A Milwaukee native is changing the face of leadership in the world of ballet companies. Adam McKinney recently became the artistic director of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
From the performance stage to teaching the art of dance, McKinney is blazing his own path by leading the next generation of dancers.
He is the seventh director in the company's 54-year history. McKinney is the first person of color to be tapped for the role.
Growing up just off Downer Street to parents of African-American, native, and Jewish heritage, McKinney comes to dance with a spirit of inclusion.
He got his start in musical theater at Whitefish Bay High School where his pictures hang in the school's fine arts Hall of Fame. Pam Creaker insisted he takes a ballet class at Milwaukee Ballet School.
"It has opened my heart, my mind, my body to the possibilities of using the arts to create social change," McKinney said.
That push led him to a global dance career, including the Milwaukee Ballet Company and the acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Company.
This is his advice for young boys interested in ballet: "If you have a dream, hold it out. Grab onto it. Embody it, and don't stop and don't give up, because ballet is here for you."
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