Description

Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Under the artistic direction of Victoria Morgan since 1997, Cincinnati Ballet has become a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world premiere pieces and exploring unique collaborations with artists as diverse as Grammy winning guitarist Peter Frampton and popular, Ohio-based band Over the Rhine.

The mission of Cincinnati Ballet is as follows:

To enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and outreach in local to global communities.

Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education outreach programs, and offers top level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy.

Cincinnati Ballet has long had a commitment to collaborating with artists and choreographers from underrepresented groups. For the 2020-2021 season, nearly two thirds of programmed works were created by women and/or BIPOC individuals. Performed as a free, outdoor program this past Spring, the Kaplan New Works Series, entitled Unheard Voices, focused on themes of marginalization, isolation, and allyship. Women’s suffrage, racial injustice, and immigration were among the topics explored.

For more information about Cincinnati Ballet’s mission and history go to: https://cballet.org/mission-history/

 CURRENT ENVIRONMENT 

Season, Venues, Facility

In recent years, Cincinnati Ballet has experienced growth organization-wide. Attendance numbers for the Company’s professional, mainstage productions have grown from 58,000 during the 2015-2016 Season to 70,400 in the 2018-2019 Season. Cincinnati Ballet also increased the number of performance offerings each season, with added Thursday evening performances and the annual Family Series.

The Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance – the Ballet’s new home – will dramatically expand the company’s ability to serve its mission. The size of the new ballet center is dramatically larger than its previous home, providing ample space for the professional company, as well as the Otto M. Budig Academy, and other specialized programming. The 57,000 square foot building houses nine studios. Designed by the world-renowned architecture firm GBBN, the Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance features a sleek, streamlined exterior that boasts panoramic views of downtown Cincinnati from its two largest studios. The modern, innovative design is sure to become an iconic landmark in the landscape of the Walnut Hills neighborhood and Cincinnati as a whole.

The Aronoff Center for the Arts – the Company’s performance venue – is better known to Cincinnatians as simply the Aronoff, a nod to Senator Stanley Aronoff, whose vision for a performing arts center in his hometown came to fruition in 1995. Designed by internationally renowned architect César Pelli and fronting three streets in the heart of downtown (Walnut, Seventh, and Main), the Aronoff Center is just a block away from Fountain Square and many of the City’s finest restaurants and hotels.

The Aronoff Center is home to three versatile performance spaces. The 2,700-seat Procter & Gamble Hall hosts major performances including much of Cincinnati Ballet’s performance season, while the 437-seat Jarson-Kaplan Theater is the ideal setting for a variety of other local theater and dance presentations. The Ballet performs its annual production of The Nutcracker and at least one other full-length work in The Music Hall, a stunning 2500-seat venue built in 1878; it underwent a major renovation in 2017. The Music Hall is also home to Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera.

Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy

Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy is the region’s preeminent dance training program. With a mission to inspire excellence through the power of dance, the Academy serves students and families throughout the greater Cincinnati area through pre-professional dance training, unparalleled performance opportunities, and a strong connection to Cincinnati Ballet. With nationally and internationally recognized faculty, the Academy offers comprehensive dance education through six school year divisions, adult fitness classes, and specialized summer training programs. With a current enrollment of nearly 600 students, the Academy also boasts a Professional Training Division of 20 aspiring dancers. Summer intensive enrollment will reach 160+ students, with total summer enrollment approaching 500 students.

Community Engagement

The organization’s signature engagement program, CincyDance!, introduces thousands of elementary students to dance, increasing their confidence, self-esteem, and physical fitness. CincyDance! is split into three components: in-school residencies, Ballet Foundations classes, and scholarships to the Otto M. Budig Academy. The Ballet Moves program provides year-round weekly ballet/creative movement classes for children diagnosed with Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, or Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Company partners with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (CCH) to create a program that is medically safe and therapeutic. Each class is facilitated by a Ballet instructor, a physical therapist from CCH, and students of physical therapy who assist participants.

