Abbott Academy Director at the Joffrey Academy of Dance

Joffrey Board Chair Anne L. Kaplan, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE, and Joffrey President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Cameron are pleased to announce that The Joffrey Ballet has established a newly named position at the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet. Effective immediately, current Academy Director Raymond Rodriguez assumes the new title of Abbott Academy Director, Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet. The new position has been created through a $3 million gift from the Abbott Fund, the foundation of the global healthcare company Abbott. This is the second named position at the Joffrey, in addition to The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director position, currently held by Wheater, and will directly support the Joffrey Academy’s expanded efforts to provide dance education to students and communities around the city of Chicago and beyond, including scholarship and performance opportunities. In October 2019, The Joffrey Ballet announced the appointment of Raymond Rodriguez as the next Academy Director, following the departure of former Director Karine Provost, under whose seven-year leadership the Academy saw exponential growth. Rodriguez served as the Academy’s Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program for almost three years and has also been instrumental to its growth over that time.

Photo Credit: Tim Whalen