Felicia Swoope Chassés with Louisville Ballet

By Alisha Proffitt • Photos By Kathryn Harrington

As Louisville Ballet steps into its 75th anniversary, Felicia Swoope two-steps forward into the role of Executive Director, the makings of what is sure to be a beautiful chassé. Swoope has a long career in dance, arts education, and leadership that she brings to the table. A former performer herself, she went on to work in producing and education. Swoope takes on this new role with a broad, sweeping view of ballet, encompassing the labor of artists, the infrastructure that sustains them, and the community that makes Louisville Ballet possible.

“This is a dream role for me,” Swoope said. “I started dancing at the age of seven and never imagined that I would be the Executive Director of an esteemed ballet company.”

The company’s history, community engagement programs, and partnership with Artistic Director Anthony Krutzkamp only bolster her confidence in the decision to take the position. She calls Krutzkamp “The People’s Artistic Director,” noting his concern for dancers, students, staff, and the wider community that she shares.

Swoope’s appointment comes as Louisville Ballet continues to build on recent financial successes and new public-private investment in its facilities and artistic programming. Her immediate priorities include expanding Louisville Ballet's philanthropic support, strengthening operations, and reaching audiences who may not yet consider ballet to be something they can relate to. The challenge is to make growth tangible, both in the working conditions of artists and in the opportunities available to the public.

Having performed professionally, Swoope says she understands and empathizes with the physical demands and vulnerability of dance. That experience is front and center in her approach to administration, where decisions about budgets, facilities, and programming can dramatically impact the artists’ working lives. She describes her role as creating the conditions for Krutzkamp’s artistic vision to develop, with administrative stability supporting creative work, not constricting it.

As Kentucky’s official state ballet, the Louisville Ballet has big slippers to fill. We will continue to expand the number of performances and educational programs into schools, community centers, and public spaces throughout the Commonwealth, while also collaborating with other major arts organizations like Kentucky Opera and Louisville Orchestra. The company’s community engagement team, led by Stacey Blakeman, will play a key role in that effort.

Her emphasis on education is motivated by her own experience as a young dancer. Swoope credits dance with transforming her self-esteem and giving her the confidence that carried into other areas of her life. She sees the ballet school and community programs as potential points of entry for young people who might otherwise have little contact with the art form. Scholarships and reduced barriers to participation, she argues, can help make training available to a broader and more diverse range of students.

Swoope's personal measure of success will be the company's relationship with the people it serves, not only its financial performance or box office receipts. She envisions a future in which students can progress through the school, enter the Studio Company, pursue arts administration studies at Bellarmine University, and potentially join the professional company or its leadership (not unlike herself).

As Louisville Ballet begins its next chapter, we wish Felicia Swoope well in her new role and look forward to seeing how her leadership cornerstones the company’s future, strengthens its ties across Kentucky, and creates new opportunities for dancers, students, and audiences alike.