American Ballet Theatre has appointed Julie Kent as the new Artistic Director of their summer intensives. Her position allows her to provide leadership to the program alongside serving as a teacher and coach for both the main and studio company, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School.
In her new role as Artistic Director, Julie Kent will be succeeding Melissa Allen Bowman who filled the position since 2008. Melissa Bowman leaves the position but still remains with ABT as Director of the children division of the JKO School and also as advisor at William J. Gillespie School, ABT’s school located at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
“I am very excited about my new role at American Ballet Theatre and the opportunity to help shape, nurture and develop the next generation of dancers,” said Kent. “My goals are to help cultivate our nation’s most promising talent, offering the highest quality summer ballet experience to aspiring young dancers across our country.”
“I am so happy that the influence of Julie’s performing career, as an example of artistic excellence to aspiring professionals, can continue to be felt at ABT and for future generations of dancers,” said McKenzie.
Throughout her career, Julie Kent’s repertoire includes Medora in Le Corsaire, Giselle in Giselle, the Sylph in La Sylphide, Caroline in Jardin aux Lilas, Nikiya in La Bayadere, and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, among many others. She obtained a scholarship in 1986 in the Prix Lausanne International Ballet Competition. She was appointed Soloist with ABT in 1990 and Principal Dancer in 1993, dancing all of the major classical, dramatic and neo-classical roles in the repertoire. In 1999 was awarded the Erik Bruhn Prize, she won the “Prix Benois” for dance in 2000. In 2002 obtained a Honorary Doctorate and in 2012, she was awarded the Dance Magazine award. She tired in June of 2015, with the longest career of a dancer entirely at ABT.
