Your February Roster Roundup: Dancers and Directors on the Move
The past few weeks have brought another exciting round of ballet career news—check out the latest farewells, appointments, promotions, and more in your February roster roundup.
Promotions and Appointments
The Paris Opéra Ballet has announced a slew of promotions for the new year: Roxane Stojanov to étoile; Marine Ganio and Hohyun Kang to première danseuse and Andrea Sarri to premier danseur; and Mathieu Contat, Lorenzo Lelli, Elizabeth Partington, Luna Peigné, and Marius Rubio to sujet.
New York City Ballet’s Miriam Miller has been promoted to principal after 10 years with the company.
Jemima Scott and Branden Reiners have moved up to soloist at Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Houston Ballet has announced the promotion of Sayako Toku to soloist.
Kayke Carvalho, Brady Farrar, Arisu Hirata, Vince Pelegrin, and Trinity Santoro have been promoted from American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company to main company apprentices. Viktoria Papakalodouka joins the Studio Company from the ABT School.
Andrea de Garate has moved up from apprentice to corps member at Ballet de Monterrey.
Queensland Ballet has announced that Ivan Gil-Ortega will step into the role of artistic director this month. Gil-Ortega succeeds Leanne Benjamin, who took the lead in December 2023 following the departure of longtime director Li Cunxin.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet has announced that former National Ballet of Canada associate artistic director Christopher Stowell will take over leadership of the company beginning this June. Current artistic director André Lewis will step down after 50 years with RWB.
Choreographer and former Ballet Idaho trainee program director Nicole Haskins has been appointed San Jose Dance Theatre’s new artistic director.
Dutch National Ballet and David Dawson have renewed the choreographer’s role as associate artist through 2029.
Farewells, New Arrivals, and Guestings
After 25 years with New York City Ballet, principal Ashley Bouder will give her final performance with the company on Thursday, February 13. She will dance the title role in George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins’ Firebird.
After 17 years with Birmingham Royal Ballet, principal character artist Yvette Knight departed the company on January 31. She will transition into her new role as program and artistic coordinator with Midland Theatre Ballet.
Colorado Ballet principal Asuka Sasaki will take her last bow at the end of the 2024–25 season, her 20th as a dancer with the company.
Boston Ballet has announced the retirement of company artist Daniel Cooper. Additionally, former company artist My’Kal Stromile has retired from performing to continue his work with Boston Ballet as a marketing and DEIB consultant and choreographer.
Ballet de Monterrey’s Armando Medina and Jorge Wuade have taken their final bows.
Carly Hambridge of Boulder Ballet has announced that she will retire from the stage in March.
Indianapolis Ballet has welcomed new principal Luzemberg Santana.
Bronwyn Smith has joined Deos Contemporary Ballet as a year-round dancer after guesting with the company this past fall.
Royal Ballet principal William Bracewell will guest with Birmingham Royal Ballet as The Prince in Sir David Bintley’s Cinderella on February 20 and 22.
The National Ballet of Canada welcomes Dutch National Ballet principal Jessica Xuan as a guest artist in Karen Kain’s Swan Lake, onstage March 8–22.
Awards and Recognitions
New York City Ballet’s Victor Abreu received the 2025 Janice Levin Award, an annual recognition given to a promising member of the corps.
Joffrey Ballet’s Victoria Jaiani, choreographer Aszure Barton, and others have been named in the Dance category of Newcity’s “Players 2025: The 50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago.”
The Prix de Lausanne will honor former Queensland Ballet artistic director Li Cunxin, AO, with the competition’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.
