CEO Leslie Smart has stabilized Louisville Ballet and positioned it for a strong future in her short three and a half years at the helm.
Now she’s stepping down from that top leadership role, and taking on a different job at the ballet.
Louisville Ballet announced April 30 that Smart will transition from CEO to co-chair of the Louisville Ballet’s 75th Diamond Anniversary Committee and serve on the Louisville Ballet’s board of directors. This move comes just a week after the ballet announced a historic, $9 million in funding geared toward the ballet’s physical infrastructure, create opportunities to partner with other arts organizations and allow the ballet to tour statewide.
Smart’s last day as CEO will be May 29.
“Leading Louisville Ballet during this transformative period has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Smart in a news release. “Together with our board, staff, donors, and community, we have built a strong, stable foundation for the future. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished and confident in the organization’s continued growth and artistic excellence.”
Smart took the reins of Louisville Ballet in February 2023 amid significant financial turmoil following the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of a harsh holiday season in 2022 where winter weather canceled several performances of ballet’s production of “The Brown-Forman Nutcracker.”
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In mid-2023, Smart launched an aggressive cost-cutting and fundraising campaign with an eye toward stabilizing the now 75-year-old ballet company and securing its future in the Louisville arts scene. Among the more noticeable cuts to the 2023-24 season involved moving some performances to the Louisville Ballet’s home at 315 E. Main St. and cutting the Louisville Orchestra from its annual production of “The Brown-Forman Nutcracker” in 2023 and 2024.
Three and a half years after Smart’s arrival, the ballet is thriving and has seen a surge in donations and patronage. During her tenure, Smart led the efforts to secure more than $18.5 million in overall financial support. The company has achieved continued improvement in financial results year-over-year, including record-breaking ticket sales, with 13 sold-out performances in the 2025-26 season.
Louisville Ballet served more individuals than ever through performances, community engagement and The Louisville Ballet School during the 2025-26 season. During that time, the organization engaged audiences from 48 states and extended community programming to 174 unique locations in Kentucky and Indiana.
Louisville Ballet announced on April 30 that Leslie Smart is stepping down as CEO and into a new leadership position within the organization.
Smart has also spearheaded numerous strategic partnerships, such as a collaboration with with Bellarmine University to offer an accredited “Bachelor of Arts in Arts Administration: Dance” degree, which allows Louisville Ballet’s Studio Company and Company dancers to earn a fully accredited degree while maintaining their training. She also launched a new medical collaboration with Norton Healthcare and an adaptive dance program for patients with movement disorders at Norton Neuroscience Institute.
Incoming Louisville Ballet Board President Pamela Thompson credits Smart’s extraordinary leadership to the organization’s financial recovery and current momentum.
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“We are grateful for her continued involvement and are confident in the strength of the company’s leadership, fiscal position, and long-term future,” Thompson said in a press release.
A national search for a new executive director is expected to begin immediately, and in the interim, the board of directors will work closely with the senior leadership team to oversee Louisville Ballet operations.
Reach Courier Journal reporter Maggie Menderski at mmenderski@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Ballet CEO steps down after company’s success
