Christine Chen, former American Repertory Ballet Executive Director, joined ARB after a career in the dance world as a performer, choreographer, journalist, educator and manager. She is now Director of Adult Programs at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, where she lives with her family.Chen led ARB through a financial turnaround to three straight years of surplus budgets, while also expanding the company's artistic and educational programming. She left the organization at the end of January 2014 following a landmark year which saw the premiere of two major works by Artistic Director Douglas Martin as well as a record-breaking 50th Nutcracker season.
Chen received her early dance training at the Princeton Ballet School, and was a member of the school’s pre-professional division. After earning her undergraduate degree at Princeton University and her MFA in Dance at the Ohio State University, she began her professional performing career in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she danced with AXIS Dance Company, Flyaway Productions, Dandelion Dance Theater, Paufve Dance and other independent choreographers. Christine joined New York-based STREB, an "extreme action" company in 2003. With STREB, Christine toured nationally and internationally, performed on Late Night with David Letterman and was featured in Cirque du Soleil's production of Midnight Sun. While performing, Christine worked as Programs Manager at STREB and Development and Communications Manager at Flyaway Productions; was a columnist for several print and online publications; and taught in many public and private schools and universities throughout the San Francisco Bay and the New York Metropolitan areas.
After retiring from performing, Christine earned her MBA at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management while working in Marketing at the Napa Valley Opera House and consulting at other arts and advocacy organizations. She was recently one of 10 artists featured in Dance Magazine and Dance Teacher Magazine's "Beyond Performance" Supplement, on the lives of dancers post-performance.
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