Louisville Ballet has a new executive director just as the company enters its biggest financial and artistic push in years. Felicia Swoope, an arts executive, producer and former professional dancer, has been appointed to the role, tasked with overseeing fundraising, community engagement and other efforts as the organization prepares for major growth.
According to WDRB, Swoope will work closely with the ballet's artistic director and board of directors as the company prepares for a major investment in its facilities. Swoope described the moment in personal terms, saying stepping into leadership at a milestone moment is a privilege and profound responsibility, and that she is excited to help lead the organization through the changes ahead, per the same report.
Swoope arrives with a résumé built on arts administration and dance leadership. Before joining Louisville Ballet, she served as Executive Director of Newark Arts starting in January 2022, founded GENDARC Dance NYC, curated Harlem Stage's E-Moves series, and earned degrees from Dartmouth College and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, according to New Jersey Stage. She also served as inaugural director of AileyCamp Newark and holds a board position at Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
A Dual Leadership Model Heading Into Year 75
Swoope will co-lead the organization alongside Artistic Director Anthony Krutzkamp, whose appointment took effect October 1, 2025, after serving as Artistic and Executive Director of Sacramento Ballet, according to Louisville Ballet. Krutzkamp was selected following a national search after leading the Sacramento company through several years of growth, the ballet said.
Swoope succeeds Leslie Smart, who transitioned from CEO to a seat on the Board of Directors in April 2026 after helping secure more than $18.5 million in philanthropic support over her three-year tenure, per Louisville Ballet. Smart helped stabilize the company during her three-and-a-half-year tenure.
A $9 Million Bet on the Company's Future
Louisville Ballet will receive $9 million for facility upgrades, funding announced in April 2026 that Louisville Ballet describes as a public-private partnership combining a $3 million one-time appropriation from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a $3 million lead private match gift, and $3 million in additional donor match commitments. The money is intended to support main studio upgrades, statewide touring, and live musical accompaniment, the organization said.
That investment lands as the company enters its 75th anniversary year on solid financial footing. The ballet has posted three consecutive years of operating surpluses through 2026 and has served over 80,000 individuals, according to Louisville Ballet, a rebound from the post-pandemic budget strains the company faced in 2022 and 2023.
Baryshnikov's Return Anchors the Anniversary Season
The marquee moment of the anniversary season arrives in February 2027, when Mikhail Baryshnikov is scheduled to return to Louisville Ballet for a series of panel discussions alongside Louisville-born ballet icons Wendy Whelan and Clinton Luckett, according to Louisville Ballet. The event coincides with the premiere of resident choreographer Andrea Schermoly's Carmen.
Baryshnikov's ties to the company date back to 1978, when he debuted alongside principal dancer Helen Starr, and to a 1979 performance in Petrouchka that dramatically boosted the company's subscriber base, according to WBIW. Those late-1970s appearances marked a turning point in the ballet's national visibility.
Building Out Career Paths for Dancers
Louisville Ballet has also been expanding programs meant to support dancers beyond the stage. In February 2026, the company established a degree partnership with Bellarmine University, according to Dance Magazine. The partnership provides an academic option for dancers.
Founded in 1952 and designated the Official State Ballet of Kentucky, Louisville Ballet is recognized as the fifth-oldest continuously operating professional ballet company in the United States, according to Give.org. The organization now operates with 108 total employees supporting 24 main company professional dancers and 39 studio company dancers, while engaging nearly 30,000 local residents annually through education initiatives such as school residencies, student matinees, and adaptive dance classes for people with movement disorders.
Louisville Ballet says it has 75 years of artistic excellence, civic partnership and community support behind it as it heads into this next chapter, per WDRB. With Swoope and Krutzkamp now sharing the organization's leadership, the company is positioning its anniversary season, its Bellarmine partnership, and its $9 million capital investment as connected pieces of a broader plan to expand its footprint across Kentucky.
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