Executive Director | The Washington Ballet
Management Consultants for the Arts, Washington, District of Columbia, us, 20022
BACKGROUND
Now in its 80th year as an organization, The Washington Ballet (TWB) grew out of the success of The Washington School of Ballet (TWSB), founded and directed for years by legendary dance pioneer Mary Day and her mentor Lisa Gardiner. In the 2026-2027 season, TWB is poised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the performing company from a place of financial stability and compelling artistry.
The mission of TWB is threefold:
To bring the joy and artistry of dance to the nation’s capital and the world’s stage through the professional presentation of the best in classic and contemporary ballet;
To provide the highest caliber of dance training through a preeminent school of ballet;
To serve and involve the entire community through extensive dance education and community engagement programs.
TWB has a proud history as a major force both in the dance world and DC's artistic community. Alumni of the school include DC-native Virginia Johnson, principal ballerina with and first woman artistic director of Dance Theatre of Harlem; Kevin McKenzie, principal dancer with and longest-serving artistic director of American Ballet Theatre; and Amanda McKerrow, who at 17 was the first American to win a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition. Mary Day founded the performing company in 1974 and invited Choo San Goh, an up-and-coming star from the Dutch National Ballet, to join TWB as resident choreographer and later associate artistic director. The 19 works he created on the company before his untimely death established both Mr. Goh and TWB on the international stage.
Septime Webre succeeded Ms. Day as Artistic Director in 1999 and during his 17-year tenure he showcased the works of rising choreographers such as Dwight Rhoden, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Edwaard Liang. He created the partnership between TWB and the renowned community project of Building Bridges Across the River’s THEARC. Importantly, he also staged TWB’s first full-length Swan Lake with Misty Copeland in the role of Odette-Odile and TWB’s Brooklyn Mack as Siegfried. As the first professional performance of Swan Lake with two African Americans dancing the principal roles, it was a watershed event soon followed by Ms. Copeland becoming the first Black principal at American Ballet Theatre.
International star Julie Kent was TWB’s third Artistic Director from 2015-2023. She received acclaim for elevating the technical and artistic prowess of the company and for attracting exciting new choreographic talent such as Jessica Lang and Silas Farley.
TWB’s current Artistic Director Edwaard Liang has made a mark with the breadth and depth of his choreographic programming as well as his ability to attract top talent to complement that of TWB dancers and students. He has outlined a bold new direction for TWB’s artistic vision that strives to reach all members of the broader Washington, D.C. community and expands the ballet canon and company’s strengths through new repertory goals. For the school, Edwaard added the position of School Director to the existing Managing Director position. Edwaard also embraced a strong collaborative partnership with TWB’s Interim Executive Director and together they have: established a balanced budget that eliminated a $2 million deficit; established a $1 million cash reserve; implemented strong internal procedural controls; hired a new Development Director and fully staffed the development team. With these changes, TWB is poised to direct its future with strength.
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TWB has long nurtured dancers that reflect and amplify the rich culture of its hometown. Company members are among the most culturally and geographically diverse in the nation. Its breakthrough partnership with THEARC, a multi-use facility that delivers first-rate programs and services of culture, health, recreation and human development to underserved communities, includes an additional training location of TWSB. TWB's program at THEARC has served over 70,000 children and thousands of adults.
TWB’s community engagement programs and partnerships are spread throughout the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Among the many annual offerings are free outdoor performances at CityCenterDC; dance instruction in public, charter, and private schools; identifying and developing relationships with local arts organizations; Dance for Parkinson’s Disease program; and an annual Nutcracker matinee at a nominal cost for over 1,000 students from schools throughout the metropolitan area.
LEADERSHIP Artistic Director Edwaard Liang was an acclaimed soloist with NYCB before becoming a choreographer whose work has been performed by major companies across the globe. From 2013 to 2023, he was the transformative Artistic Director of BalletMet. Edwaard is the first person of color to lead TWB and the first Asian American to lead a major American ballet company. His full bio may be found here.
