The George Balanchine Foundation

At the invitation of Barbara Horgan, Founding Trustee of George Balanchine Trust and personal assistant to Mr. Balanchine, Lourdes Lopez was named the first Executive Director of The George Balanchine Foundation in 2002. Her tenure demonstrated commitment to preserving and promoting the legacy of Balanchine, focused on ensuring his monumental contributions to ballet continued to inspire and influence the development of dance globally.

In 2004, Ms. Lopez oversaw the Balanchine Centennial Celebration, a worldwide festival honoring the 100th Anniversary of George Balanchine’s birth. A kickoff in St Petersburg marked the beginning of the yearlong festivities, which were attended by former dancers, musicians, educators, dance critics and scholars, and students alike.

The breadth and depth of Balanchine’s contributions to ballet were explored through performances, archival projects, and collaborative educational programs held at the Maryiinsky Theatre and The Hermitage Museum. Ms. Lopez coordinated efforts to engage ballet companies across the globe and presented a four-part program focused on specific seminal works at Works & Process in The Guggenheim Museum.

A man in a checkered shirt and black pants performing a ballet pose in a dance studio, surrounded by women practicing ballet in the background.

Black and white photo of three people standing on a stage, with a man and woman in the foreground, and a man dancing or jumping in the background. The man in the foreground is wearing a suit, the woman has dark hair and a dress, and the man in the background is in motion with an arm raised. Stage lights are visible on the wall.