American Ballet Theatre CEO Resigns 1 Week Before Start of Summer Season
“It has been a privilege to lead such a storied Company during such a crucial period of time, and I am grateful for this experience,” said Janet Rollé
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Janet RollaJanet Rollé has resigned from her role as CEO and executive director of the American Ballet Theatre after just 17 months on the job.
The company announced Rollé’s departure in a press release on Wednesday — a mere week before its summer season is set to begin on June 22. Her resignation is “effective immediately.”
“It has been a privilege to lead such a storied Company during such a crucial period of time, and I am grateful for this experience,” Rollé said in a statement included in the release. “I would like to extend my sincerest best wishes to ABT as they embark on this new chapter and as I turn more of my focus to my service as Board Director at BuzzFeed, Inc. and Hallmark Cards, Inc. and to my role as Presidential Appointee at the United States Tennis Association (USTA).”
Rollé did not provide an explanation for her sudden departure and ABT had no additional comment when reached by PEOPLE.
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Board Chairman Andrew F. Barth, said that ABT board members are thankful for Rollé, who joined the company at a “critical time,” piloting ABT as it attempted to recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic.
“We are appreciative of her leadership and contributions,” Barth said in the release. “We thank her for her continued counsel during this transition period and wish her the very best.”
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Rollé stepped into the role at the beginning of 2022, becoming the first Black woman to lead the company in its history.
Prior to the move, Rollé was the General Manager at Beyoncé-founded media and management company Parkwood Entertainment. During her time there, Rollé associate produced Beyoncé’s iconic 2018 Coachella performance as well as concert film Homecoming. She was also an executive producer of Emmy-winning film Black Is King.
Upon joining ABT, Rollé cited dance as the “foundation” of her illustrious career.
“When my dear Mom, an immigrant from Jamaica, took me to my first dance class at the age of eight at the YMCA in Mount Vernon, New York, she set me on the path that would provide the foundation of my career,” Rollé said in a statement on the company’s website.
Rollé continued, “It is therefore a singular privilege to be entrusted by the Board to preserve and extend the legacy of American Ballet Theatre, and to ensure its future prosperity, cultural impact, and relevance. To come full circle and be in a position to give back to the art that has given me so much is a source of unbridled and immense joy.”
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In an interview with Sports Illustrated last year, Rollé echoed this sentiment. “What I think about is how to make that definition of being America’s National Ballet Company real and true for all Americans,” she said in the interview.
She went on to say that that she doesn’t “separate my Blackness from my leadership,” something that would “deny me my full humanity and everything I have to offer in service of the company.”
Until a new CEO is selected, Susan Jaffe, artistic director for the company, will take on the role of interim executive director, while Rollé will serve as strategic advisor to the chair of the board it searches for her successor.
“I am humbled by the Board’s confidence in me and excited to lead ABT during this transition,” Jaffe said in the Wednesday release. “This is a special time for ABT, and I am very much looking forward to kicking off our Met season with the New York Premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s ‘Like Water for Chocolate.’”
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