Size and Scope

Prior to COVID, Cincinnati Ballet operated on a $10.5M budget with an earned/contributed ration of approximately 57%/43%. Due to COVID, the FY21 budget was approximately $8.2M with an earned/contributed ratio of 38%/62%, with earned income largely coming from tuition at the Academy. The company recently completed a $30M capital campaign to realize the Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance, and once multi-year campaign gifts are received, the Company will own the building without underlying long-term debt. The Company has an endowment of approximately $14.5M. Cincinnati Ballet has a subscriber base of approximately 1400. There are 35 full time employees. The professional company consists of 27 dancers (including two apprentices) on a 36-week contract. The Second Company consists of 12 dancers, performing both on its own as well as with the professional company. Cincinnati Ballet has collective bargaining agreements with AGMA, AFM, and IATSE.

LEADERSHIP 

Victoria Morgan, The Sue & Bill Friedlander Artistic Director

Cincinnati Ballet has experienced tremendous growth and success under the leadership of Victoria Morgan. In 2008, Morgan took on the role of executive leader, serving as both the Artistic Director and CEO. Under her leadership, after years of growing deficits, the company stabilized their finances, built a $13 million endowment fund (today at $14.5 million), created an operating reserve, presented several million-dollar capital projects, and expanded the Otto M. Budig Academy and community engagement programming. In 2017 with the arrival of Scott Altman, Victoria became a full-time Artistic Director, giving her the opportunity to focus exclusively on artistic excellence. The 2021/2022 season will be her 25^th season with the company.

Scott Altman, President & CEO

Scott Altman joined Cincinnati Ballet as President & CEO in September 2016. Under his visionary leadership, the Cincinnati Ballet reached its first $10 million operating budget, rolled out a dynamic new logo and brand identity, experienced record-breaking ticket sales, launched the new Family Series, expanded education and outreach programs, and offered audiences more performances than ever before. Altman brings with him nearly three decades of experience in nonprofit administration and performing arts. Prior to his roles in administration, Altman enjoyed a 20-year career as a professional opera singer and performed 40 opera roles internationally. He has held leadership positions at Arizona Opera and Opera New Jersey, and just prior to coming to Cincinnati Ballet he was Executive Director of Ballet West. During his tenure, Ballet West experienced phenomenal expansion, including growth in ticket sales, a vastly expanded touring schedule, robust growth in donor development, and the construction of a new building.

Board of Trustees

Cincinnati Ballet is governed by a 34-member Board, populated with key community and business leaders, philanthropists, and volunteers. The Artistic Director search is co-chaired by Debbie Brant, immediate past Chair of the Board, and Joel Stone, Vice Chair and Treasurer of the Board. The endowment is stewarded by the Ballet Foundation Board, a separate entity.

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Also known as The Queen City, Cincinnati was settled in 1788 on the banks of the Ohio River and is now home to a metropolitan population of over two million. The city has emerged as a major economic driver for the entire region. A higher education hub, the region boasts four major universities: Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University, Miami University, and the University of Cincinnati, including the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

Cincinnati also has a rich arts and culture landscape. In addition to Cincinnati Ballet, the city is home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which provides live musical accompaniment to Cincinnati Ballet productions, as well as Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Cincinnati Art Museum. The Playhouse and Museum are also located in the Walnut Hills Neighborhood near Cincinnati Ballet’s new home.

Further information on Cincinnati is available at the following:

https://cincinnatiusa.com

https://cincinnatiexperience.com

Requirements

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The next Artistic Director will bring inspiration, creativity, and engagement to the organization, articulating a creative picture of what ballet can be in the 21^st century. Cincinnati Ballet is an organization open to – and in fact, expects – an Artistic Director who can articulate an inspirational vision that will align with the organization’s existing commitment to its community.

The people who comprise Cincinnati Ballet – dancers, staff, faculty, and trustees – bring a passionate commitment to its success. The next Artistic Director will join an organization with a strong financial foundation and business model. Among the opportunities for Cincinnati Ballet are these:

• Building on the organization’s legacy and relationship to its home community, particularly with the opening of the Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance.
• Connecting with a diverse community through its mainstage programming, training programs, and community engagement work.
• Advancing the stature of the Academy and creating synergies with the professional company.
• Embracing values of EDI – equity, diversity, inclusion – in all their iterations, working with the Board and senior team to reinforce these values throughout the organization.

Along with these opportunities, there are challenges the next Artistic Director must embrace in collaboration with the President & CEO and Board:

• Engaging audiences in an era of increased competition.
• Balancing programming in a way that retains Cincinnati Ballet’s commitment to the classics while identifying contemporary and emerging choreographers and working with realistic fiscal constraints.
• Generating real excitement and engagement around ballet in the region.

