Executive Director

Barry Hughson

Barry Hughson, a Connecticut native, joined Boston Ballet as Executive Director in June 2009 with over 17 years of arts management experience and a background rooted in the art of dance. Hughson’s most recent experience was a two-year tenure with Atlanta Ballet where he successfully engineered the move to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, completed the sale of the Ballet’s real estate resulting in the elimination of the Company’s debt, resolved a dispute with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, and developed the $14.8 million “Choreographing Our Future” campaign. To date, it is the most successful fundraising campaign in Atlanta Ballet’s 80-year history.

Hughson’s experience includes a distinguished career in arts administration which began at the historic Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT. At the Warner Theatre, Hughson led a successful $12.5 million campaign to restore the Warner Theatre’s art deco building. Hughson went on to become the first Executive Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City before working with the American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School in Princeton, NJ. In the position of Executive Director at American Repertory Ballet, Hughson significantly increased touring revenue and introduced major new fundraising and programming initiatives.

Additionally, Hughson has a background as an award-winning dancer who has performed the works of George Balanchine, Jirí Kylián, Choo San Goh and Antony Tudor as an artist of The Washington (DC) Ballet. He received his childhood training at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts and the Connecticut Dance Theatre. Hughson has served as a co-chair of the Manager’s Council for DanceUSA, the advocacy organization for dance in America, and represented the United States on the jury of the prestigious Benois de la Danse in 2009.

Hughson will lead Boston Ballet with Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen as the company moves into The Boston Opera House in September 2009 and embarks upon a new stage in the company’s history.