The current Board Chair is Jean-Marie Fernandez, whose term expires in June of this year. During her tenure, the Board established important procedural structures for itself and set the course for organizational accountability. The Board is currently in the process of selecting a new Chair when the term of Ms. Fernandez expires. Ms. Fernandez also serves as the Chair of the Executive Director Search Committee. TWB is governed by a 35-member Board of Directors comprising business leaders, attorneys, educators, artists, diplomats and philanthropists.
CURRENT ENVIRONMENT TWB currently operates on an annual budget of approximately $15.5 million, with an earned/ contributed ratio of approximately 63/37. TWB has historically operated in many local venues, throughout the area, including the Warner Theatre (1947 seats), the Harman Theatre (761 seats), Capital One Hall (in northern Virginia, 1600 seats), and Eisenhower Theater (1164 seats) at The Kennedy Center.
The professional company has 24 dancers, hired on a 36-week AGMA agreement. Additionally, there is a Studio Company of 10 dancers. TWB currently has 45 full-time staff members, including school administrative staff. TWB production crews are represented by IATSE, and (when needed) the orchestra is hired on an AFM agreement.
TWB's main facility comprises five studios and administrative offices. TWB also rents space at two nearby locations as well as at THEARC.
THE WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF BALLET The Washington School of Ballet (TWSB) is a critical component of TWB’s mission and operations. Serving 3,000 students annually on its two campuses, TWSB represents one-fourth of the total organizational budget. There are 33 faculty at the Northwest Campus and 17 faculty at the Southeast Campus. The School’s leadership team includes the School Director and the Managing Director of the School. Artistic leadership across programs is also supported by the Adult Program Head, the Principal of the Southeast Campus, and two Program Coordinators for the Northwest Campus. Their bios can be found here.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES TWB’s next Executive Director will join a highly respected and artistically accomplished ballet company. Among the opportunities for the next Executive Director are these:
Continuing to grow TWB’s reputation as an important performing entity in the nation’s Capital.
Working closely with the Artistic Director to identify and build strategic partnerships across Washington, D.C. and beyond.
Seeking new and alternative venues to grow audience development.
Expanding both educational and community engagement efforts across the D.C. region.
Preparing the organization and community for a multi-million dollar blended fundraising campaign.
Along with these opportunities, there are challenges the next Executive Director must embrace. As with many producing organizations, TWB is an organization in transition. Its challenges include the following:
Building on last year’s surplus and determining the right long-term artistic and producing model for TWB within the highly competitive arts landscape of Washington, D.C.
Shoring up the core operations and business functions of the organization.
Continuing to cultivate a culture of support, collaboration, and communication, breaking down internal siloes and aligning along TWB’s values to achieve the best for the staff and the community it serves.
Developing long-term plans for the organization, including for facilities upgrades.
Navigating the nation’s capital and its many communities in a nonpartisan fashion.
POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Executive Director will work in a Co-CEO relationship with the Artistic Director, with both positions reporting to and working collaboratively with the Board of Directors. It is, of course, critically important that the individuals in these two positions work in a cohesive and productive manner. The central roles of the Executive Director are as follows:
Build a deep and productive partnership with the Artistic Director and Board to strategically lead TWB into the future.
Effectively align financial and human resources with organizational goals, objectives and aspirations in a way that will sustainably realize the strategic and artistic vision for TWB.
Oversee the substantial expansion and strengthening of TWB's donor base, including foundations, corporate and individual giving while supporting key fundraising relationships with major donors.
Forge and maintain important external local/regional/national relationships.
In concert with the Artistic Director, create a positive and productive working environment, achieve strong collaboration across the organization, and inspire others to produce and deliver their best work.
Ensure that TWSB continues to thrive as an essential programming arm of the organization.
Manage, develop, and inspire a diverse team of direct reports, including the Directors of Development, Finance, Marketing, Community Engagement, Facilities, the Executive Assistant, and other positions that fall under the administrative functions of the Company.
