CINCINNATI — After less than two years as the Cincinnati Ballet's artistic director, Jodie Gates is stepping down from the role to pursue other opportunities, according to a press release from the ballet.
Gates served as the artistic director for both the Cincinnati Ballet and its Otto M. Budig Adademy.
Gates' position as artistic director was announced in early 2022 and in August 2022 she officially stepped into the role previously held for 25 years by Victoria Morgan.
"It has been an honor to program the 60th anniversary season and I am proud of the work we have done together to ensure the artistic growth of the company and the academy," said Gates in a press release. "However, at this time I wish to focus on choreographic projects, staging and teaching. I sincerely thank the Board of Trustees, the artistic and administrative staff, the patrons and the extraordinary dancers for an enriching experience."
In Gates place, the Cincinnati Ballet's Board of Trustees said it has appointed Cervilio Miguel Amador, the ballet's current rehearsal director, to serve as interim artistic director. Amador retired from his role as a principal dancer for the Cincinnati Ballet during the 2019-2020 season, after spending 16 years dancing for the company.
Gates came to Cincinnati after years as the founding director of the University of Southern California's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. She also founded the Laguna Dance Festival in 2005 and serves as its artistic director.
When WCPO spoke with Gates in January 2022, she expressed excitement for her new role with the Cincinnati Ballet.
"It's the opportunity of a lifetime, really," Gates said in January 2022. "The company has been on an upward climb for several years now and what Victoria has done, and the whole team has put together just a remarkable product and remarkable institution."
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