Houston Ballet Announces First-Ever Co-Artistic Director

Houston Ballet Announces First-Ever Co-Artistic Director

Julie Kent (photo by Jayme Thornton, courtesy of The Washington Ballet)

THE BELOVED STANTON Welch of the Houston Ballet officially has a new counterpart in Julie Kent, named the company's first-ever co-artistic director today.


The longest-serving ballerina in American Ballet Theatre, Kent arrives in Houston in July 2023 from DC, where she currently serves as the artistic director of The Washington Ballet. She's been there since 2016, and in that time has commissioned 26 world premieres by 17 different choreographers.

"Not only is Julie Kent ballet royalty and immensely talented—both as a dancer, coach, stager and teacher — but there is no one I would rather have as a partner to bring Houston Ballet into this next chapter,” said Welch in a statement. He previously worked with Kent during her time at American Ballet Theatre, when she danced in his productions Clear and Carmina Burana. “I very much look forward to what will be a highly collaborative experience that will only elevate what Houston Ballet can achieve, both artistically and as an organization.”

Kent and her husband, Victor Barbee, who is The Washington Ballet's Associate Artistic Director, have two children, and have also created important works together. (Their staging of The Sleeping Beauty was described by the New York Times as “one of the world’s finer Sleeping Beauties.”) They will relocate to Houston together next summer.

Art + Entertainment
Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less

Photo by Lynn Lane

HOUSTON GRAND OPERA’S second fall repertoire production is Gioachino Rossini’s Cinderella. The colorful, commedia dell'arte-inspired production opens Friday, Oct. 25, and stars Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard — a breathtaking brunette beauty, even when doused in soot — in bel canto role of Angelina, known to her mean step-sisters as “Cenerentola.”

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

BRETT MILLER WAS just 10 years old when his parents took him to a screening of the 1925 silent film, The Phantom of the Opera, starring Lon Chaney as “The Phantom” of the Paris Opera House, with an accompanying soundtrack played live by an organist. The film contains one of the most famous “reveals” on celluloid (We won’t give it away!) and is all the more shocking when accompanied by live music played on the Phantom’s favorite instrument.

Keep Reading Show less