QUALIFICATIONS The chosen candidate will be someone who will establish strong and productive working partnerships with the Artistic Director and the Board; prior experience with such partnerships is essential. Successful candidates will also have the following skill sets and experience:
Strong passion for building a great cultural institution which is fully rooted in its community.
Successful financial background creating and managing budgets across various departments, monitoring and explaining financial results and variances against budget.
Demonstrated ability to motivate and lead a team with a collaborative, transparent, and supportive leadership style, enabling the staff to deliver their best work.
Ideally, a background in non-profit performing arts. Dance experience is not required, but serious candidates will have enthusiasm for the arts and the work for which TWB is known.
Demonstrated success in securing philanthropic support in a nonprofit arts environment.
Knowledge about organizational systems, routines, and processes and the ability to oversee major improvements in those areas.
A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, evidenced in current and previous leadership roles.
Strong experience in and knowledge of performing arts business models and the ramifications of artistic and budgetary decisions, with the ability to align them strategically.
Strong interpersonal skills in multiple social, political, and business contexts.
A desire to engage with Washington’s diverse communities.
A willingness to further TWB’s values of creativity, compassion, community, collaboration, communication, and a commitment to excellence.
COMPENSATION, APPLICATION PROCEDURE, AND START DATE The salary range for this position begins at $235,000 and benefits will be highly competitive with other ballet companies of comparable size and stature. TWB has engaged Management Consultants for the Arts to facilitate this search, with the project led by Shruti Adhar and Emily Knapp. The Company hopes to make its decision by Q2 of 2026, with the successful candidate onsite before the start of the 26-27 Season. 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 administrative leader for TWB;
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 and submitted as separate .pdf documents.
Application materials should have the applicant’s name included as part of each file name
and must be submitted electronically by clicking the APPLY NOW button below.
Once all materials have been submitted online, the applicant will receive a confirmation of their submission via the email address provided in the application. For clarification on any of this information, please contact Christy Wall at cwall@mcaonline.com. Questions about this search may be submitted to info@MCAonline.com with “TWB Executive Director Search” in the subject line.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
The mission of TWB is threefold:
To bring the joy and artistry of dance to the nation’s capital and the world’s stage through the professional presentation of the best in classic and contemporary ballet;
To provide the highest caliber of dance training through a preeminent school of ballet;
To serve and involve the entire community through extensive dance education and community engagement programs.
TWB has a proud history as a major force both in the dance world and DC's artistic community. Alumni of the school include DC-native Virginia Johnson, principal ballerina with and first woman artistic director of Dance Theatre of Harlem; Kevin McKenzie, principal dancer with and longest-serving artistic director of American Ballet Theatre; and Amanda McKerrow, who at 17 was the first American to win a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition. Mary Day founded the performing company in 1974 and invited Choo San Goh, an up-and-coming star from the Dutch National Ballet, to join TWB as resident choreographer and later associate artistic director. The 19 works he created on the company before his untimely death established both Mr. Goh and TWB on the international stage.
Septime Webre succeeded Ms. Day as Artistic Director in 1999 and during his 17-year tenure he showcased the works of rising choreographers such as Dwight Rhoden, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Edwaard Liang. He created the partnership between TWB and the renowned community project of Building Bridges Across the River’s THEARC. Importantly, he also staged TWB’s first full-length Swan Lake with Misty Copeland in the role of Odette-Odile and TWB’s Brooklyn Mack as Siegfried. As the first professional performance of Swan Lake with two African Americans dancing the principal roles, it was a watershed event soon followed by Ms. Copeland becoming the first Black principal at American Ballet Theatre.
International star Julie Kent was TWB’s third Artistic Director from 2015-2023. She received acclaim for elevating the technical and artistic prowess of the company and for attracting exciting new choreographic talent such as Jessica Lang and Silas Farley.
