Ballet names artistic director designate Orange County’s...

Ballet names artistic director designate

Orange County’s Ballet Pacifica announced on Thursday the hiring

of the American Ballet Theater’s Ethan Stiefel as the company’s new

artistic director designate.

Contract terms are still being negotiated, Stiefel said. The

31-year-old dancer expects to continue performing with American

Ballet Theater after he starts working for Ballet Pacifica in

September. He also plans to dance occasionally in Orange County.

“I will continue to perform and grow as an artist on stage,”

Stiefel said.

Stiefel has big plans for Ballet Pacifica, which he hopes to

transform into a “world-class” troupe. “Basically, I’d like to give

Ballet Pacifica a very diverse repertoire, which would include some

classics, but also some contemporary [pieces],” Stiefel said.

Stiefel joined the American Ballet Theater as principal dancer in

1997. He has performed with the New York City Ballet and Zurich

Ballet, starting out in New York when he was 16.

Ballet Pacifica is headquartered in Irvine, and the company’s

production of “The Nutcracker” is being performed at the Irvine

Barclay Theatre.