Boston Ballet Announces Joan Boada as New Associate Director of Boston Ballet II

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announced the appointment of Joan Boada as Associate Director of Boston Ballet II (BBII), the Second Company to Boston Ballet. Boada will join Boston Ballet in June 2022.

"I am thrilled to welcome Joan Boada to Boston Ballet," said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. "He comes to us from the Kirov Ballet Academy in Washington DC where he was Artistic Director. He is one of the most celebrated dancers of his generation and his extensive experience as a dancer, teacher, and coach will help guide and train the next generation of professional dancers at Boston Ballet II."

"I am excited to make this next step in my career at a prestigious company like Boston Ballet," said Boada. "I look forward to working with the talented dancers of Boston Ballet II and helping to shape them into becoming the best dancers they can be."

Joan Boada received his training and foundation of classical repertory from the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Ballet in Cuba. After graduation, he moved to Paris to train with Gilbert Mayer, Jacques Namont, and Manuel Legris. After guest engagements with The San Francisco Ballet, Boada joined the company as a principal artist in 1999, dancing coveted roles in full length classics ballets such as Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere, Eugene Onegin, and Cinderella. During Boada's long performing career, he caught the eye of some of the most celebrated choreographers, such as William Forsythe, Mark Morris, Yuri Possokov, Alexei Ratmansky, Liam Scarlett, and Christopher Wheeldon. After two years as Ballet Master with the Compañía Nacional de Danza in Spain, he returned to the United States as Artistic Director for the Kirov Academy in Washington, D.C. Boada previously worked with Boston Ballet, staging Leonid Yakobson's Vestris in 2019.

Boada replaces Peter Stark as Associate Director of BBII, who is joining The Rock School of Dance Education as President and Director.

"Peter has been a valued asset to Boston Ballet and Boston Ballet School for the past six years. I want to thank him for his tremendous work with Boston Ballet II and our School," said Nissinen.

Under direction of Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen and Associate Director of Boston Ballet II Joan Boada, BBII features classically trained young dancers as they begin their professional performing careers. This two-year program bridges the divide between training and professional careers with major dance companies. Dancers perform extensively with the main company, and in programs dedicated to works specifically selected and choreographed for BBII. BBII alumni make up more than a third of the current Boston Ballet roster. BBII dancers have also gone on to professional careers in numerous American and international companies, including The Royal Ballet, Netherlands Dans Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and The National Ballet of Canada. More information on BBII can be found here.

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