The Viljandi-born former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer, whose career began at the Estonian National Ballet, will take over as artistic director of Sacramento Ballet this autumn.
Tiit Helimets, the former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer whose career began at the Estonian National Ballet, has been appointed artistic director of Sacramento Ballet following an international search.
The California company said Helimets will take the helm this autumn, marking a major new chapter for the Viljandi-born artist after a 26-year performing career. The appointment places one of Estonia’s most accomplished ballet exports in a senior artistic leadership role in the United States.
A career spanning Estonia, Britain and the US
Helimets trained in the Vaganova tradition and graduated from Tallinn Ballet School in 1998. He joined the Estonian National Ballet that same year and became a principal in his first season. In 1999, he moved to the UK to join Birmingham Royal Ballet, where he danced until 2005.
He then joined San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer, a position he held for nearly two decades before ending his stage career in 2023.
Over the years, Helimets built an international reputation as a classical dancer with strong dramatic range. His repertoire included works by George Balanchine, Rudolf Nureyev, Kenneth MacMillan, William Forsythe and Jerome Robbins. Among his best-known roles were Siegfried in Swan Lake, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and Albrecht in Giselle. His performance in Giselle earned him an Isadora Duncan Dance Award.
Beyond performance
Sacramento Ballet said the appointment reflects not only Helimets’ distinguished performing career but also his work as a choreographer, répétiteur, teacher and arts leader.
“Helimets brings a rare combination of artistic excellence, global perspective, and genuine authenticity to the role,” said Alyssa Paoletti, president of the Sacramento Ballet board. “We are thrilled to welcome a leader whose perspective and ambition will elevate Sacramento Ballet in meaningful and exciting ways.”
In recent years, Helimets has built an international portfolio beyond the stage. He has worked as a guest répétiteur and teacher with institutions including Paris Opera Ballet, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Staatsballett Berlin and Philadelphia Ballet School. He has also served as director of the Bayer Ballet Academy.
His choreographic work includes a full-length reimagining of Giselle for Oregon Ballet Theatre in 2025, as well as original works for the Estonian National Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School. He has also staged repertoire for companies including Houston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre and Oregon Ballet Theatre, often in collaboration with choreographer Yuri Possokhov.
At San Francisco Ballet, Helimets also served as co-chair of the company’s Inclusion Advisory Group, helping shape changes in institutional culture. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he created the dance film Sequentia, bringing together dancers from major American companies at a time when live performance had largely stopped.
Helimets: history should be carried forward
In his first statement after the appointment, Helimets signalled both respect for the company’s past and a desire to build on it.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this role with Sacramento Ballet,” he said. “I’m grateful to the Board for their trust, and I hold a deep respect for the artists and leaders who have shaped this company. That history matters – not as something to preserve unchanged, but as something we carry forward with responsibility.”
He added that he had been struck by both the dancers’ quality and the company’s spirit.
“I am impressed by the company’s level of work, but also the honesty behind it, the willingness to search, to try, and to give fully. I’m truly looking forward to leading the work ahead in service of the Sacramento community, while supporting the artists who are central to everything we create.”
Founded in 1954, Sacramento Ballet is the only company in California’s capital region with a roster of professional dance artists. Alongside its performances, it runs education and community outreach programmes and says its mission is to make dance accessible to everyone.
