San Francisco Ballet (SF Ballet) today announced the appointment of Branislav Henselmann as its Executive Director following a nine-month international search. Henselmann comes to SF Ballet after leading the city of Vancouver’s arts, culture, and tourism efforts as its Deputy General Manager of Arts, Culture and Community Services. Previously, he led the city’s Cultural Services department and served as Executive Director of Ballet BC, overseeing the company’s transformation and expansion to national and international stages. As Executive Director of SF Ballet, Henselmann will partner with Artistic Director Tamara Rojo to lead the nationally and internationally renowned company, uplifting its role as a commissioner and presenter in dance as well as a key contributor to and reflection of the rich cultural landscape of the Bay Area. He begins his new role in November 2024.
“On behalf of the board of San Francisco Ballet, we are delighted to welcome Branislav to the company. With strategic acumen and invaluable experience in public policy and ballet alike, Branislav will partner with Tamara Rojo to ensure SF Ballet continues to uphold the highest standards of excellence in ballet for new and expanded audiences and longtime fans in the city of San Francisco and globally,” said Board Chair Alison Mauzé. “Branislav comes to San Francisco on the heels of his impressive leadership and success in shepherding Vancouver’s wonderful cultural sector, and we look forward to the immediate impact he will have in San Francisco, building upon the invaluable leadership and support of Interim Executive Director Arturo Jacobus.”
“From my early days as a dancer, I’ve looked to San Francisco Ballet as a beacon for what ballet should and can be. I’m excited for the opportunity to lead this renowned company alongside Tamara Rojo and to support and uplift her innovative vision for ballet,” said Henselmann. “I’m greatly looking forward to getting to know the company and staff, as well as our neighbors and cultural and civic leaders in the Bay Area, to deepen and expand the impact of SF Ballet as both a presenter of ballet and as a leading arts organization in the region. I firmly believe that art and culture are the very bedrock of our collective identities, and I can’t wait to help SF Ballet continue to build upon that foundation.”
As a curator, producer, arts executive, and former dance artist, Henselmann has more than 30 years of experience in the cultural and creative sector. He originally trained as a dancer in Munich and then studied dance at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London before moving to New York as a Merce Cunningham Foundation Scholar and DAAD German Academic Exchange Service Fellow. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Dance and Business Administration at New York University and served as Artistic Curator for New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute. Henselmann moved on to lead programming and producing for DanceEast and the Michael Clark Company in the UK before joining Ballet BC as its Executive Director. As Managing Director of Vancouver’s Cultural Services department, Henselmann oversaw research, development, and implementation of long-range culture and arts related policy; under his leadership, the City of Vancouver Council unanimously adopted a 10-year cultural plan increasing support for the sector grounded in creativity, equity, and community-led cultural infrastructure. He was named one of Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40. Henselmann has a Master of Public Administration from the London School of Economics.
“I am very excited to welcome Branislav to San Francisco as a partner in our efforts to strengthen the impact of SF Ballet,” said Artistic Director Tamara Rojo. “His experience leading Ballet BC and his strategic leadership for the cultural sector in Vancouver will be an amazing asset for our team and cultural community here in San Francisco.”
Photo Credit: Branislav Henselmann. Photo by Mark Yammine.
