S.F.'s Ashley Wheater named artistic director of Joffrey Ballet
David Wiegand, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Ashley Wheater, a dancer of singular elegance with the San Francisco Ballet before an injury curtailed his onstage career, has been named artistic director of the Joffrey Ballet, one of the nation's better-known dance companies, founded in 1956 and now based in Chicago.

Wheater, 48, who became San Francisco's ballet master in 1996 and assistant to Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson in 2002, succeeds Gerald Arpino, who was named artistic director emeritus in July. Arpino founded the company with the late Robert Joffrey.

Joffrey names new artistic director
By TARA BURGHART Associated Press Writer
Article Launched: 09/24/2007 05:28:53 PM PDT


CHICAGO—An alumnus of the Joffrey Ballet is returning to the troupe as its artistic director, taking over for co-founder Gerald Arpino, who assumed an emeritus role this summer.
Ashley Wheater, longtime ballet master of the San Francisco Ballet and also a former dancer with the Royal Ballet, became the company's artistic director Monday.

Wheater, 48, said in a telephone interview he was elated by the job offer from a company he called "a great American jewel."

"I think there are some things that happen in your life that you feel that it's just absolutely the right thing," he said.

Arpino, 84, became artistic director emeritus in July 2007. He co-founded the troupe in 1956 with its namesake, the late Robert Joffrey, and invited Wheater to join the company in 1984.