Meeting the demands of a growing Academy to ensure quality education and accessibility while building strong community relations.   

POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Artistic Director and President & CEO serve in a co-leadership structure, each reporting directly to the Board. The Artistic Director is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of Cincinnati Ballet and the Otto M. Budig Academy – and, importantly, articulating this vision internally and more broadly to Cincinnati Ballet’s community. Working in partnership with the President & CEO, the leadership team will conceive, plan, and execute the Ballet’s productions, education, and training programs. The next Artistic Director will possess a clear understanding of and commitment to the heritage of classical ballet while having the ability to move and mold the art form into the future, building greater audience engagement.

The expectation is that the next Artistic Director will bring a breadth of artistic perspective. The Committee will consider candidates who have not previously held Artistic Director positions, but applicants will need to have had experience in artistic management and/or artistic administration.

The primary responsibilities of the Artistic Director are the following: 

1. Set the artistic direction of Cincinnati Ballet in a manner that is fully aligned with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
2. Execute the artistic programs and functions of the company, providing effective leadership of the artistic and Academy staff and faculty.
3. Build on the artistic excellence of the company through the recruitment, inspiration, and development of a world-class company of dancers.
4. Serve effectively in a co-leadership relationship with the President & CEO, balancing artistic ambition with available resources, ensuring Cincinnati Ballet’s artistic and fiscal vibrancy.
5. Ensure that the training students receive at the Otto M. Budig Academy is in alignment with the artistic and organizational vision of Cincinnati Ballet.
6. Fully embrace the organization’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity with demonstrable evidence of these values in current and previous work.
7. Work closely with the senior team and Board to accomplish long-term strategic goals, including audience development and fund-raising objectives.
8. Serve as a principal voice of Cincinnati Ballet in the community.

QUALIFICATIONS

Although no one individual will likely meet all criteria below, these qualifications will guide and inform the Search Committee in determining its next artistic leader:

Artistry and Training

• A deep knowledge of classical ballet repertoire as well as modern and contemporary work, from both a performance background and a producing perspective.
• A highly accomplished ballet artist – a skilled teacher and coach with the ability to maintain high artistic standards within the company – who has skills and experience in staging and producing.
• An abiding commitment to dance training for children, young people, and adults and a clear perspective on how the Academy can serve a broad constituency of students, including pre-professional and recreational tracks.

Leadership

• Importantly, an ability to articulate an exciting and inspirational aesthetic and vision.
• A strategic thinker and planner, with the desire and ability to work collaboratively with the President & CEO and a nonprofit Board of Trustees to effectively lead a large and complex organization.
• A background that clearly demonstrates a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and an understanding of what living these values means in an institutional context.

Administration and Production

• Senior artistic management/administrative experience in an organization of significant size and scope, including knowledge of budgets and fundraising development.
• Understanding of ballet operations and a track record of working in organizations producing work similar to Cincinnati Ballet, including an understanding of financial issues in managing a complex artistic organization.

Personal Attributes

• Strong social, communication, and interpersonal skills and a desire to represent the Ballet in multiple contexts.
• A deep commitment to developing dancers, from early training to professional status.
• A desire to be fully rooted in and a representative of the greater Cincinnati arts community.

Cincinnati Ballet provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, gender identification, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.

COMPENSATION, APPLICATION PROCEDURE, AND START DATE

The salary and benefits will be highly competitive with other ballet companies of comparable stature and size. Cincinnati Ballet has engaged Management Consultants for the Arts to facilitate this search, with David Mallette, Jason Palmquist, and Shruti Adhar as the consultants leading the process. The Search Committee of nine Cincinnati Ballet board members and other stakeholders hopes to make its decision by early 2022. Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply in complete confidence by providing materials requested below with these guidelines:

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages) describing why this post is attractive to the applicant and what will make them a potentially strong artistic leader for Cincinnati Ballet.
• Resumé or CV.
• Names of four professional references, including email and phone contact information (recommendation letters are not required).
• Each file should have the applicant’s name included as part of the file name.
• Materials must be submitted via this link:

https://mcaonline.com/searches/artistic-director-cincinnati-ballet

Management Consultants for the Arts, Inc.

www.mcaonline.com

Phone: 203-353-0722

Questions about this search may be submitted to: info@mcaonline.com

With “Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director Search” in the subject line.