Executive Director St. Germain Leaves S.F. Ballet After 13 Months

04/22/2023

April 22, 2023—San Francisco Ballet announced yesterday that Danielle St. Germain had left the position of Executive Director. Her exit comes thirteen months after SF Ballet announced her appointment in a press release on March 18, 2022, after she had held the position of Interim Executive Director of SF Ballet for nine months.

Danielle St. Germain-Gordon. Photo © Athena Pelton courtesy San Francisco Ballet
Danielle St. Germain-Gordon. Photo © Athena Pelton courtesy San Francisco Ballet

St. Germain took over the position from Kelly Tweeddale, who was Executive Director of San Francisco Ballet for eighteen months.

SF Ballet's Board of Directors announced that Arturo Jacobus will be reprising his role as interim executive director of the Company while a committee carries out an international search for a permanent director. Jacobus knows this territory well, having served as interim executive director of SF Ballet. Jacobus is returning to arts leadership after retiring from Atlanta Ballet in 2021, where he was president and CEO for twelve years. Jacobus is coming on board as Tamara Rojo starts her first season as Artistic Director with the Company.

The surprise announcement comes nine months after St. Germain addressed the opening of the Stanford Live 2022 summer performance season with wishes that the partnership of Stanford Live and SF Ballet would continue for years. "I couldn't be more excited," St.Germain stated, "and hope you will join us again during this banner year."

In addressing her departure, St. Germain said, "It has been an honor to work with the amazing company of dancers and an administrative team that moves mountains to support one of the premier ballet companies in the world. Working alongside Artistic Directors Helgi Tomasson and Tamara Rojo has been one of the highlights of my career. It's an exciting time for the Ballet, and I look forward to seeing where Tamara takes the company in the seasons to come."

Sunnie Evers, co-chair of the Board of Directors, expressed the Company's appreciation for St. Germain's work. "We thank Danielle for her tireless efforts to help SF Ballet emerge from the pandemic, launch its 90th anniversary season and next@90 Festival, and support the transition of a new artistic leader of the company," Evers said. "Her fundraising efforts have been vital as the Ballet and arts organizations across the Bay area and across the country navigate the post-pandemic cultural landscape. We wish her all the best in her future pursuits."

Co-chair of the Board of Directors Robert Shaw said, "We are delighted that Arturo Jacobus, who has extensive experience leading arts organizations across the country, including serving as Chief Executive at SF Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, has agreed to return to San Francisco as our Interim Executive Director. He will help us kick off the just-announced 2024 season, the first curated by Tamara Rojo. The season is filled with premieres, company firsts, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and works rarely seen in the United States, celebrating the artists and histories of San Francisco and spotlighting women's voices on stage and off."

St. Germain has led arts fundraising at various organizations for nearly 25 years. The announcement did not mention what her next position will be.

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