KAILEY KLOPFENSTEIN

Executive Director

Kailey Klopfenstein brings expertise in all areas of non-profit dance management including marketing, ticketing, grant administration, fundraising, finance and event management.

Ms. Klopfenstein began working for the Central Florida Ballet as a company dancer and office assistant in 2007. She was promoted to Office Manager in 2010, Director of Operations in 2018, and Executive Director in May of 2024.

Company Accomplishments during her Tenure

As the Central Florida Ballet’s sole grant writer, she attained more than $2.4 million dollars in grant funding since 2010 as well as boosted the company’s grant application scores to achieve multiple first, second and third place rankings in competitive grant programs from United Arts of Central Florida and Orange County’s Arts & Cultural Affairs. Additionally, CFB received the highest score of an arts organization located within Orange County in the State of Florida’s 2017-18 General Program Support grant application.

She has achieved many milestones during her tenure including: 1) Crafting and leading the general public Nutcracker marketing campaigns in 2022 and 2023; achieving the highest revenue record in the company's history in 2023 and the 2nd highest revenue record in 2022 2) Expanding CFB’s free in-school performance program for Title One Schools from 400 to 3,260+ students impacted per year, 3) Creating social media channels for the CFB/WBC and producing weekly content, which have achieved an annual reach of 15 million, and 4) Leading the Nutcracker school field trip marketing campaign to achieve sold-out performances at the 2,643 seat Linda Chapin Theater year after year. She has also been a liaison to the Board of Directors since 2011, established the Nutcracker Silent Auction annual fundraiser, and created the company’s 3 year strategic plans since 2014 alongside collaboration with the Executive Director and Board of Directors. 

Ms. Klopfenstein was also an event manager for seven editions of the World Ballet Competition OPEN held in Sibiu, Romania and Sao Paulo, Brazil and managed the participant registration for all seventeen editions of the World Finals held in Orlando, Florida.

Most recently, in 2022, she designed a new, dynamic website for the World Ballet Competition and was an instrumental figure in upgrading the World Ballet Competition’s competitor registration portal. She also implemented and managed a new ticketing system, Tix.com, for the Central Florida Ballet and World Ballet Competition during the 2022-23 Season. 

Academic Education & Awards

Ms. Klopfenstein graduated from West Orange High School with honors in 2007 where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She attended Valencia College on scholarship and in 2009 received an Honors Associates in the Arts in General Studies and technical certificates of Business Management, Business Operations, and Business Specialist. She attended the University of Central Florida on scholarship and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing focus) in 2011.

Her awards include a full scholarship to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre at the World Ballet Competition, full scholarship to Atlanta Ballet at the American Dance Competition, and an Individual Artist Grant from United Arts of Central Florida.

Dance/Music Education and Experience

Ms. Klopfenstein began studying dance at the Elizabeth Parsons School of Dance and trained in gymnastics at Brown’s Gymnastics in Central Florida. She was twice named “handbell player of the year” in 2001 and 2003 and also studied piano throughout high school.

Ms. Klopfenstein began her pre-professional ballet training at the Ballet Academy of Central Florida in 2003 at age 14 under the tutelage of Vasile Petrutiu and Vladimir Bykov. In 2004, she performed the lead role of Maria in Central Florida Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker and in 2006 performed the coveted role of Snow Queen as a company apprentice. She joined the Central Florida Ballet's professional company in 2007 dancing featured roles in many productions from 2007-2013 including the Pas de Deux in 9/11 An American Moment for the 5th and 10th Anniversary Tributes, Pas de Trois in Paquita with Joseph Gatti and JoAnna Schmidt, and numerous lead roles in The Nutcracker including Snow Queen, Spanish Lead and Shepherdess Doll partnered by Eddy Tovar, Etienne Diaz, and Bogdan Plopeanu to name a few. In 2011, she traveled to Sibiu, Romania for an international tour of CFB’s The Nutcracker as a featured soloist artist. After a back injury, Ms. Klopfenstein retired from the stage in 2014.

Photos Courtesy of Virginia Trudeau and Deedee Sherman