Barry Hughson
2022 TMA149 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
By Ray Tizzard
Barry Hughson was appointed as Executive Director of The National Ballet of Canada in 2014. His career began as a dancer with The Washington Ballet, where he performed classical and contemporary repertoire at the Kennedy Center and on tour throughout the world. For the last 30 years, Barry has served as an executive leader at Connecticut’s Warner Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City, New Jersey’s American Repertory Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada.
Barry is deeply engaged with the international arts community and has had consulting, teaching and speaking engagements in the US, Europe, South America and Asia. He has served on a variety of industry boards, including Dance/ USA, North America’s largest service organization for professional dance, where he has completed two terms as a Trustee and Vice Chair. He is currently a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Arts Coalition and the Advancement Committee for the International Society of Performing Arts.
Barry and his family are dual citizens of Canada and the United States. Since his arrival in Toronto, Barry has sat across the table with the TMA for three negotiations, the most recent resulting in the 3-year agreement that runs until June 30, 2025. It became apparent to all of those involved that Barry is an open, and honest negotiator. He listens intently and responds in measured and clear terms and takes care to understand the issues that are being presented to him. He is a fierce and energetic advocate for all the artists and staff of the National Ballet of Canada and is an Honorary Board member of Interprovincial Music Camp.
Then came the pandemic…
Barry’s leadership was inspirational throughout this difficult time. Numerous town halls, open lines of communication and above all a financial commitment to the artists involved gave everyone a sense of calm and that together we would get through. There were some tough moments in these circumstances, but one cannot imagine how the National Ballet would have weathered the pandemic storm without him. Barry’s commitment to the musicians of the National Ballet is apparent in many ways. It is not unusual to see him at the pit rail listening intently to the orchestra. He has supported the vision of artistic directors and choreographers who have commissioned many new orchestral scores, some with a wide variety of orchestrations. Enhancements to the musicians’ contract under his tenure include service guarantees for all 65 members. It is known that Barry cherishes a beloved clarinet he once played many years ago… a future dues paying member perhaps?
