ARTISTIC DIRECTOR – Sacramento Ballet
Location: Sacramento, California

Position Summary:

The Artistic Director and Executive Director work in a co-leadership structure, each reporting directly to the Board. The Artistic Director is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of the Sacramento Ballet and, importantly, articulating this vision internally and more broadly to the Sacramento community. The next Artistic Director will possess a clear understanding of, and commitment to, the heritage of classical ballet while having the ability to move and mold the art form into the future to assist in ensuring continued growth, operational health, and mission alignment of the Ballet. We are seeking a dynamic and boldly creative leader to drive the Ballet’s evolution forward and are open to candidates who are choreographers, although this is not a requirement for the position. We will consider candidates who have not previously held Artistic Director positions, but applicants must be able to demonstrate strong leadership experience in artistic management and/or artistic administration.

Core Responsibilities:

  • Develop, articulate, and implement a bold artistic vision for the Sacramento Ballet
    that is innovative, inclusive, inspirational, and engaging.
  • Oversee all aspects of the organization’s artistic programming, including the planning and execution of performances, artist events, open rehearsals, master classes, and educational programming that will advance the Ballet’s mission and grow audiences
  • Inspire, develop, and empower a company of dancers who are ready and willing to grow, communicating a clear vision to all company members, guiding their professional development; manage classes, rehearsals, and performances with a focus on dancer health, fitness, and well-being
  •  Forge a partnership with the Executive Director, consistently communicating
    purpose and vision to the staff and to the community
  • Collaborate with senior management and the Board to create and effectively
    execute a strategic plan for the ballet
  • Commission new works and license contemporary restagings; develop
    relationships with contemporary choreographers and composers, while at the
    same time maintaining full length classical ballets, in addition to the Nutcracker
  • Cultivate collaborative, creative relationships in the region, including working
    closely with the Executive Director and the Board to accomplish fund-raising
    objectives of the Ballet, especially developing and maintaining key donor
    relationships
  • Grow the Ballet’s visibility and importance locally and nationally, representing the
    Sacramento Ballet to the public, media, patrons, and other stakeholders

Qualifications:

Required:

  •  At least 7 years of professional dance experience in any or all of these areas:
    performer, artistic director, artistic management and/or leadership
  •  A deep knowledge of and experience in classical ballet repertoire, as well as
    modern and contemporary work from diverse choreographers
  • A highly accomplished ballet artist who is a skilled teacher and coach with the
    ability to maintain high artistic standards within the company and who has skills
    and experience in staging and producing
  • A strategic thinker and planner, with the desire and ability to work collaboratively
    with an Executive Director and a nonprofit Board of Directors to effectively lead a
    large and complex organization
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including public speaking
  • Managerial experience, administrative and business skills, including an
    understanding of the financial requirements of managing a complex artistic
    organization
  • A strong commitment to equity

Preferred:

  • Bachelor’s degree or professional equivalency
  •  Nonprofit industry experience, preferably in an arts-related organization

Compensation & Benefits:

  • Salary range: $80,000 – $120,000 annually commensurate with experience and
    qualifications
  • Annual merit salary increase
  • Health insurance
  • Competitive paid vacation

About Sacramento Ballet:

Sacramento Ballet is a premier regional ballet company committed to artistic excellence, community engagement, and education through the transformative power of dance. The 2025-26 season marks the 71st anniversary of the Company. Building on the incredible success of our 70th Anniversary Season, the 2025-26 Season promises to be an unforgettable one.

Sacramento Ballet is a source and ambassador for extraordinary ballet experiences that give life to the classical tradition, nurture new ideas, and, above all, inspire. Today, the Ballet annually presents five mainstage performances, serves over 600 youth through adult students in its school, and engages with a wide variety of elementary schools, health providers, and other organizations in the Sacramento region through our
community engagement programs. Since 1954, Sacramento Ballet has been a beacon of artistic excellence in the California Capital Region, delivering world-class dance performances, education, and community outreach programs. A cornerstone of Sacramento’s cultural community, its mission is to enhance the human condition through dance and to make it accessible to everyone.

As the region’s only dance company to maintain a roster of professional dance artists, Sacramento Ballet captivates thousands of patrons each year with its enthralling performances and community outreach events. Unique among local arts organizations, Sacramento Ballet welcomes internationally renowned dancers and choreographers to live and create groundbreaking artistic works right here in our beautiful city and serves
as a representative of California’s thriving cultural scene on national and international stages.

Sacramento Ballet is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, funded by ticket sales and individual donations, as well as contributions from corporate, foundation, and government entities. This vital support enables the company to present unparalleled, world-class programming that inspires and uplifts, while expanding the reach of the art form through educational and outreach initiatives.

To Apply:

Submit a cover letter, resume, a sample season, and three references to Boardmember@sacballet.org. To be considered, please submit your application no later than October 31, 2025.

