At American Ballet Theater, a Milestone and Momentum Forward

At the American Ballet Theater’s fall gala on Oct. 18, two key stars were were men long past their dancing days: Kevin McKenzie, who was celebrating 25 years as the company’s artistic director, and choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, who premiered a spirited new dance that evening. Evidence of their game-changing collaboration could be seen everywhere, from the stage, to the makeup of the crowd, to the topics of conversation throughout the night—which included the subject of diversity and the company’s ambitious plans for the future.

Throughout the night McKenzie, who was an acclaimed dancer with ABT before being tapped to lead the company in 1992, was referred to as a mentor and a guiding light in speeches. When he began, he had no administrative experience, and he told the New York Times in 2012 that the company’s financial problems at the time were “overwhelming.” One of the first things he learned on the job was that “every good artistic decision is a lousy business decision.”