Dear Marin Ballet Families, Students, and Alumni-
It is my great pleasure to share with you the next leadership team for Marin Ballet. While there may be familiarity in the smiles and faces, there are exciting new roles and renewed optimism and energy among the entire faculty and school. I feel this team embodies the hopes and dreams of Marin Ballet’s future.
Nancy Rehkopf will continue to serve as Marin Ballet’s President and CEO- focusing on strategy, marketing, and fundraising. Nancy is a seasoned non-profit leader with a focus on strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising. She is the retired Executive Director of Marin MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), a former Adjunct Professor at the Barowsky School of Business at Dominican University of California, and a former Senior Vice President and Marketing Director at Wells Fargo.
Nancy knows the arts community well and has served on the boards of Youth in Arts, the Marin Symphony and Marin Open Studios. She was the co-founder of the Great Chefs in Great Homes fundraiser for Marin Ballet.
Catherine Hader steps confidently into the role of School Director. In her fourth year with the school, Catherine has gained the trust and admiration of students and faculty alike. A graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School, she began her professional career with The National Ballet of Canada under Artistic Director Erik Bruhn, and then went onto a successful freelance dance career in Los Angeles.
In 2013, Catherine turned to teaching full time at the School of Ballet Arizona, first under School Director Carlos Valcarcel before he relocated to London as Director of Dance at the English National Ballet School, and then with Ballet Arizona’s Rehearsal Director, Maria Simonetti.
Students Ms. Hader has taught have gone onto professional careers at Ballet Arizona, Boston Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, and the Houston Ballet trainee program. Other graduates have been accepted into CalArts, USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, U of A Dance program; Ballet Arizona Studio Company; Pacific Northwest Ballet, Orlando Ballet and Houston Ballet professional programs, and ABT, SAB, Paris Opera and Hubbard Street Summer Intensives.
An Improbable Dream, the dance documentary Co-Produced by Ms. Hader in association with Lionel Chetwynd Productions and CBC Arts Canada, was honored with 5 film industry awards in 2017 including gold Medals in the “Special Arts Film” category from The N.Y. Festival Awards and was an official selection for the Dance on Camera Festival 2018 at Lincoln Center.
In addition to her dance career, Catherine is also a certified yoga instructor, bringing an emphasis on health and wellness to the student body.
Julia Adam will serve as Marin Ballet’s Performance Director. Also hailing from the National Ballet of Canada, Julia has had a storied career in performance and choreography. She joined San Francisco Ballet in 1988, gaining prestige as a principal dancer known for her lyricism, musicality and broad theatrical range. Julia performed a wide range of roles in Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson’s diverse repertory for the Company. She retired from dancing in Spring 2002 and quickly gained recognition as one of the dance world’s rising talents in choreography. Julia has created over 100 works for numerous companies including San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Atlanta Ballet, Nashville Ballet and The Joffrey Ballet. She continues to choreograph around the country and win critical acclaim for her work.
In 2014, Julia and Aaron Lucich, her husband, founded Julia Adam Dance, an evolving collaboration of their worlds. Their annual open air ballet performance and feast is an event not to be missed.
Marin Ballet is also pleased to announce the following positions and promotions within the organization:
Stephanie Taubert, Operations Manager and Registrar. Many consider Stephanie the glue that holds Marin Ballet together, and I’d consider that an understatement. Since 2018, she has nurtured students, helped guide nervous parents, and run this tremendous facility. Although she gains a different title, Stephanie will continue in her roles as registrar, administrator, and chief parent wrangler (AKA volunteer coordinator).
Corinne Jonas, Artistic Administrator. Corinne received her training at Marin Ballet and danced professionally with Houston Ballet and Diablo Ballet, performing principal and soloist roles in ballets by George Balanchine, classical and contemporary works, and roles created for her, and was featured in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Corinne directed Berkeley Ballet Theater until joining Marin Ballet’s faculty in 2006, where her warmth and personality have made her a favorite teacher of not only ballet but also character dance. She continues to focus on building that very same character in our students, with mentoring programs such as Ballet Buddies Connect.
You may notice an absence of the role of Executive Director at the Ballet. After consideration and study, the Board of Directors has decided the role does not meet the current moment. Instead, under Nancy Rehkopf’s supervision, we will be building upon the knowledge and experience within our organization. I have every confidence this is the right direction for the school.
With the new team in place, I will be stepping down from the role of Interim Executive Director as of July 30. It has been an absolute honor to get to know this extraordinary institution, all of you, and most of all, the dedicated people who love and believe in its mission.
The 2022/23 school year marks the 60th Anniversary of Marin Ballet, and we can’t wait to share some of the ideas we have brewing for this special year. A solid foundation, enduring mission, and stellar track record propel the school into a bright future, ever dedicated to the joy of dance.
In gratitude and friendship,
Cristine Kelly
Interim Executive Director