Prix de Lausanne Director Shelly Power to Become Executive Director of Pennsylvania Ballet

Today the Pennsylvania Ballet’s board of trustees announced the appointment of Shelly Power as its new executive director. Having been involved in the five-month international search, company artistic director Angel Corella said in a statement released by PAB that he’s “certain Shelly is the best candidate to lead the administrative team that supports the artistic vision of the company.” Power’s official transition will begin in February. This news comes at the end of a few years of turmoil and turnover at PAB, including the departure of former executive director David Gray in June.

Shelly Power. Photo by Melissa Fitzgerald, Courtesy Pennsylvania Ballet.

Power will bring a wealth of experience to the position. She’s fresh off a nearly two-year tenure as artistic director and CEO of a prestigious international ballet competition, the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland. Before that she worked for 12 years as the administrative and artistic director of Houston Ballet Academy. In both roles, Power was lauded for expanding the reach of the organizations and building new audiences. She told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she also plans to focus on finishing construction on Pennsylvania Ballet’s new building, the result of which will place studios and offices side by side, closely wedding the administrative and artistic halves of the organization. “I have tremendous passion for ballet,” said Power in a statement released by PAB. “My passion, coupled with my deep knowledge of running a successful company, will guide the continued growth of Pennsylvania Ballet and will help to further strengthen the impact the organization will make for years to come.”