From TOLEDO BALLET
The Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and Toledo Ballet named professional dancer, educator, and choreographer Eric Otto as its new Artistic Director & Head of Curriculum this morning.
“TAPA is such a unique organization and I look forward to beginning my journey as Artistic Director & Head of Curriculum of Toledo Ballet,” says Otto. “I absolutely love the idea of the ballet and symphony operating under one performing arts organization. I have to say, that was a huge draw for me when I was researching the position. It is so rare for a ballet school to perform with live music, so when I saw that the Toledo Ballet collaborates with the Toledo Symphony for its annual production of The Nutcracker and spring performances, I was hooked.”
“I am happy to welcome Eric and his family to Toledo. He has danced with some of the world’s great ballet companies and maintains an incredible commitment to inspiring young minds in the studio,” says Zak Vassar, President & CEO of TAPA. “Eric will add a wealth of perspective to our community when it comes to dance. Through his experience, his teaching technique, and his humanity, Eric will be an important asset as we build the next chapter of Toledo Ballet.”
A native of Westchester County, New York, Otto was exposed to the world of dance at an early age. His mother ran a successful dance school where he and his siblings were raised through music and movement. “My mom started her own ballet school in the early 60s out of her basement in Westchester, NY, and grew her school over the next 50 years. She is a very strong, passionate, and artistic woman who raised 7 children,” says Otto. “All of us danced ballet and all four boys danced professionally.”
Otto began dancing at the age of seven with the School of American Ballet in New York City and has performed with many prestigious ballet institutions over the years, including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and BalletX. Otto has performed extensive repertoire and works by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Jiří Kylián, Kenneth MacMillan, Jerome Robbins and others.
Otto appeared in the original cast of Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away, performing the leading role of Sid. He was also invited to join the cast of Tharp’s Movin’ Out where he starred in the Broadway and First National Tour companies as James. He continued to appear on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera and toured with Twyla Tharp for her 50th Anniversary. Off the Broadway stage, Otto has danced roles specially created for him by some of the most influential modern dance artists of today, including Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Lynne Taylor-Corbette, and Matthew Neenan.
In addition to his professional dance career, Otto brings over 25 years of industry experience to Toledo Ballet as an educator and choreographer. He is an ABT (American Ballet Theatre) Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 6/7 and Partnering of the ABT National Training Curriculum. As a choreographer, Otto has received commissions by Peoria Ballet Company, Albany Berkshire Ballet, The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Saratoga Arts Fest, The Bruce Museum, Bucknell University, and Skidmore College.
“I am incredibly excited to begin a new era of artistic partnership with Eric,” says Alain Trudel, Music Director of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. “His positive energy and willingness to create new collaborative opportunities for both art forms – music and dance – at all levels is inspirational. Eric is well-versed in many topics that resonate with me personally, including classical music and opera. I can already tell we are going to make a great team.”
“Collaborating with the symphony is such a wonderful treat and I’m relishing the fact that I will get so many opportunities to work with Alain and the musicians,” says Otto. “As soon as I started talking to Alain I felt an instant connection and chemistry, I think because we are both very artistic minded people. He felt like my tribe. I am very excited!”
Founded in 1939 by Marie Bollinger Vogt, Toledo Ballet celebrates its 83rd season as a pre-professional dance company offering quality dance education to all ages and ability levels.
“The Artistic Director & Head of Curriculum has the important role of executing the creative and artistic vision of Toledo Ballet,” says Rachel Schultz, Vice President of Education & Community Engagement for TAPA. “Throughout the interview process, we have seen first-hand how student-centered and collaboration-focused Eric is. He comes to Toledo with an appreciation and respect for the groundwork that’s been laid and an excitement to build upon that foundation. I have no doubt that he will continue Toledo Ballet’s legacy and thrive.”
A task force consisting of TAPA trustees, staff, and Toledo Ballet faculty was formed in January to evaluate existing leadership structures at Toledo Ballet and make recommendations regarding the scope and responsibilities of new artistic leadership. Renowned stager, dancer, and coach, Maina Gielgud served as a consultant during this process.
“We received so many talented, experienced, and highly-qualified applicants for this position from all over the world, it was more than we could have dreamed of,” says Jeanne DeWitt, Task Force Member & Search Committee Chair. “The desire among the applicants to be a part of Toledo Ballet with its diverse programming, rich history, and promising future with TAPA was incredible. It was amazing to speak with them and truly difficult to turn anyone away.”
In his new role as Artistic Director & Head of Curriculum, Otto will support the mission of Toledo Ballet to inspire the passions and spirit of the Toledo community through dance and embrace the notion that dance is for everybody. His primary responsibilities are to bring high-quality performance experiences to the community, implement a developmentally appropriate training curriculum, provide opportunities for faculty development and expansion, and increase student recruitment and retention.
“Eric’s diverse teaching background and acclaimed professional career are noteworthy,” says Ann Heckler, Interim Coordinator of Curriculum & Faculty. “His passion for teaching is just as strong as his passion for performing. During his visit to Toledo Ballet, I was impressed by his ability to communicate with all the students in his class, fostering both technical and artistic development. His teaching style uniquely balances confidence and humility.
“At Toledo Ballet, we take pride in making dance accessible to everyone, including differently abled students with Down syndrome and on the autism spectrum who take part in Toledo Ballet’s Adaptive Dance program,” continues Heckler. “I believe Eric’s commitment to expanding opportunities and outreach programs for students of all abilities will continue to make Toledo Ballet stand out in our region as an inclusive place to learn and grow. I am eager to see Toledo Ballet continue to flourish under Eric’s leadership and increase our community outreach dance presence.”
At its annual meeting on Wednesday, June 15, TAPA’s Board of Trustees elected Steven Cavanaugh, Founder & Managing Partner of Bay Cliff Partners as the organization’s 29th Board Chair. In this role, Cavanaugh will oversee the direction and governance of the Toledo Symphony and Toledo Ballet, working with the board’s officers, committees, and trustees, alongside the organization’s President & CEO, Zak Vassar.
“We are very excited to have Eric join Toledo Ballet as Artistic Director & Head of Curriculum,” says Cavanaugh. “Eric is an incredibly accomplished artist, performer, and teacher, and we are lucky to have someone of his caliber become part of our organization. We strongly believe Eric is the right person to help develop the culture and vision we aspire to achieve for our organization. We want to welcome Eric and his family to TAPA and the Toledo area.”
“My wife, Laura, son, Quinn, and I are very excited to move to Toledo and become part of the community,” says Otto. “Moving your family always takes a lot of fortitude, but meeting everyone and seeing how supportive they were with me throughout the interview process makes me and my family feel confident that our transition will be smooth, supportive, and thrilling.”
For questions, please contact Rachel Schultz, Vice President of Education & Community Engagement for TAPA at rschultz@artstoledo.com. To learn more about Toledo Ballet, visit toledoballet.com.
