After nearly two decades at the helm of the Southwest Virginia Ballet, artistic director Pedro Szalay is stepping down and stepping away from the country he once called a dream come true.
Szalay, a native of Uruguay and longtime figure in the Roanoke arts community, announced earlier this summer that he would leave his post at the end of the 2024 to 2025 season and move to Scotland with his husband. While the news was met with support and gratitude from students and parents alike, Szalay's reasons go beyond a career milestone or personal change.
In an emotional interview with The Roanoke Rambler, Szalay said he no longer recognizes the United States he fell in love with decades ago. "It doesn't feel like the welcoming country I embraced," he said. "I'm not leaving because of the company or the community, I'm leaving because of the political atmosphere."
Szalay's decision reflects a growing concern among artists and educators across the U.S. who have spoken out about rising political tensions, book bans, restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights, and a general erosion of artistic freedom. Though Szalay has always avoided overt politics in his work, he said he felt increasingly unsafe as both an immigrant and a gay man.
"I've always believed in ballet as a language that connects people beyond politics," Szalay told WDBJ7. "But I can't ignore the changes happening around me. When you start feeling afraid to express yourself, not in dance, but in life, it's time to re-evaluate."
Under Szalay's direction since 2006, Southwest Virginia Ballet evolved into one of the region's most respected youth companies. Known for its ambitious productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and original works like Ties, the nonprofit ballet company has sent dozens of students to professional companies, conservatories, and university dance programs.
His departure marks the end of an era, but not the end of his connection to Roanoke. Szalay said he hopes to return as a guest choreographer and mentor in the future. His successor, Laurence Blake, a former SVB dancer and alumnus of Radford University, is expected to take over in July.
"Pedro has changed so many lives," said parent Laura Whitmore, whose daughter trained with SVB for six years. "He taught them discipline, yes, but also empathy, creativity, and courage."
As Szalay prepares to trade the Blue Ridge Mountains for the Highlands of Scotland, the ballet world watches with admiration and concern. His exit is both a personal journey and a quiet political statement, underscoring how even the most graceful art form is not immune to the forces of the world beyond the stage.
For Szalay, the final curtain call in Roanoke is bittersweet. "I will always love this community," he said. "But I have to choose peace. And for now, that means leaving."
Originally published on classicalite.com
