Joffrey Ballet Announces Brian Smith in New Role of Chief Advancement Officer

The Board of Directors of The Joffrey Ballet has announced the promotion of its former Chief Marketing Officer Brian Smith to the newly created role of Chief Advancement Officer, effective immediately. In his new role, Smith will oversee a newly integrated Advancement team that brings the Marketing and Development departments closer together, ensuring that earned and contributed revenue goals are consistently met or exceeded, while also supporting the Joffrey's commitment to diversity, accessibility, and artistic excellence in performances and productions, training and education, and community engagement.

"Brian's leadership at the Joffrey, which began in 2011, has been grounded in integrity, accountability, transparency, and this past year, extra doses of resiliency and empathy. His commitment to authentic relationships and savvy storytelling has resulted in record box office and attendance numbers and an expanded local, national, and international reputation for the storied Joffrey Ballet. As our new chief storyteller, Joffrey is poised for continued growth and transformation," said Greg Cameron, President and CEO of The Joffrey Ballet.

Added Jason Tyler, Joffrey Director and past Board Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Northern Trust: "I have had the pleasure of working with Brian for more than ten years - seeing him develop as a leader with a willingness to always embrace new opportunities, to put mission front and center, and to lead with humility and positivity. The Northern Trust values our long-standing partnership with the Joffrey, and we look forward to deepening this relationship under Brian's steady direction."

"Over the past year, the Joffrey team has shown an extraordinary commitment to the organization and each other," said Smith. "With the return of live performances upon us, our inaugural season at the Lyric beginning this fall, and the expansion of the Joffrey Academy and Joffrey Community Engagement at the studios of 1920 South Wabash, I am humbled by the opportunity to collaborate with my immensely talented colleagues under the umbrella of the newly formed Advancement team, a group united by our collective passion for The Joffrey Ballet and desire to see it surpass every expectation."

About The Joffrey Ballet's 2021-2022 Season

The Joffrey Ballet's inaugural season at the Lyric Opera House marks the Company's long-awaited return to the stage with live performances featuring several new-to-the-stage works, highly anticipated remounts, company debuts, and the world-premiere adaptation of a classic American story. The Joffrey Ballet begins its 2021-2022 season with the triumphant mixed repertory program, Home: a Celebration, October 13-24, 2021, including original works by choreographers Chanel DaSilva, Joffrey Rehearsal Director Nicolas Blanc, Joffrey Artist Yoshihisa Arai, and a beloved ballet classic choreographed by Joffrey co-founder Gerald Arpino. Soon after, the Joffrey celebrates the return of Christopher Wheeldon's magical production of The Nutcracker, December 4-26, 2021, followed by the Joffrey remount of Yuri Possokhov's family-friendly, humorous version of Don Quixote February 16-27, 2022. Closing the season in spectacular fashion is the world-premiere adaptation of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men by choreographer Cathy Marston (featuring an original composition by Academy Award®-nominated composer Thomas Newman), and the Joffrey premiere of Serenade by dance pioneer George Balanchine, April 27-May 8, 2022.

All performances take place at the historic Lyric Opera House in downtown Chicago at 20 North Upper Wacker Drive.

Three-program subscriptions, which do not include The Nutcracker, start at $120. Single tickets (available at a later date) start at $35. Subscriptions are available for purchase online at joffrey.org, by mail (Joffrey Ballet Subscriptions, The Joffrey Ballet, Joffrey Tower, 10 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601), by telephone at 312.386.8905, by fax at 312.739.0119 or by email at subscriptions@joffrey.org.

Photo credit: Cheryl Mann

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