From director shifts and beyond, here are the major dance educator moves you should know about from fall 2023.
At Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Noelani Pantastico stepped down as artistic director before the start of the current school year, a little over a year since joining the school’s faculty and mere months after her appointment in April. Rose Taylor, who had been promoted to associate artistic director in April, now serves as director of the children’s and primary divisions and head of curriculum; Alan Hineline, who had been named artistic advisor and resident choreographer, is now director of the pre-professional division and resident choreographer.
Natalie Rogers-Cropper has succeeded founder Garth Fagan as school director of the Garth Fagan Dance School.
Grace Maduell Holmes has been named director of the San Francisco Ballet School. She joins in January from Kansas City Ballet School, where she has been director since 2014, and where she will be succeeded by Kimberly Cowen as interim school director.
Blanca Huertas-Agnew has been named the next director of Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy, effective in January. She joins from Drexel University, where she is director of the undergraduate dance program.
Alessandra Ferri has been named the next artistic director of the Wiener Staatsoper Ballet Academy, effective September 2025, when she assumes the directorship of the affiliated Vienna State Ballet from current director Martin Schläpfer.
Julio Alegria has been named associate artistic director of Brass City Ballet.
Tiffany Rea-Fisher has been named National Dance Institute’s 2024 artist in residence.
Niya Nicholson has been named executive director of MOVE|NYC|.
Abigail Reeve has been named CEO of Rambert Grades.
At University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Fernando Carrillo, Britt Juleen Gonzalez, and Emily Nicolaou have joined the School of Dance as full-time faculty. Monica Stephenson has been named director of the school’s Preparatory Dance Program.
Dawn Springer has joined the faculty at Milwaukee Ballet School.
