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APPOINTMENTS AND DEPARTURES


Birmingham Royal Ballet principal César Morales has been appointed as the artistic director of Ballet de Santiago, returning to the company where he first danced Prince Siegfried, aged 18. Video INTERVIEW from 2023.

David Nixon CBE has been announced as Cape Town City Ballet's new artistiic producer with immediate effect. Formerly Northern Ballet's artistic director for nearly two decades, he will be joined in Cape Town by his wife Yoko Ichino, former ballerina and now a renowned teacher and coach.

After five successful years, Ernst Meisner will relinquish his post as artistic director of Dutch National Ballet Academy, in stages, to take up the post of associate director of talent development with Dutch National Ballet. Alongside his new position with Dutch National Ballet, Meisner will also remain the artistic director of Dutch National Ballet Junior Company. Photo: Erwin Olaf

Christopher Powney has announced that he has decided to step down from his role as Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet School in July when his second five-year term in the position comes to an end. "It has been my honour and pleasure to return to The Royal Ballet School as its Artistic Director for the last ten years," says Powney. "However, I believe now is the right time for me to hand over to someone who will build on what has been achieved during my tenure and bring in fresh ideas to ensure the School remains at the forefront of international ballet training." Photo: The Royal Ballet School.

Viviana Durante will be stepping down as artistic director English National Ballet School at the end of the academic year. She has held the post for five years.


Former Australian Ballet principal Elizabeth Toohey will be joining the Stuttgart Ballet as principal ballet mistress in March 2024. During her career with The Australian Ballet, Toohey performed leading roles in several of John Cranko’s ballets including Olga in Onegin, Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew and various roles in Romeo and Juliet. On retiring from the stage in 1991, Toohey was assistant to the artistic director at English National Ballet until 1996, and has since worked as a ballet mistress for many companies around the world.

Alessandra Ferri will succeed Martin Schläpfer as artistic director of the Wiener Staatsballett from 1 September 2025. The appointment was announced on 24 October 2023 by Bogdan Roščić, director general of the Vienna State Opera, and Lotte de Beer, director general of the Volksoper Vienna. Ferri was chosen from 40 applicants. Schläpfer’s contract was not renewed at his own request. 

Rags Davloor has been appointed as new Board Chair of The National Ballet of Canada. Regent’s Park Open Air theatre in London has appointed choreographer Drew McOnie as its new artistic director. Sadler’s Wells has appointed Britannia Morton as its Co-CEO, strengthening its leadership team prior to the opening of its fourth theatre, Sadler’s Wells East, in 2024. San Francisco Ballet appointed Grace Maduell Holmes as Director of San Francisco Ballet School.

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César Morales as Albrecht with Birmingham Royal Ballet.© Emma Kauldhar


David Nixon

David Nixon CBE


Ernst_Meisner

Ernst Meisner. 


Christopher_Powney

Christopher Powney


Viviana-Durantes

Viviana Durante