Cincinnati Ballet trustees have named the company's next artistic director. Cervilio Amador has been serving as interim director since September 2023 and will now serve in the position permanently. He started as a soloist and became principal dancer before retiring from the ballet's stage in 2020.
“Cervi immediately took on complex leadership responsibilities as he transitioned from rehearsal director to interim artistic director," the Ballet's President and CEO Deborah S. Brant says in a release. "He brings to this critical leadership role a deep understanding of Cincinnati Ballet and the community. I have enjoyed working with Cervi and look forward to future opportunities for this incredible company.”
Amador trained at the Vocational Ballet School in Camaguey, Cuba, and the National Ballet School of Cuba before joining the National Ballet of Cuba. He came to the Cincinnati Ballet as a soloist in 2004. Two years later, he was promoted to principal dancer, becoming one of the youngest in the dance company's history. He retired as principal dancer during the 2019-2020 season and transitioned to the role of rehearsal director.
“It is an honor to serve as artistic director of this company that I cherish with all my heart," Amador says in a statement. "I am passionate about creating new opportunities for our dancers, deepening the company’s relationship with the community, and elevating Cincinnati Ballet and the art form through challenging classical and innovative contemporary repertoire. Cincinnati is truly my home. I am proud to have moved my extended family here from Cuba and am raising my three children with my wife, Jackie Damico Amador, in our beautiful Queen City. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have been given and am energized to take the company to the next level.”
Jodie Gates previously served in the role, having taken it over from the Ballet's longtime artistic director Victoria Morgan, who retired in 2022.
