American Ballet Theatre: Who Is the Current Artistic Director?
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is one of the leading ballet companies in the world, performing an eclectic mix of classical and contemporary ballets to an international audience. Founded in 1940 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, ABT has grown to become a major force in the dance world and continues to bring some of the best talent from around the globe to its stages.
The artistic director of a company is responsible for deciding on repertoire, setting artistic standards, and developing the company’s overall style. At ABT, the current artistic director is Kevin McKenzie.
McKenzie was born in Canada and began his ballet training at Canada’s National Ballet School. He went on to dance with American Ballet Theatre for 20 years before being appointed as artistic director in 1992. As a dancer, he was known for his strong technique and dramatic acting ability, which have been essential elements of his tenure as artistic director.
Since taking over as artistic director, McKenzie has focused on creating a diverse repertoire by presenting both classic ballets by choreographers such as Marius Petipa and George Balanchine as well as more modern works by choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon. He has also revived many production pieces from the company’s past such as Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo and Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free.
McKenzie has also worked to expand ABT’s reach beyond its home base of New York City through international tours that have taken them to over 40 countries around the world. His commitment to bringing ballet to new audiences is evidenced by ABT’s productions of The Nutcracker that are performed annually at venues across the United States including Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Under McKenzie’s leadership ABT has achieved critical acclaim with numerous awards including Tony Awards for Best Choreography for its productions of Fosse (1999) and The Great Gatsby (2000), four Olivier Awards (London’s equivalent of Tony Awards), eight Emmy Awards for its Live From Lincoln Center telecasts, five Astaire Awards (theatre awards recognizing dancers), two Laurence Olivier Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Dance (1996-97 season).
Kevin McKenzie is currently serving his 27th season as Artistic Director at American Ballet Theatre where he continues to strive for excellence in all aspects of production from repertoire selection to casting choices. His dedication has helped make ABT one of the most successful ballet companies in the world today.
Conclusion: Kevin McKenzie is currently serving his 27th season as Artistic Director at American Ballet Theatre where he continues to strive for excellence through repertoire selection and casting choices that have helped make ABT one of the most successful ballet companies today.