Marin Ballet announces leadership team

Marin Ballet has announced a new executive team which will lead the organization in providing regionally-important classical ballet training and dance performances to benefit the whole community. The county’s oldest dance school, Marin Ballet, celebrates 60 years in 2023.

NANCY REHKOPF

Nancy Rehkopf will serve as Marin Ballet’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Nancy is a seasoned non-profit leader, and recently served as Executive Director of the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art. She is a former Adjunct Professor at the Barowsky School of Business at Dominican University of California, and a retired Senior Vice President and Marketing Director at Wells Fargo. Ms. Rehkopf is a long-standing member of the arts community, having served on the boards of Youth in Arts, Marin Symphony, and Marin Open Studios.

CATHERINE HADER

Catherine Hader has been promoted to the role of School Director. A graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School, she began her professional career with The National Ballet of Canada under Artistic Director Erik Bruhn. In 2013, Catherine turned to teaching full time at the School of Ballet Arizona, under School Director Carlos Valcarcel, and subsequently under Maria Simonetti. Ms. Hader was Co-Producer of An Improbable Dream, a dance documentary

that was honored with five film industry awards in 2017 and was an official selection for the Dance on Camera Festival 2018 at Lincoln Center. She has been with Marin Ballet since 2019.

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JULIA ADAM

Julia Adam will serve as Marin Ballet’s Performance Director.  Also hailing from the National Ballet of Canada, Julia has a storied career in performance and choreography.  She joined San Francisco Ballet in 1988, gaining prestige as a principal dancer known for her lyricism and broad theatrical range. Ms. Adam retired from dancing in Spring 2002 and gained recognition as one of the dance world’s rising talents in choreography.  Ms. Adam has created

over 100 works for numerous companies including San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Atlanta Ballet, Nashville Ballet and The Joffrey Ballet.

Marin Ballet is also announced additional promotions within the organization:

– Stephanie Taubert has been promoted to Operations Manager and Registrar. She has held important positions with Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) and the Disney Museum in San Francisco. She has been with Marin Ballet since 2017. 

– Corinne Jonas has been promoted to Artistic Administrator. Ms. Jonas is a Marin Ballet graduate, and started her career with the Houston Ballet and Diablo Ballet. She directed Berkeley Ballet Theater until joining Marin Ballet’s faculty in 2006.

Marin Ballet is a 501 © 3 organization founded in 1963 by Leona Norman with the assistance of the Marin Civic Ballet Association, led by Max and Phyllis Thelen. It is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Marin Ballet’s mission is to provide excellent ballet training and education, and to promote the art of dance. Over the years the organization has graduated thousands of ballet students, many of whom have become professional dancers including Cynthia Lucas, Nancy Gallenson, Laurie Klein, Jane Greene, Roxander White, Cynthia Harvey, Elaine O’Malley, Joanna Berman, Alexandra McCullagh Newman, Olivia Ramsey, and John Lam. Marin Ballet also

partners with local public schools to provide free dance instruction. Marin Ballet produces the county’s most beloved Nutcracker performances, providing hundreds of free tickets to underserved children. Other annual performance opportunities for students include Spring Showcase, Spring Concert, and periodic regional dance competitions. The summer program introduces students to diverse dance forms including contemporary, character, African, and folk traditions.