Courtesy Texas Ballet Theater
Ben Stevenson (left) and Tim O’Keefe (right)
The Texas Ballet Theater announced on Tuesday that longtime artistic director and world-renowned choreographer Ben Stevenson would be taking on a new role as artistic director laureate, effective July 1.
The company also said that Tim O’Keefe, associate artistic director, would become acting artistic director at that time.
“Ben Stevenson is one of the great storytellers of ballet who has brought magic to the stages of Dallas and Fort Worth,” says Anne T. Bass, chair of the company’s Board of Governors. “It is impossible to overstate his importance in elevating our company to the internationally acclaimed ensemble that it is today.”
Stevenson, who began with the company nearly 20 years ago, is the longest-serving artistic director in the company’s history. The 2022-23 season will celebrate his outstanding work, beginning with his latest, family-friendly production, “Cirque du Ballet,” and closing the season with his world-famous production of “Alice in Wonderland.”
Stevenson joined the company in July 2003, establishing himself as a prominent member of the local arts community and demonstrating his commitment to the future of ballet through education, collaboration, and his artistic vision.
A native of Portsmouth, England, Stevenson trained at the Arts Education School in London and appeared in the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet and English National Ballet as a principal dancer. Stevenson received numerous awards for his choreography during his professional career, including three gold medals at the International Ballet competitions of 1972, 1982, and 1986. In December of 1999, Queen Elizabeth II named Stevenson an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
O’Keefe began his professional ballet career at Houston Ballet in 1982, originating the titular role in Stevenson's “Dracula” in 1997. He has choreographed for Houston Ballet’s Cullen Contemporary Series and Houston Ballet Academy, and Texas Ballet Theater.
“We are extraordinarily fortunate to have someone with the talent and experience of Tim O’Keefe to serve as acting artistic director,” Bass says. “Tim has been a key part of this company for nearly two decades, and we are looking forward to his leadership.”
A statement coinciding with the announcement said the Board of Governors has yet to establish a timeline for hiring a permanent replacement.
