Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Needham-Wood Boulder Ballet.
Ben Needham-Wood, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Founded in 1982 by Barbara Demaree and Wanda Tierney, Boulder Ballet has grown into Boulder County’s premier professional dance company and school. Operating out of the Dairy ARTS Center, it presents classical and contemporary works, including a long-running annual production of The Nutcracker at Macky Auditorium.
The organization originated from Ballet Arts Studios, which was founded in the Denver and Boulder areas in the 1970s by former American Ballet Theatre dancer Larry Boyette. Demaree and Tierney took over the Boulder branch in 1981, launching the performing company originally called Boulder City Ballet a year later. Over the years, the company expanded its repertoire and changed its name to the Boulder Ballet Ensemble in 1985, and then officially to Boulder Ballet in 1995. Throughout its history, the organization has been led by notable former dancers and artists from the Royal Ballet, Zagreb Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre, among others.
In 2019 Claudia Anata-Hubiak was invited to lead the organization as Executive Director. She appointed Ben Needham-Wood to the post of Artistic Director in 2022 along with a new School Director, Andrea Basile. Under their collective leadership the organization has grown significantly, attracting national attention for the professional company’s repertoire and uniquely “human-first” philosophy. Boulder Ballet has built a reputation for innovation with integrity, and the organization is primed for an incredible 2026/27 season.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have only been connected to Boulder Ballet for the past 5 years, so my familiarity with the organization’s history is fairly limited. That said, sustaining (and growing) a non-profit arts organization is never easy. It’s rare for a ballet company to last more than 40 years, especially when the organization has experienced leadership changes and restructuring. That’s because the arts are a non-binary sector of the world where multiple visions, systems, and opinions can hold equal value, so when an arts company faces a transition period the identity will almost inevitably shift in response. If a shift happens and the community disagrees with the new direction it can be devastating for an organization’s longevity. If handled with care, however, those transitions can serve as a perfect touch point for an organization to reengage with their community and better understand what programs will best support the community’s future. That’s what Boulder Ballet has done, and it’s what we try to do every year.
It’s hard to critique our practices every year because in the same way that each artist offers a unique perspective, each patron or community member is going to expect something equally unique based on their experiences and preferences. This means that no matter what choice is made there will be some people who love it and some people who don’t. I believe that’s ok. And these are the moments that prompt the most meaningful conversations. It’s these very inflection points that are at the core of the human experience – identifying the gaps that divide us and working to fill that space with the understanding that can bring us together. People don’t have to agree, but the arts can be that catalyst for empathy and evolution that I believe makes us all better.
Our biggest struggle every year is to provide better wages and benefits for all of our artists and staff. The cost of Boulder continues to go up and up, and while we’ve made great strides (dancer salaries have nearly doubled in 4 years and our team is growing) we still can’t afford to pay our people full, living wages for Boulder. I am very proud of our team and very grateful to our community for building some really awesome momentum and support in these last few years. As hard as the grind is, it’s worth it. I believe we have the potential to make this one of the most supportive and inspiring companies in the country, and Boulder absolutely has the capacity to be a beacon for the arts for generations to come.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Boulder Ballet produces world-class contemporary ballet performances that are centered on humanity, theatricality, and connection. Our 10 professional artists all come from different backgrounds, and their unique gifts become the inspiration for ballets that you will never see anywhere else in the world. The two qualities that unite them are their passion for their craft, and their care for one another. Every dancer in Boulder Ballet has to be deeply invested in becoming the best version of themself, and they have to be equally generous in championing the success of everyone one else in the organization. It’s that culture of support and motivation that makes the most meaningful art, and it’s the most inspiring to watch on stage.
My favorite thing in the world is when a performance finishes and a patron walks over to say, “You can tell the dancers really care about each other.” Watching people performing at such a high level with such empathy and grace really does have a major impact on audiences. We actually started a mental health study a few years ago to see if watching live dance has a measurable impact on people, and the data is showing a resounding YES! It’s amazing the benefits that simply watching dance can have for people. For anyone who is curious you can find more information about our mental health research study through our website.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Empathy.
As a young kid I faced some severe hardships, and in the wake of those traumas it was always art that seemed to pick me up again. It wasn’t necessarily the art itself, but it was the people who shared the art with me. That act of kindness, sharing art with another human, making a connection through a medium that was both immediate expression and endless opportunity, provided a pathway towards healing and self-actualization.
As professional artists it’s our job to work within our medium to amplify our humanity in a way that resonates with others. My personal entry point to dance was as a form of healing, so my most genuine anchor that guides every major decision is grounded in empathy. Our goal at Boulder Ballet is to curate live dance events that cultivate community. In order to do that the performers and collaborators involved in each production have to empathize with one another. In order to empathize with others, an individual needs to be able to hold empathy for themself. Artists are notoriously their own worst critic, and that’s why empathy has to be as present internally as it is externally in everything that we do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.BoulderBallet.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boulder_ballet_school/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoulderBallet/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@boulderballet
