Nick Mullikin is the Artistic Director and CEO of Nashville Ballet. He oversees all company productions, and is the director of NB2, Nashville Ballet’s second company, and the School of Nashville Ballet which serves over 1800 students annually. He has commissioned over 20 new works for the second company, with a focus on development of artistry and technique side by side. He was the producer and assistant to the director on the regional Emmy award winning "Nashville's Nutcracker" in 2020, as well as the upcoming "Lucy Negro Redux" great performances production to be aired on PBS in the Fall of 2022. He has also created several new works for Nashville Ballet and NB2, both for digital release, and stage.
Mr. Mullikin is a highly sought after guest teacher and he teaches regularly at summer programs, festivals and schools across the United States. He is a judge for the Youth America Grand Prix, has coached students for YAGP and the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. He has consulted for the School of Sacramento Ballet, The Kansas City Dance Festival (now Moving Arts) as well as on the creation and setup of Honolulu Classical Ballet in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He began his training at Monona Academy of Dance, in Madison, Wisconsin under the direction of JoJean Retrum. He continued at the Virginia School of the Arts, and Houston Ballet Academy. Upon his completion of training with Houston Ballet Academy, he was invited to join Houston Ballet with Artistic Director Ben Stevenson, and subsequently joined Ballet West under the direction of Jonas Kage. During that time, he performed works by William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson, Anthony Tudor, Bruce Marks, David Parsons, Ronald Hynd, Dominic Walsh, Timothy O’Keefe, Glen Tetley, Trey McIntyre, and many more. He has toured nationally and internationally including at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2004 as well as performing as a guest artist for Ballet Arizona, and regional companies throughout the country.
During his time at Ballet West, as an artist, he was an elected union representative for the American Guild of Musical Artists before joining the administrative staff as the Company/Tour Manager & Assistant to the Artistic Director in 2006. In addition to handling all collective bargaining, and regional touring for the company, he oversaw and managed the company’s return to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as part of the inaugural Ballet Across America series and all regional touring in the United States.
In 2012, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Government, minoring in Communications, while completing the Business Foundations Program at the McCombs School of Business. In addition, he was competitively selected as one of 32 students for the prestigious Bill Archer Fellowship in Washington D.C. and received his certificate in European studies.
"2,192 Days"
Dancers: Anneliese Guerin, Francisco Rivera
Choreography by Nick Mullikin
Photo by Lydia McRae
"2,192 Days"
Dancers: Jame Kopit, Michael Burfield
Choreography by Nick Mullikin
Photo by Heather Thorne
"He Loved Big Brother "
Dancers: Annalyn Bakland, Justin Abel
Choreography by Nick Mullikin
Photo by Lydia McRae