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.

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.