Rozsa Center announces planned departure of Director
Mary Jennings
The Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts announced today that Mary Jennings has accepted a new role and will step down as Director effective May 1, 2024. Jennings has been with the Rozsa for a decade and has served as the venue’s director since May 2021.
“I have worked closely with Mary since 2014 and have been so impressed with the leadership that she has provided to the Rozsa Center,” says Jared Anderson, chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Michigan Tech. “We will miss Mary and wish her well as she steps into the role of Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Ballet, a return to her creative roots as a classically trained ballet dancer,” says Anderson. “Thank you, Mary!”
The 2023/2024 Rozsa season, which opened with a performance featuring Grand Rapids Ballet, takes its final bow tomorrow, Saturday, March 20, 2024, with The Great Lakes Premiere performance of Mosaic for Earth. The performance marks the end of a season boasting a dozen sold-out performances, the rollout of Pay As You’re Able ticketing, and the most successful season that the Rozsa Center has experienced since it opened.
“I feel grateful to have been a part of the growth the campus has experienced, and the role the Rozsa has played in contributing to Houghton and the Keweenaw being a vibrant and inviting place to live,” says Jennings. “I hope I have the opportunity to bring Michigan's only classical ballet company back to the Keweenaw for masterclasses and performances in the coming years. I'm excited for the bright future ahead, including the upcoming 25th anniversary in 2025, where the Rozsa will continue to be a place of gathering, celebration, and joy for decades to come.”
In May, the Rozsa Center and Michigan Tech’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts will embark on a search for a new Director. Candidates will be reviewed in early summer and the venue plans to have a new director in place for the beginning of the new school year. Matt Jennings will continue to coach the Huskies while the family navigates life between two great Michigan communities. Plans have already begun to prepare for the Rozsa Center's 25th anniversary in the 2025/2026 season.
