Ballet Tucson names Margaret Mullin Artistic Director

“The Board of Directors is delighted to welcome Margaret Mullin as Ballet Tucson’s new Artistic Director. Margaret returns to Tucson from Seattle, where she experienced a successful career with Pacific Northwest Ballet culminating as a soloist. We are particularly gratified that Margaret is a Tucson native who participated in Ballet Tucson’s school and performances prior to launching her triumphant profession on the national stage.” says James P. Allen, President of the Ballet Arts Foundation, “We also announce that our much-loved associate Artistic Director, Cheiko Imada, has been designated as Ballet Tucson’s Resident Choreographer in recognition of her many significant artistic contributions to our repertoire, including many enduring audience favorites. The Board is greatly pleased that Cheiko will continue in her role as Associate Artistic Director as Ballet Tucson enters this exciting new chapter. Finally, we thank our Founding Artistic Director, Mary Beth Cabana, for her vision and dedication over more than three decades leading Ballet Tucson. It is our great honor to permanently recognize Mary Beth as Ballet Tucson’s Founding Artistic Director, and we wish her much happiness and joy in her retirement.” 

“This is a great honor and an opportunity that I am profoundly grateful for.” says Margaret Mullin “This is my hometown and it is deeply important to me to see the City of Tucson thrive. The arts are a vital part of our community and they had a great impact on me throughout my formative years living here. They shaped the person I am and the wonderful career I was fortunate to have, dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. It was always my goal to become an Artistic Director of a ballet company after I retired from dancing and my hope that I would be able to return to Tucson and give back to this community that is so important to me. To have the opportunity to deliver inspiring arts experiences to my fellow Tucsonans is an incredible gift, and something I am grateful to share with my mentor and friend, Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer Chieko Imada. Chieko is a remarkable and gifted choreographer whose work has had a tremendous impact on our company for three decades. It brings me great joy that she now holds the well-deserved title of Ballet Tucson’s Resident Choreographer.” adds Mullin, “ Ballet Tucson is a fantastic company with endless potential. Our artists and staff not only offer world-class talent, but unparalleled passion, love, dedication, and appreciation for this art form. I see big things ahead for Ballet Tucson and I can’t wait to share all that we have to offer with our community."

Margaret Mullin is from Tucson, Arizona and trained at the School of Ballet Tucson on full scholarship. She was formerly a Soloist dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, where she danced for fourteen seasons. There she performed leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Justin Peck, Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Victor Quijada, and more. During her time at Pacific Northwest Ballet she had the opportunity to perform in Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles (Celebrate Forsythe festival), and Paris, in addition to performing numerous times at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and Vail International Dance Festival.

In 2011, she was the recipient of a prestigious Dance Fellowship Award from the Princess Grace Foundation USA, for her talent as a dancer and her potential to impact the field. She was the fourth artist selected to be an Artist Curator for the foundation’s #gratitudeandtonic initiative in July 2020. She is also the recipient of a 2018 CityArtist Award from the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture. As a student she was the recipient of a Thurber Scholarship Award in 2003 and 2004, and the 2006 Founding Director Award from Angela Whitehill of Burklyn Ballet Theatre. Ms. Mullin appeared as a guest speaker at the Dance USA national conference in June 2017. In 2022, she was selected by REfashioned Magazine as one of their top 10 Women Change Makers.

In 2021, she received her Nonprofit Leadership and Management certificate from the University of Arizona Eller Executive Education. Margaret is a graduate of Tucson Young Professionals’ Nonprofit Leadership Academy and the Dean Street Society Entrepreneur Mastermind program. She is a member of Tucson Young Professionals and serves on their Nonprofit/Public Sector and Arts and Culture Teams.

Ms. Mullin has choreographed works for Pacific Northwest Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Ballet Arts and Ballet Tucson. She has served as an instructor for Ballet in the City, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Evergreen City Ballet, Ballet Tucson, Ballet Arts , and Ballet Together. She has also been a stager of the choreographic works of Ian Horvath, Kiyon Ross, and Price Suddarth. Margaret is the director and producer of the documentary dance film No Dominion: The Ian Horvath Story, which celebrates the life of late dance champion and AIDS awareness advocate Ian Horvath. She was also the host of the notable dance podcast Beyond the Barre.

Margaret has been featured by Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine, Dance Informa, Seattle Magazine, EmpowHer New York, We are Minding the Gap, Dance Lifestyle, Balancing Pointe podcast, Tucson Young Professionals, Radically Distinct Podcast and Discount Dance Supply as a representative. Ms. Mullin was also a return guest on Seattle morning show New Day Northwest. She has served as a brand ambassador for Five12 Athletic Apparel, Nuun Hydration, RubiaWear and Zeyba Apparel in addition to being a social media influencer for Vermouth App, Enchant Seattle, and the Seattle International Film Festival.

“The future is bright as we look forward to developing new artistic growth for Ballet Tucson and its continued collaboration with the community of Tucson. Ballet Tucson is confident, proud, and delighted to have Margaret Mullin as our new artistic director. She brings a wealth of artistic talent and knowledge to our organization. Margaret’s background is remarkable as exhibited by the variety of talents she brings to the table. In addition, as a Tucson native, she has a deep love for the Tucson community and will be dedicated to enriching the arts here in her hometown. From soloist dancer to advisor, coach, mentor, teacher, choreographer, and now artistic director, she is poised for success. We know she is ready to take on the task of raising Ballet Tucson to a new level!”

- Sheri Herrera de Frey, Vice President, Ballet Arts Foundation

Chieko Imada is a native of Japan where she danced professionally as a Soloist with Inoue Ballet of Tokyo and also served as Ballet Mistress there. She has worked closely with many of the past and current noted figures of classical ballet, having performed in Europe, Korea, the Philippines, Australia and the South Pacific. Since coming to the United States, she has been a member of Arizona Dance Theatre, Ballet Arizona, and a former Principal Dancer for Ballet Tucson. She also appeared regularly with Orts Theatre of Dance and Tenth St. Danceworks modern troupes in Tucson.

Over the years, she has been responsible for staging many classical ballets and has also created numerous original contemporary works on Ballet Tucson, enriching the company’s repertoire. A talented choreographer, Ms. Imada has been nominated for the Buffalo Exchange Arts Award and the Governor’s Art Award. She continues to be sought after as a guest teacher and choreographer. For the company’s 30th anniversary season, she created an original steampunk version of Jekyll & Hyde and in 2018 a world premiere Dia de Los Muertos ballet Spirit Garden in collaboration with renowned artist Lawrence Lee and Founding Artistic Director Mary Beth Cabana. In addition, she is the Director of Educational Outreach for Ballet Tucson implementing “Putting Your Best Foot Forward with Ballet Tucson” in Tucson Title 1 schools.