Anthony Krutzkamp working with two dancers in rehearsal for The Brown-Forman Nutcracker.
When Louisville Ballet announced that Kentucky native Anthony Krutzkamp would become its new Artistic Director, the excitement was immediate and well-earned. A celebrated former principal dancer and a rising leader in the national ballet world, Krutzkamp brings with him not only extraordinary artistic experience but a deep personal connection to the state he still calls home.
We caught up with Krutzkamp to hear about his career and what he is looking forward to about his new role at the Louisville Ballet. Listen to the interview here:
Sitting down for our interview, he admitted that the position felt both long-awaited and almost unreal.
“I was actually worried I’d never make it back home,” he said. “There are probably about 100 legitimate artistic director jobs in ballet. When one opens, you apply. I’d been waiting for this one since I saw the last transition. As soon as I got the email from Leslie Smart, the CEO … I applied within three days.” After a conversation with his wife and kids, he sent in his résumé, marking the beginning of his return.
Krutzkamp comes to Louisville after eight years with the Sacramento Ballet and a long performance career that includes a decade as principal dancer with the Cincinnati Ballet and leadership roles in Kansas City. His artistic pedigree spans markets of all sizes, a background that gives him insight into both the universal and deeply local nature of the performing arts.
“There are these little differences across markets you’d never expect,” he shared. “In my last job, Saturday matinees would sell out first. Here in Louisville, it’s completely different — Friday sells out first, then Saturday night, then Saturday matinee. People do different things here on Sundays, and kids’ sports schedules vary. Navigating those rhythms is very different from city to city.”
Mikelle Bruzina as Odile, Joseph Cox as Siegfried and Noel Dupuis as Von Rothbart for Louisville Ballet’s Swan Lake production from 2005.
A True Artistic Collaboration
Understanding audiences is only part of the equation for Krutzkamp. As an artist and choreographer, he speaks about creativity with a sense of partnership and play. For him, the dancers are always the foundational spark.
“It always comes down to the dancers,” he said. “If you’re really working with an artist and being extremely creative, they’ve got to help you. It’s like ping-pong. I hit the ball, they hit it back, and together we go through the creative process.”
He recalled creating his first Swan Lake and the challenge of designing a moment where audiences could witness Odile’s transformation from princess to abducted victim to black swan.
“Working with the dancers to figure out how that would happen was amazing,” he said. “I usually come in with an overarching vision, down to smaller moments I want to reach, but the true details come from working hand-in-hand with the artists.”
That collaborative spirit is now fueling one of his first major artistic undertakings in Louisville: a new production of Swan Lake, coming to the Brown Theatre February 27-28. While the ballet is one of the most iconic works in the history of the art form, Krutzkamp is approaching it with a reverence for tradition paired with bold new visual and choreographic elements.
The production will feature entirely new sets and props designed by Carl Anderson, all built locally.
“They’re creating everything here in Louisville — the rock, the entire design of the white acts, the chairs, benches, crossbows, scepters for the ball … everything besides the costumes,” he explained.
The new painted set for Swan Lake.
The costumes, though not made here, are special in their own right: “We rented them from Philadelphia Ballet, and it’s the first time they’ve ever rented them out. They’re gorgeous.”
Choreographically, Krutzkamp is sharing the work with former Artistic Director, Mikelle Bruzina, allowing both to create in their own studios before bringing the production together. He will set the principal roles — Odette/Odile, Rothbart, and Siegfried — while Bruzina handles other sections, including character dances and corps de ballet moments.
But even with his fresh approach, Krutzkamp recognizes the sacred elements of a classic. “There are certain parts you shouldn’t touch,” he said. “The partnering section in the third act with the black swan — that’s iconic. Maybe you can nuance it, but you respect it. Solos and patterns can be made more interesting, and the ending of the fourth act can vary. But there’s a moment in the music when the spell must be broken. Don’t mess with that. The nouns and verbs are fixed — the rest is yours.”
For newcomers who may be intimidated by ballet’s terminology or tradition, Krutzkamp believes Swan Lake is the perfect entry point.
“Ballet is storytelling without words,” he explained. “It’s pantomime, technique, pirouettes, partnering — it’s movement woven into narrative. I view our company as a museum of art. We’re the contemporary art museum, the fine art museum, the exploratory museum. For our audience and our dancers, seeing a classic work like this and then performing contemporary work two months later really shows the versatility and the education of our city.”
A Timeless Story for Both Veteran and New Audiences
Louisville Ballet’s strength lies not only in its productions but in the people who bring them to life. “The best part is these dancers live here,” Krutzkamp said. “They may have moved from somewhere else, but we have 24 in the main company and 22 in the studio company. They shop here, they have apartments and houses here. They’re a part of this community.”
As for how he hopes audiences will connect with this new Swan Lake, he believes the emotional depth of the story — and the Ballet’s execution — will make it resonate with both longtime ballet lovers and first-time attendees.
“It’s a work everyone should see because of how important it is to the art form,” he said. “It’s a story of love and perseverance. It’s heartbreaking. And not every city can do this work at this level. We’re special.”
Before we wrapped up, I asked Krutzkamp what audiences can expect from Louisville Ballet in the coming seasons as his influence takes shape.
“The change here will be palpable as you come to each show,” he replied. “Wear two pairs of socks — I’m gonna blow one pair off.”
If his passion, clarity, and contagious enthusiasm are any indication, Louisville audiences are in for an exciting new chapter — one rooted in tradition, driven by innovation, and guided by a leader who has finally come home.
By Doug Dreisbach
Tickets and information for Swan Lake at the Brown Theatre on February 27-28 and other performances can be found at LouisvilleBallet.org.
