The Gerald Arpino Foundation
Honoring the Legacy of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino
The Gerald Arpino Foundation was established in 2007 by Gerald Arpino and his close friend Harriet Ross, the Joffrey Ballet's General Manager. The Foundation's mission is to safeguard and promote the choreographic works and ideas of Gerald Arpino and Robert Joffrey, pioneering co-founders of The Joffrey Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City.
As a not-for-profit organization, the Foundation licenses the works of Joffrey and Arpino to qualified dance companies and institutions, overseeing all staging aspects—from technical production to maintaining artistic integrity and authenticity—while honoring the founders' original intent.
While the Foundation operates independently of The Joffrey Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School, all three organizations play a vital role in preserving the legacy of Joffrey and Arpino as stewards of their innovative choreography and artistic philosophy, each in alignment with their respective missions.
The Foundation's work is supported by its dedicated board of directors, staff, and funders, who share a commitment to preserving the creative heritage of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino. The Foundation approaches each partnership with careful consideration of artistic excellence and financial sustainability, offering repertory workshops, lectures, and master classes to inspire new generations of dancers and audiences while ensuring their transformative contributions to dance continue to resonate for generations to come.

Mission
The Gerald Arpino Foundation is committed to preserving and promoting the legacy of Gerald Arpino and Robert Joffrey by sustaining and advancing their artistic ideas and choreographic works while maintaining integrity and artistic excellence.
Vision
Connecting the world to the boundless possibilities and transcendent power of dance.
Following the lead of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, we believe in the vast creativity of the human spirit and the value of multicultural diversity on and off the stage. We are deeply committed to creating and sustaining a culture that promotes inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. We consciously strive to support these beliefs and hold ourselves accountable to these intentions.
Leadership
Michael Anderson, Board President
Kim Sagami, Executive Director
Charthel Arthur Estner, Director of Licensing
Ceshia Wilder, Treasurer
Roger Plaut, Secretary
Cameron Basden
Nicole Duffy
Catherine Eby
Marybeth Evans
Tom Mossbrucker
Meg Paul
Lisa Slagle
Brian Smith
Mauro Villanueva
Trinette Singleton Washer
Lawyers for the Creative Arts is an in-kind supporter of The Gerald Arpino Foundation.