Looking back at Paul Vasterling’s 33-year-career with the Nashville Ballet

Paul Vasterling, longtime artistic director for the Nashville Ballet, is retiring at the end of this season.

Vasterling has been with the company for more than 30 years and at its helm for 25 years.

Under Vasterling’s leadership, the Nashville Ballet became one of the most notable ballet companies in the Southeast. He credits part of the Nashville Ballet’s success an enthusiastic community and collaborating with local talent. The departing artistic director also strove to bring more diversity to the stage.

Heather Thorne PBS

From left to right: Caroline R. Williams, Claudia Monja Guedes, and Rhiannon Giddens onstage in the 2019 production of “Black Lucy and the Bard,” a ballet based on the book “Lucy Negro Redux” by Nashville poet Caroline Randall Williams.

In this profile, we talk to Vasterling about the many creative visions he was able to bring to the stage.

But first, host Khalil Ekulona and senior digital producer Anna Gallegos-Cannon respond to the listener feedback in @ Us.