PRINCETON, NJ Restaurant Dining Guide Announcement

American Repertory Ballet Announces New Board Member Diane Kuhl

American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is pleased to announce the addition of Diane Kuhl to its Board of Trustees, effective immediately.   A Skillman, NJ resident, Kuhl is a former professional ballerina turned development professional who brings a passion for dance and fundraising experience to ARB’s Board.  Kuhl began her dance career with numerous ballet companies including American Ballet Theater II, The Eglevsky Ballet, Baltimore Ballet, and Ballet Oklahoma.  When injuries dictated her early departure from the stage, Kuhl obtained a B.S. in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Delaware and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.  For several years following, Kuhl served as an associate with the First Boston Corporation, where she served clients spanning the sectors of commercial banking, savings and loan, and insurance.

Kuhl eventually transitioned to the non-profit sector where she worked in New York City Ballet’s Development department.  There, she worked on many initiatives, including patron cultivation and sponsorship solicitation, including New York City Ballet’s lead corporate sponsor of The Nutcracker.  When Kuhl and her husband relocated to The Netherlands, she constructed marketing efforts and corporate sponsorship programs for the highly acclaimed Nederlands Dans Theater.  Her extensive networking within the Amsterdam and international arts communities eventually succeeded in raising enough funds for Nederlands Dans Theater to perform at the Cultural Olympiad at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.  

Since returning to NJ in 2002, Kuhl has become an increasingly active participant in Princeton Ballet School, the official school of the American Repertory Ballet - as a parent, student, performer, volunteer, and a member of ARB’s Development Committee.  “We are thrilled to have Diane join our Board,” says Managing Director, Christine Chen.  “She is exceedingly enthusiastic and a consummate professional.  She has a deep knowledge about dance from the artistic side, but also understands how it works from the business side.  She has already added a great deal of value to this organization through her involvement as a parent, student and volunteer, and we look forward to her positive influence on the Board level.”  

Kuhl is equally enthused:  "I am delighted and most grateful for this opportunity to serve.  I look forward to supporting the organization’s vision and the hopes and dreams of our students and families, our company and experiencing a richer community for all of it."

ARB’s Upcoming Performances and Events
American Repertory Ballet will open its spring season March 5, 2011 at Raritan Valley Community College, premiering Douglas Martin’s Ephemeral Possesions and Patrick Corbin’s Follia in addition to the classical ballet Glazunov Variations and the compelling American tale of Our Town. ARB will host its annual gala and performance, entitled “Renaissance,”  on March 12, 2011 at Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton. The company will premiere Twyla Tharp’s Eight Jelly Rolls at the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theatre in New Brunswick on May 21-22. The company also hosts a free community enrichment series, On Pointe, in its Princeton studios each month. For more information on ARB’s upcoming season, please visit www.arballet.org.

About American Repertory Ballet

American Repertory Ballet’s mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences and to dance students through artistic and educational programs.  The organization is comprised of: the American Repertory Ballet professional company, the preeminent contemporary ballet company in the state; the Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation; and the Education and Outreach initiatives, including the long-running and acclaimed DANCE POWER program.  The professional company is a classical and contemporary ballet company committed to presenting ballets from the 19th and 20th century alongside new and existing works by choreographers from today.  The company is now in its 37th Season and is currently under the artistic leadership of Douglas Martin, former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet.  The company’s rich history of repertory includes established masterpieces by distinguished American choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp; cutting edge works by choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Kirk Peterson, Dominique Dumais, Harrison McEldowney, Amy Seiwert, Susan Shields and Melissa Barak; and former Artistic Directors Dermot Burke, Marjorie Mussman, Septime Webre and Graham Lustig.

ARB has been designated a "Major Arts Institution" by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts consistently for the past two decades, and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council.  ARB was voted People's Choice for Best Dance Company in 2008.