In a shocking move, new ballet director departs after only 14 months

Jodie Gates, who joined Cincinnati Ballet as artistic director just 14 months ago, “has departed the organization to pursue other opportunities,” according to a short statement issued by the company early Friday afternoon.

The “mutual decision” was both unexpected and unusual. It is extremely rare for an artistic director to leave a company after such a short tenure. And to leave at the beginning of a season is almost unheard of. In comparison, Gates’ predecessor, Victoria Morgan, was artistic director for 25 years. When Gates was hired, the hope was that she would be here several years – long enough to raise the company’s national stature even higher than Morgan had.

There were few public hints of dissatisfaction. Gates was reportedly popular with the dancers, many of whom had come to Cincinnati expressly to work with her. But three weeks ago, Gates went on PTO – personal time off – and rehearsal director and former company principal dancer Cervilio Miguel Amador became acting artistic director.

No public announcement was made of Amador’s appointment. But when the company opened its “More Room to Play, Kaplan New Works” series on Sept. 15, Amador stepped in front of the curtain to give a preshow speech, something customarily done by the artistic director.

Friday’s announcement notes that Amador’s title has changed slightly. He will now be the “interim artistic director.” In a prepared Q&A, the ballet’s board chairman, Joel Stone, said that the company “will take some time to evaluate what is best for all Cincinnati Ballet stakeholders, and then make an informed decision on how to proceed long term.” There was no hint of a search committee being formed or a timeline to find a new artistic director.

This is just the most recent in a series of departures that has seen more than a half-dozen people in artistic and executive leadership positions leave the company in the past year.

Gates – a former dancer, founding director of the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and founder and artistic director of the Laguna Dance Festival – brought with her an abundance of experience as a performer and was well-connected with noted choreographers around the world.

Cincinnati Ballet, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this season, has had its share of bumpy transitions in artistic leadership, particularly during the period of 1989-1996, when it went through four artistic directors in rapid succession. But the past 15 years have been a time of growth and stability for the company.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Artistic director Jodie Gates leaves Cincinnati Ballet after 14 months