TWB’s current Artistic Director Edwaard Liang has made a mark with the breadth and depth of his choreographic programming as well as his ability to attract top talent to complement that of TWB dancers and students. He has outlined a bold new direction for TWB’s artistic vision that strives to reach all members of the broader Washington, D.C. community and expands the ballet canon and company’s strengths through new repertory goals. For the school, Edwaard added the position of School Director to the existing Managing Director position. Edwaard also embraced a strong collaborative partnership with TWB’s Interim Executive Director and together they have: established a balanced budget that eliminated a $2 million deficit; established a $1 million cash reserve; implemented strong internal procedural controls; hired a new Development Director and fully staffed the development team. With these changes, TWB is poised to direct its future with strength.
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TWB has long nurtured dancers that reflect and amplify the rich culture of its hometown. Company members are among the most culturally and geographically diverse in the nation. Its breakthrough partnership with THEARC, a multi-use facility that delivers first-rate programs and services of culture, health, recreation and human development to underserved communities, includes an additional training location of TWSB. TWB's program at THEARC has served over 70,000 children and thousands of adults.
TWB’s community engagement programs and partnerships are spread throughout the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Among the many annual offerings are free outdoor performances at CityCenterDC; dance instruction in public, charter, and private schools; identifying and developing relationships with local arts organizations; Dance for Parkinson’s Disease program; and an annual Nutcracker matinee at a nominal cost for over 1,000 students from schools throughout the metropolitan area.
LEADERSHIP Artistic Director Edwaard Liang was an acclaimed soloist with NYCB before becoming a choreographer whose work has been performed by major companies across the globe. From 2013 to 2023, he was the transformative Artistic Director of BalletMet. Edwaard is the first person of color to lead TWB and the first Asian American to lead a major American ballet company. His full bio may be found here.
The current Board Chair is Jean-Marie Fernandez, whose term expires in June of this year. During her tenure, the Board established important procedural structures for itself and set the course for organizational accountability. The Board is currently in the process of selecting a new Chair when the term of Ms. Fernandez expires. Ms. Fernandez also serves as the Chair of the Executive Director Search Committee. TWB is governed by a 35-member Board of Directors comprising business leaders, attorneys, educators, artists, diplomats and philanthropists.
CURRENT ENVIRONMENT TWB currently operates on an annual budget of approximately $15.5 million, with an earned/ contributed ratio of approximately 63/37. TWB has historically operated in many local venues, throughout the area, including the Warner Theatre (1947 seats), the Harman Theatre (761 seats), Capital One Hall (in northern Virginia, 1600 seats), and Eisenhower Theater (1164 seats) at The Kennedy Center.
The professional company has 24 dancers, hired on a 36-week AGMA agreement. Additionally, there is a Studio Company of 10 dancers. TWB currently has 45 full-time staff members, including school administrative staff. TWB production crews are represented by IATSE, and (when needed) the orchestra is hired on an AFM agreement.
TWB's main facility comprises five studios and administrative offices. TWB also rents space at two nearby locations as well as at THEARC.
THE WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF BALLET The Washington School of Ballet (TWSB) is a critical component of TWB’s mission and operations. Serving 3,000 students annually on its two campuses, TWSB represents one-fourth of the total organizational budget. There are 33 faculty at the Northwest Campus and 17 faculty at the Southeast Campus. The School’s leadership team includes the School Director and the Managing Director of the School. Artistic leadership across programs is also supported by the Adult Program Head, the Principal of the Southeast Campus, and two Program Coordinators for the Northwest Campus. Their bios can be found here.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES TWB’s next Executive Director will join a highly respected and artistically accomplished ballet company. Among the opportunities for the next Executive Director are these:
Continuing to grow TWB’s reputation as an important performing entity in the nation’s Capital.
Working closely with the Artistic Director to identify and build strategic partnerships across Washington, D.C. and beyond.
Seeking new and alternative venues to grow audience development.
