Northrop Names Kristen Brogdon the New Director of Programming

Northrop at the University of Minnesota announced today that Kristen Brogdon will join its staff as the new Director of Programming starting Jun 24. She will be responsible for conceiving, curating, developing, and implementing the artistic vision of Northrop's performing arts and related education programs in collaboration with all of Northrop's teams.

Brogdon comes to Northrop from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she has directed the Office of the Arts since 2015 and also served as UNCW's Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Community Engagement, managing community partnerships, scholarly engagement, and four departments that engage with campus and community partners.

Before that Brogdon spent almost eight years at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as Artistic Administrator and General Manager, and nine years at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. where she was respon­sible for programming the facility's unparalleled ballet and contemporary dance season. She man­aged the Suzanne Farrell Ballet from its incep­tion in September 2001 and was instrumental in the creation and growth of the Metro D.C. Dance Awards.

"I am honored and thrilled to join the Northrop team as Director of Programming," Brogdon says. "Northrop has an incredible tradition of presenting performances that respect history and innovation in equal measure. Very few venues in the country are so well-recognized and offer such a substantial season of ballet and dance. And I'm well aware that art and artists have the power to change the world. I can't wait to start imagining the future with my new colleagues."

Northrop Director Kari Schloner elaborates: "Kristen's extensive experience in the dance field, along with her background in arts administration and her service in arts leadership positions on a University campus, all came together in perfect synergy. I am confident Kristen will build on the excellent programming for which Northrop is known, and work to advance Northrop's contributions to the University community. She will be an excellent addition to the Northrop leadership team."

Patrons can meet Brogdon this week before her official June start date as she will attend a series of events at Northrop including Ballet Preljocaj's La Fresque (The Painting on the Wall) on Sat, Mar 30; INSPIRED: A Conversation with Misty Copeland on Sun, Mar 31; and American Ballet Theatre's performance on Tue, Apr 2. All programs start at 7:30 pm.

Brogdon holds a masters of arts in business with a concentration in arts administration from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor of arts in economics from Duke University.

Rooted in the belief that the arts are essential to the human experience, Northrop is committed to cultivating intersections between performing arts and education for the benefit of all participants now and for generations to come.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.