Boca Ballet Theatre Excited to Welcome Guest Artistic Directors

Boca Ballet Theatre is planning to hold our Summer Intensive Workshop from June 29th, 2020 – August 2nd, and we are thrilled to be hosting guest Artistic Directors Adam Sklute (Ballet West), Hope Muir (Charlotte Ballet), Kevin Irving (Oregon Ballet Theatre), and Julie Kent (The Washington Ballet)!

Hope Muir became artistic director of Charlotte Ballet in 2017. Hope was a founding member of Peter Schaufuss’s London Festival Ballet School. Upon graduation, she joined the company (now English National Ballet), and in 1994, Hope joined Rambert Dance Company with the appointment of Christopher Bruce CBE and danced a wide variety of repertoire from prolific choreographers. After a 20-year performance career, Hope became a sought after guest teacher and rehearsal director, coaching both classical and contemporary technique. She has worked with The National Ballet of Canada, English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Company.

Adam Sklute was named Artistic Director of Ballet West in 2007. Since then he has expanded Ballet West’s repertoire, visibility, and overall outlook with exciting company premieres, increased touring and public exposure, and greater focus on Ballet West Academy. Sklute ushered in two major new initiatives: Ballet West’s National Choreographic Festival, bringing together dance companies from around the country to share the stage with Ballet West all presenting new and innovative creations; and Works from Within a touring program presenting exclusively World Premieres by Ballet West Artists. In his 10 years at Ballet West, Sklute has presented more than 60 world and Utah premieres. He has presented 27 works never before performed by Ballet West by such renowned historical choreographers as Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Bronislava Nijinska, and Michel Fokine. At the same time, he has also expanded contemporary repertoire from Jiří Kylián, Mark Morris, and Twyla Tharp, to name a few. 

From 1994-2002, Kevin Irving was Ballet Master and Associate Director with Nacho Duato’s Compañía Nacional de Danza in Madrid. From 2002-2007, he was Artistic Director of The Göteborg Ballet in Sweden. From 2007-2013, Irving was a frequent guest ballet master with The Royal Danish Ballet, where he staged and rehearsed works by Jiří Kylián, George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins. In the U.S., Irving became the Associate Director at Morphoses (formerly The Wheeldon Company) from 2011-2012. In 2010, he founded I-DANCE (Inspiring Dance: American Nations’ Choreographic Exchange), a nonprofit that sends teachers and choreographers to dance communities in Central and South America. Irving was named Artistic Director of Oregon Ballet Theatre in July 2013.

Julie Kent became the Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet in July 2016. She is the longest-serving ballerina in American Ballet Theatre’s 79-year history. During Kent’s long performing career, she has acquired a vast repertoire dancing over 100 ballets, including all of the major classical, dramatic and neo-classical roles. In August of 2015, after a 30-year performing career, Kent was named Artistic Director of ABT’s Summer Intensive. Since Kent arrived at The Washington Ballet, she has brought important classical and contemporary masterworks into the repertoire. Kent’s steadfast commitment to the development of artists, rising choreographers, and the creation of arts education initiatives that benefit the community of our Nation’s Capital, showcase her dedication to creativity, expression, and to propelling ballet forward into the 21st century.

For more information about this year’s summer intensive workshop, click here.