Anthony Krutzkamp Comes Home to Lead Louisville Ballet

By Kelsey Knott Photos By Louisville Ballet 

Meet Anthony Krutzkamp, who’s stepping into his new role as Artistic Director of Louisville Ballet. While Krutzkamp has led an incredible life traveling with dance, nothing thrills him quite as much as returning home to lead the ballet company he grew up with. 

As a child raised on a family-owned dairy farm in Campbell County, his dancing dreams began with a love for clogging, though he started in tap. Upon his tap studio’s closing, the Cincinnati Ballet School called to gauge Anthony’s interest in ballet. “The call was on Friday. On Monday, I was dancing. I was a hyperactive boy, so when Cincinnati Ballet invited me to watch a company class, my mom took me out of school, and I saw these guys doing double assembles and five pirouettes and thought, ‘Okay, I can do this. I want to do this.’” His teacher, Karen Connell, expanded his world even further when she told him scholarships and summer intensives around the country were within reach. And so, at the age of 15, Krutzkamp headed to Boston Ballet School. 

Opportunities continued weaving their way into his world, and he believes, “My life has been happenstance.” Working as a guest artist in Charleston, West Virginia, led him to meet Miguel Campaneria, who initiated his international travel to Japan, where he spent six weeks for seven summers and found more opportunities across Europe. Performing in lead roles as a Principal Dancer for Cincinnati Ballet and revitalizing Sacramento Ballet as Artistic and Executive Director, Krutzkamp is well-known for his innovation, blending classical tradition with contemporary voices, as well as expanding outreach with events like Kansas City Dance Festival and Moving Arts Cincinnati, both of which he co-founded. 

The flow of music and the comfort found in the side-stage lighting keep Krutzkamp inspired: “When you’re dancing, there’s a moment when you’re rehearsing that you no longer think about the steps. The music carries you. You’re no longer worrying about count five; you just know it, because that’s part of the diphthong of the music. You lose all thinking and become an artist. There’s a moment on stage where you’re ready to enter, and you’re no longer nervous. It feels like home, in the theater sidelighting.” 

Krutzkamp looks forward to building trust with the Louisville Ballet dancers and watching them grow and thrive. “To think that I could be the artistic director of the company I used to watch perform when I was younger is just unbelievable. I grew up heading north to Cincinnati Ballet and south to Louisville Ballet. It’s the best part of the job, watching dancers get better. When a dancer knows you’re behind them, and then you see them accomplish things on stage, cheering them on through the nerves… I want to go through that.” He believes Louisville is ready for a safe space where performers can reach their full potential. “It’s just dance. You can make it fun and low-stress. You can find amazing choreographers and treat the dancers well, pulling the best out of them. They’re happy, the show happens, everyone’s happy, do it all again.” With the core belief that dance is for everyone, Krutzkamp hopes Louisville audiences find appreciation and enjoyment in experiencing a performance, whether from the impressive athleticism or the sheer joyousness of the dancers. 

Teaming up with CEO Leslie Smart is another reason Krutzkamp is thrilled to take on this role. “If you look at what Leslie’s done in a short amount of time, you can see that it’s true and that it’s real. She’s grown the company and created financial stability, while enhancing the profile of Louisville Ballet through innovative partnerships, bold artistic initiatives, and expanded community engagement.” 

“I look forward to bringing new ideas to the stage, deepening our connections with audiences, and continuing to amplify Louisville Ballet’s presence locally and beyond, ” he said. “I know I can do my part in meeting people and selling tickets because people need to see what these artists can do.” Krutzkamp looks forward to continuing to break down the accessibility barrier by crafting works that challenge the dancers and entice the audience. 

A husband and father to two lovely girls, Krutzkamp knows he has lucked out in all parts of his life: “I’m just excited to start. It’s a dream job; I just had to pinch myself.” 

Don’t miss Dracula at the Brown Theatre on October 10th and 11th, and round out your magical holiday season with tickets to The Brown-Forman Nutcracker at the Kentucky Performing Arts Center. Purchase tickets at louisvilleballet.org. 

Key Highlights 

• Led Sacramento Ballet to record-breaking ticket sales 

• Founded Sacramento’s Second Company and awarded $125K in student scholarships 

• Programmed works by Balanchine, Penny Saunders, Alejandro Cerrudo, Ma Cong, Caili Quan, Ihsan Rustem, and Jermaine Spivey. 

• Co-founded Kansas City Dance Festival and Moving Arts Cincinnati 

• Took Sacramento Ballet to the Bremerhaven International Summer Gala in Germany