Expanding both educational and community engagement efforts across the D.C. region.
Preparing the organization and community for a multi-million dollar blended fundraising campaign.
Along with these opportunities, there are challenges the next Executive Director must embrace. As with many producing organizations, TWB is an organization in transition. Its challenges include the following:
Building on last year’s surplus and determining the right long-term artistic and producing model for TWB within the highly competitive arts landscape of Washington, D.C.
Shoring up the core operations and business functions of the organization.
Continuing to cultivate a culture of support, collaboration, and communication, breaking down internal siloes and aligning along TWB’s values to achieve the best for the staff and the community it serves.
Developing long-term plans for the organization, including for facilities upgrades.
Navigating the nation’s capital and its many communities in a nonpartisan fashion.
POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES The Executive Director will work in a Co-CEO relationship with the Artistic Director, with both positions reporting to and working collaboratively with the Board of Directors. It is, of course, critically important that the individuals in these two positions work in a cohesive and productive manner. The central roles of the Executive Director are as follows:
Build a deep and productive partnership with the Artistic Director and Board to strategically lead TWB into the future.
Effectively align financial and human resources with organizational goals, objectives and aspirations in a way that will sustainably realize the strategic and artistic vision for TWB.
Oversee the substantial expansion and strengthening of TWB's donor base, including foundations, corporate and individual giving while supporting key fundraising relationships with major donors.
Forge and maintain important external local/regional/national relationships.
In concert with the Artistic Director, create a positive and productive working environment, achieve strong collaboration across the organization, and inspire others to produce and deliver their best work.
Ensure that TWSB continues to thrive as an essential programming arm of the organization.
Manage, develop, and inspire a diverse team of direct reports, including the Directors of Development, Finance, Marketing, Community Engagement, Facilities, the Executive Assistant, and other positions that fall under the administrative functions of the Company.
QUALIFICATIONS The chosen candidate will be someone who will establish strong and productive working partnerships with the Artistic Director and the Board; prior experience with such partnerships is essential. Successful candidates will also have the following skill sets and experience:
Strong passion for building a great cultural institution which is fully rooted in its community.
Successful financial background creating and managing budgets across various departments, monitoring and explaining financial results and variances against budget.
Demonstrated ability to motivate and lead a team with a collaborative, transparent, and supportive leadership style, enabling the staff to deliver their best work.
Ideally, a background in non-profit performing arts. Dance experience is not required, but serious candidates will have enthusiasm for the arts and the work for which TWB is known.
Demonstrated success in securing philanthropic support in a nonprofit arts environment.
Knowledge about organizational systems, routines, and processes and the ability to oversee major improvements in those areas.
A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, evidenced in current and previous leadership roles.
Strong experience in and knowledge of performing arts business models and the ramifications of artistic and budgetary decisions, with the ability to align them strategically.
Strong interpersonal skills in multiple social, political, and business contexts.
A desire to engage with Washington’s diverse communities.
A willingness to further TWB’s values of creativity, compassion, community, collaboration, communication, and a commitment to excellence.
COMPENSATION, APPLICATION PROCEDURE, AND START DATE The salary range for this position begins at $235,000 and benefits will be highly competitive with other ballet companies of comparable size and stature. TWB has engaged Management Consultants for the Arts to facilitate this search, with the project led by Shruti Adhar and Emily Knapp. The Company hopes to make its decision by Q2 of 2026, with the successful candidate onsite before the start of the 26-27 Season. 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 administrative leader for TWB;
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 and submitted as separate .pdf documents.
Application materials should have the applicant’s name included as part of each file name
and must be submitted electronically by clicking the APPLY NOW button below.
Once all materials have been submitted online, the applicant will receive a confirmation of their submission via the email address provided in the application. For clarification on any of this information, please contact Christy Wall at cwall@mcaonline.com. Questions about this search may be submitted to info@MCAonline.com with “TWB Executive Director Search” in the subject line.
#J-18808-Ljbffr