program launched a new adaptive dance program for patients with movement disorders at Louisville’s Norton Neuroscience Institute (NNI) in partnership with Bellarmine University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, which is collecting data to research the impact of dance therapy in improving overall health and well-being.

The Louisville Ballet building is located in downtown Louisville on East Main Street. The award-winning facility is a modern, warehouse-inspired building built in 1995, including two large studios with sprung floors, administrative offices, a costume shop, costume storage, physical therapy, and a gym. In addition, two off-site warehouses house multiple sets and the production shop.

The majority of Louisville Ballet’s performances occur at the Brown Theatre, a 1,400-seat venue built in 1925, while The Brown-Forman Nutcracker is performed at Whitney Hall, a 2,377-seat multi-purpose facility at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. The Ballet is one of several resident companies of Kentucky Performing Arts, which also includes the Louisville Orchestra, Kentucky Opera, and Broadway Across America — Louisville.

Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky, with a population of approximately 780,000, and the anchor in a metropolitan region of more than 1.4 million people. Beyond iconic brands like KFC and Louisville Slugger, Louisville is consistently recognized as a top food city and continues to grow as a premier tourist destination, fueled in part by the thriving bourbon industry. Louisville describes itself as “passionately independent, progressively friendly, and always welcoming.”

With a historically vibrant and expanding arts community — including Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Louisville Orchestra, StageOne Family Theatre, Kentucky Shakespeare, Kentucky Opera, the Speed Art Museum, and Louisville Ballet, among many others — arts and cultural organizations in the Greater Louisville region generate more than $350 million annually in revenue. These organizations attract audiences and visitors from across the state and throughout the region, reinforcing Louisville’s role as a cultural hub.

To learn more about Louisville and its arts community, visit: Louisville Ballet | GoToLouisville.com Official Travel Source and  GoToLouisville.com.