Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Announces New Executive Director And New Board Chair

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) announced today the appointment of Nicholas Dragga as its newest executive director. He will be the sixth person to serve in the company's executive director role since its founding in 1969.

Dragga will begin his role on November 1, 2023. Dragga joins PBT from Ballet Lubbock, where he has served as executive director since 2011. He has a wealth of experience as an arts administrator, as well as significant involvement with ballet and performing arts.

“I am beyond honored to join Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in this exciting and pivotal time,” said Nicholas Dragga. “Adam W. McKinney, Ayana Teter and the entire PBT team's commitment to people and community-building is inspiring, energizing and sets the stage for transformative impact in the region. I look forward to working with PBT's stakeholders and communities to deepen relationships, forge new partnerships and bring new levels of belonging and brilliance both on and off the stage. Pittsburgh and PBT have vibrant, magnificent days ahead, and we can't wait to dance with you.”

Dr. Kathryn Gigler, PBT's director of education and community engagement who also served as PBT's acting executive director for more than a year, will be departing from the organization to pursue opportunities overseas. Gigler has successfully overseen the organization and worked closely with PBT's board of directors and artistic director Adam W. McKinney to implement the organization's strategic plan, which focuses on building community engagement and making dance and ballet accessible to everyone.

“While I am sorry to leave my amazing friends and colleagues at PBT, I am excited to see what the future has in store for me in London,” said Kathryn Gigler.  “I am delighted to have helped guide PBT during the beginning of this next chapter and cannot wait to see the stunning works it will produce and the phenomenal community engagement Adam and Nick will make possible.”
 
PBT's Board of Directors worked closely with Management Consultants for the Arts (MCA) on a comprehensive international search for the new executive director. The search was led by Mary McKinney Flaherty, Immediate Past Chair, and Treasurer, Rich Beaty.

PBT is also announcing that Reverend Ayana Teter is its new Board Chair, beginning with the 2023-2024 season. Rev. Teter has served as PBT's Vice Chair since 2020 and chair of its School Committee from 2018 to 2022. She is the associate dean for students and formation at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary after serving as the director of vocational discernment and placement within the institution. A life-long dancer, she shares a passion for ballet and musical expression. PBT typically elects Board Chairs on a biennial basis, selecting candidates from their Board of Directors.
 
“We are thrilled to have Nicholas Dragga join PBT as our new executive director,” said Teter. “We believe Nicholas's accomplished background in arts leadership, fundraising and community engagement is a perfect fit for PBT. We're excited to see the great work that started under Kathryn Gigler continue and to see even more transformations that will occur under his leadership.”

“The 2023-24 Season is already proving to be successful with the hiring of Nicholas Dragga as executive director and appointing Ayana Teter as our new Board Chair,” said artistic director Adam W. McKinney. “Their leadership acumen will have an incredible and long-lasting impact on PBT and Pittsburgh communities.”

Nicholas Dragga is a Certified Fund Raising Executive and has served as the executive director of Ballet Lubbock since 2011 where he focused on program design, development and the branding of the organization. During his tenure Ballet Lubbock's budget more than quintupled to $2.5 million, net assets grew from $700,000 to over $12 million, and the organization moved into its new $10 million facility as part of the $154 million Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences. Dragga also helped to grow Ballet Lubbock's community and programs, which include a 400-student academy, community engagement programming that reaches over 600 students each week and adaptive dance and arts in medicine initiatives that reach all ages and abilities. He strongly believes there is no excellence without community. 

Dragga holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance and Composition from Texas Tech University and a Master of Science Degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University. Dragga has served as a grant evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, Houston Arts Alliance and is a Texans for the Arts Certified State Arts Advocate.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has been Pittsburgh's premier professional ballet company since 1969. Today, PBT is a nationally recognized ballet company of 38 professional dancers, a training institution for over 1,200 students of all ages, and an incubator for education and accessibility programs in classrooms, libraries and community centers throughout the region. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Adam W. McKinney, the company performs a wide-ranging repertoire of classical ballets, contemporary masterworks and new commissions in nearly 50 performances annually.