San Jose Dance Theatre (SJDT) is proud to announce the appointment of Nicole Haskins as its new Inventive Director. A dynamic pressure on the planet of ballet, Haskins brings an inspiring imaginative and prescient, intensive expertise and an revolutionary method to her new position, promising to raise San Jose’s ballet scene to unprecedented heights.
Hailing from Venice Seashore, California, Haskins boasts a exceptional profession that spans 20 years as an expert dancer with prestigious corporations resembling Sacramento Ballet, Washington Ballet and Smuin Modern Ballet. Her numerous repertoire consists of iconic roles resembling Lucy in Dracula, Alice in Alice in Wonderland and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, alongside performances in modern masterpieces like Trey McIntyre’s Blue Till June and Helen Pickett’s Petal.
Haskins’ inventive prowess extends past the stage; she is an achieved choreographer whose works have been commissioned by famend establishments together with Richmond Ballet, Smuin Modern Ballet and Oregon Ballet Theater. Her accolades embrace participation within the New York Choreographic Institute and recognition as a winner of the OBT XX Choreographic Competitors.
Following her retirement from performing, Haskins embraced management roles, together with serving as Ballet Idaho’s inaugural Trainee Program Director, the place she cultivated the subsequent era of dancers. A lot of her mentees have gone on to safe skilled contracts, together with with SJDT itself. Most just lately, she co-choreographed Sacramento Ballet’s The Nutcracker, a testomony to her revolutionary spirit and collaborative artistry.
As Inventive Director, Haskins is poised to carry contemporary vitality and forward-thinking concepts to SJDT. Her imaginative and prescient prioritizes inventive excellence, inclusivity and group engagement. Guided by her motto, “Artwork is Danger Made Seen,” she goals to create a nurturing setting the place dancers are inspired to embrace challenges and obtain their fullest potential.
“I’m honored to hitch San Jose Dance Theatre, a company with such a wealthy legacy,” mentioned Haskins. “I look ahead to constructing on this basis to create transformative experiences for our dancers, audiences, and group. Collectively, we’ll rejoice the wonder and energy of dance whereas exploring daring, new potentialities.”
Haskins will oversee all inventive points of SJDT, together with its acclaimed annual Nutcracker manufacturing, the Wizard of Oz Ballet to premiere in March 2025, participation in The Ballet Alliance Pageant and the design of impactful summer time packages. Her appointment indicators an thrilling new chapter for SJDT because it continues its mission of enriching lives by the artwork of dance.
