Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, President & Artistic Director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux became artistic director of Charlotte Ballet and Charlotte Ballet Academy in 1996. He danced with the Bolshoi, Kirov and Paris Opera Ballets and in 1970 became a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. From 1977-1984, Jean-Pierre taught at the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet. He has served as choreographer and ballet master for the Pittsburgh Ballet, as chairman and artistic director of the ballet department in the School of Music at Indiana University, and is currently the artistic director, choreographer and teacher for the ballet company and school at the Chautauqua Institution in NY. Jean-Pierre’s choreographic repertoire includes Carmina Burana, Cinderella, Nutcracker, Peter Pan and Romeo & Juliet. In 2008, he and wife Patricia McBride won The Arts & Science Council’s inaugural ASC Honors lifetime achievement award. In the fall of 2015, Jean-Pierre announced that the 2016/2017 Season would be his final as artistic director.