The Sacramento Ballet is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to building an inclusive and diverse environment for all employees and artists. 2420 N Street #100, Sacramento, CA 95816

Sacramento Ballet School Assistant – Position Description

Sacramento Ballet’s Front Desk Team is made up of a group of individuals who serve as the first point of contact between Sacramento Ballet’s students, audience members and other constituents of the organization. The School Assistant is a member of the Front Desk Team and reports to the School Administrator.  Their primary duties will be to effectively and joyfully communicate with Sacramento Ballet’s current and prospective constituents on behalf of the organization, facilitating awareness of Sacramento Ballet’s mission.

Hours fall on weekday evenings between 3 – 9 pm, Saturdays 8:30 am – 2 pm or later during Nutcracker season and other special events, and occasional Sundays.  This is a part-time position of 10-30 hours paying $16.50-18/hour.

General Expectations:

Sacramento Ballet School Assistant should be prepared to:

  • Report to scheduled shifts on a timely basis.
  • Maintain a professional appearance at all times during scheduled shifts, abiding by the Sacramento Ballet Office Dress Code.
  • Maintain an ongoing familiarity with all aspects of School of Sacramento Ballet, including its mission, as well as currently standing policies and procedures. This includes being familiar with the Student Handbook, program divisions and placement guidelines, registration procedures, and all current and upcoming class schedules.
  • Maintain an ongoing familiarity with the Sacramento Ballet professional company, including its mission, as well as such details as upcoming performance schedules, and current repertoire.
  • Initiate and maintain clear, detailed and comprehensive documentation of communication, records, and notes.
  • Relate to all constituents of Sacramento Ballet in a professional manner, with an attitude of kindness, warmth and joy.
  • Complete all assigned tasks as efficiently as possible, or alternately, ensure that another staff member is taking responsibility to complete any unfinished tasks.
  • Communicate with the School Administrator at any time if the working hours needed to complete assigned responsibilities are greater than budgeted working hours, and either obtain approval for overtime hours, or agree to delegate one or more tasks to another staff member.
  • Use any downtime creatively with the best interest of Sacramento Ballet in mind – i.e., ensure that the Front Desk and lobby areas are kept clean and tidy, and that items including schedules are always readily available.
  • Attend weekly School of Sacramento Ballet staff meetings as well as additional meetings/training as scheduled.
  • Maintain accurate records of their working hours by digitally entering their time on a bi-weekly basis, in accordance with the deadline provided by the School Administrator.

Tasks

The typical tasks completed by the School Assistant and other Team members include:

  • Answering phone calls and emails, and returning phone messages.
  • Interacting with students and parents of School of Sacramento Ballet, including helping them with tuition, taking payments and answering questions.
  • Monitoring the building; this includes making sure that younger students don’t leave the building without an adult, and monitoring who enters and exits the building.
  • Completing various communication tasks for School of Sacramento Ballet, including sending reminder emails, printing and distributing handouts, etc.
  • Completing various data management tasks, including working with student records in our studio software and in Google Drive spreadsheets.
  • Assisting with the gathering, and creation of, materials for social media. 
  • Completing various administrative tasks for the Sacramento Ballet professional company, as assigned.
  • Proof-reading of various Sacramento Ballet print and digital publications.


Skills and Qualifications

  • Clear, respectful writing in documents and emails; attention to grammar and style
  • Proficient in Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Forms
  • Comfortable with technology of various kinds
  • Self-driven and organized
  • Analyzing information
  • Professionalism
  • Creative problem solving
  • Clear, kind verbal communication and customer service
  • Attention to detail
  • Building relationships with students, families and audience members
  • Ability to adapt and respond in the moment
  • Clear, strong communication with coworkers and superiors
  • Team player
  • A college education (can be in progress) or equivalent work experience is required

 

Does this sound like you are a good fit?

Interested applicants should email their cover letter and resume to Chelsea Blake, cblake@sacballet.org.​

 We are looking to fill this position as soon as possible.

Sacramento Ballet is committed to racial equity and fair representation of multiple diverse populations in employment, outreach, scholarships, and all programs. We provide equity and inclusion including equitable pay, fair AGMA Union treatment; access, opportunity, ideas, perspectives, values, and advancement for all. We strive to identify and eliminate barriers as well as innate, learned, and conveyed biases that prevent full participation of our communities.

At Sacramento Ballet we know that all diversity strengthens us all. Our diversity commitment to our community aligns with that of California Arts Council, Sacramento Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy (ACCE) and Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission’s Race and Cultural Equity Statements. We are ever mindful, considered, and inclusive in our outreach to attain fair representation including but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, ability, geography, citizenship status, religion, language, physical appearance, and those affiliating with multiple identities.

Sacramento Ballet has always been a way for communities of the Sacramento region to come together and engage with the arts and each other. Our art allows us to provide and share solace amid uncertainty, to share mutual fears and concerns, to give voice to the voiceless, and to advocate and be allies for diversity, equity, and inclusion that strengthens us all.