Artistic Director
Job Title: Artistic Director
FLSA Classification: Exempt; Full-Time Salary
Salary Grade/Level/Family/Range: $200,000+
Date created/Last revision: May 16, 2023
Summary/Objective:
The Artistic Director and Executive Director 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 BAZ and the educational curriculum for The School of Ballet Arizona – and, importantly, articulating this vision internally and more broadly to the community. Working in partnership with the Executive Director, the Artistic Director will plan and execute company 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 Search Committee is open to candidates who are choreographers, although this is not a requirement for the position. 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 experience in artistic management and/or artistic administration.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Develop and articulate a clear artistic vision for Ballet Arizona – a vision that is innovative, directing and leading of the artistic and production aspects of the company.
- Inspire, develop, and nurture a company of dancers.
- Forge a partnership with the Executive Director, together communicating purpose and vision to the staff and community.
- In collaboration with the Executive Director, ensure audience development and growth through artistic programming.
- Serve as Artistic Director of The School of Ballet Arizona, fully aligning its work with Ballet Arizona.
- Fully embrace Ballet Arizona’s values of inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and belonging.
- Collaborate with the senior team and Board to create and execute a strategic plan.
- Retain a clear focus on dancer health, fitness and well-being.
- Oversee the artistic and production teams, retaining the quality for which Ballet Arizona is known.
- Serve as a principal voice in the community, including key donor relationships.
- Forge collaborations and partnerships, increasing visibility and importance of the company.
- With the marketing team, enhance the strength of the Ballet Arizona brand throughout the region.
Qualifications:
Although no one individual will likely meet all criteria, these qualifications will guide and inform the Search Committee in determining its next artistic leader:
Artistry and Training
- Deep knowledge of classical ballet repertoire as well as modern and contemporary work from diverse choreographers, from both performance and producing perspectives.
- A highly accomplished ballet artist – a skilled teacher / coach with the ability to maintain high artistic standards within the company – who has experience in staging and producing.
- A supportive leader with a demonstrated commitment to developing and empowering a diverse company of dancers.
- An abiding commitment to dance training for children, young people and adults.
Leadership
- Ability to articulate an exciting and inspirational vision.
- A commitment to IDEAB – inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and belonging – evidenced in current and previous leadership roles.
- A strategic thinker and planner, with the desire and ability to work collaboratively with an Executive Director and a Board of Directors.
Administration and Production
- Senior artistic management/administrative experience in an organization of significant size and scope, including knowledge of budgets and fund-raising development.
- Understanding of ballet operations and a track record of working in organizations producing work similar to Ballet Arizona, including an understanding of the financial requirements of managing a complex artistic organization.
- A strong people manager, taking delight in seeing others produce their best work.
Personal Attributes
- Engaged and open-minded, eager to explore multiple viewpoints and perspectives and willing to transform and grow.
- Strong social and interpersonal skills and a desire to represent the Ballet in multiple contexts.
- A deep commitment to developing dancers, from early training through professional career.
- A desire to be part of the Phoenix community.
Compensation:
The salary ($200K+) and benefits will be highly competitive with other ballet companies of comparable size and stature.
Start Date:
The Company hopes to make its decision by early 2024, with the new Artistic Director onsite by mid-2024.
How To Apply:
Ballet Arizona has engaged Management Consultants for the Arts to facilitate this search, with the project led by David Mallette, Jason Palmquist and Shruti Adhar.
Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply in complete confidence by providing materials requested below with these guidelines:
- A cover letter of no more than 1.5 pages describing why this post is attractive to the applicant and what will make them a potentially strong artistic leader for Ballet Arizona.
- Resumé or CV, including links to samples of choreography (for candidates who are choreographers). Other video samples illustrative of the candidate’s artistry are welcome.
- 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 and submitted as separate .pdf documents. Once all materials have been submitted online, the applicant will receive a confirmation of their submission via the email address provided in the application.
Questions about this search may be submitted to info@MCAonline.com with “BAZ Artistic Director Search” in the subject line.
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