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Your March Roster Roundup: Dancers and Directors on the Move

March 6, 2025

The past few weeks have brought another exciting round of ballet career news—check out the latest farewells, appointments, promotions, and more in your March 2025 roster roundup.

Promotions and Appointments

New York City Ballet has named former soloist Gilbert Bolden III as its newest principal dancer. Former apprentice Becket Jones has moved up to the company’s corps de ballet.

Harper Watters has been moved up to principal at Houston Ballet, marking the company’s first promotion of a dancer to the rank since 2018. Artistic directors Stanton Welch and Julie Kent made the announcement onstage on March 2 following Watters’ performance in the company’s In the Night program.

Harper Watters does a regal cabriole en arriere as the Nutcracker Prince. He wears a white tunic with gold embroidery and white tights. Behind him, corps members sit and watch.
Harper Watters in The Nutcracker. Photo by Amitava Sarkar, courtesy Houston Ballet.

At Oregon Ballet Theatre, John-Paul Simoens has been promoted to principal, and Charlotte Nash and Benjamin Simoens have moved up from company artist to soloist.

Ballet Tucson’s Edward Oyarce-Solomon has been promoted to principal.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre celebrated two onstage promotions during its production of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Romeo & Juliet: Colin McCaslin to principal and David O’Matz to soloist.

Since March 1, 2025, Frédéric Olivieri has once again taken over as director of La Scala Ballet, succeeding Manuel Legris. Olivieri previously led the company from 2002 to 2007, then again from 2017 to 2020, directing La Scala Ballet School during both interim periods. He will now continue to lead the school while directing the company.

Colin McCaslin and Grace Rookstool reach toward each other in dramatic lunges, dancing as Romeo and Juliet, respectively. He wears a white billowing blouse and white tights, and she a long taupe dress with rippling fabric down the sides.
Colin McCaslin and Grace Rookstool in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Justin Merriman, courtesy Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Alessandra Ferri, who will lead the Wiener Staatsballett starting September 1, 2025, has appointed Patrick Armand as director of the Wiener Staatsoper Ballet Academy, effective that same date.

Effective January 2026, Elisa Carrillo Cabrera will direct the John Cranko School, and Mikhail Kaniskin will serve as associate director. Current director Tadeusz Matacz will step down after over 27 years at the helm at the end of 2025.

Javier Torres’ tenure as artistic director of the Finnish National Ballet has been extended until July 31, 2029. Torres took leadership of the company in August 2022.

David Dawson has been appointed resident choreographer at the National Ballet of Canada.

Farewells, New Arrivals, and Guestings

Miami City Ballet has announced that artistic director Lourdes Lopez will depart at the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, following a 13-year tenure with the company.

After seven years at the helm of the Poznań Opera House Ballet Company, director Robert Bondara will step down for personal reasons at the end of the 2024–25 season.

Milwaukee Ballet II artistic director Mireille Favarel will retire this May.

Mathieu Ganio stands in costume onstage, looking out into the Palais Garnier's ornate house filled with audience members, as he takes his final bow. Roses and flower petals surround his feet as he stands in a spotlight, hand on his heart.
Mathieu Ganio taking his final bow at the Paris Opéra Ballet. Photo by Julien Benhamou, courtesy POB.

Paris Opéra Ballet étoile Mathieu Ganio gave his final performance on Saturday, March 1.

After 13 years with Nashville Ballet, company artist Nicolas Scheuer is departing. His last performance will be as Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty, running February 22–23.

Carolina Ballet bids farewell to two longtime principal dancers this spring. Margaret Severin-Hansen, who will give her final performance on Sunday, April 27, will continue to direct the company’s summer school and serve as a rehearsal director. Jan Burkhard will retire on Sunday, May 18. She will remain engaged with the company as chairman of faculty at the School of Carolina Ballet, a company class instructor, and rehearsal director for select repertoire.

Two photos side-by-side. On the left, Margaret Severin-Hansen mid-air in a parallel passé position, arms raised in a high "V." Two lines of corps dancers stand behind her. They all wear short red costumes. On the right, Jan Burkhard stands in a stylized attitude devant on pointe, arms extended to the sides. She wears a simple white camisole leotard and pink tights.
From left: Margaret Severin-Hansen in George Balanchine’s “Rubies” and Jan Burkhard in Zalman Raffael’s In the Gray. Photos by Nigel Armes, courtesy Carolina Ballet.

As it embarks on its spring tour, Dance Theatre of Harlem welcomes new company artist Ethan Gregory Wilson.

Indianapolis Ballet has welcomed Glenn Moretti as a company artist.

Yoshiaki Nakano has joined Japan’s Momoko Tani Ballet Company as a guest principal artist. He will debut with the company on May 24 as Basilio in Don Quixote.

Lara Bircak and Deanna Pearson will dance with Boston Ballet as company artists for the remainder of the 2024–25 season.

Texas Ballet Theater has announced that longtime principal rehearsal director Anna Donovan will be stepping down at the end of the season. She will continue in her current role through the summer, including teaching in TBT’s 2025 summer intensive.

Awards and Recognitions

Ballet Arizona’s Leticia Endler and Javier Corrales received the 2025 Hazel A.S. Hare Award of Artistic Excellence, an annual award honoring two company dancers who exhibit strength, dedication, and passion.

alessandra ferri carolina ballet gilbert bolden iii harper watters houston ballet jan burkhard lourdes lopez margaret severin-hansen mathieu ganio miami city ballet new york city ballet paris opera patrick armand pittsburgh ballet theatre promotions retirement roster roundup wiener staatsoper ballet