Damian Woetzel is director of the Aspen Institute Arts Program, artistic director of the Vail International Dance Festival, and founding director of the Jerome Robbins New Essential Works Program. Active as a director and producer, his recent projects include the tribute to ballerina Natalia Makarova for the 35th Kennedy Center Honors, and Lil Buck @ (le) Poisson Rouge. Woetzel previously had a 20-year career as principal dancer with New York City Ballet and has taught as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. In 2009, he was appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities by President Obama.

Creativity, Aspen Ideas, Music, influential, interesting, unique, Innovation, Creative Thinking, Inspirational, Policy, Artists, Literary Leadership,