Adam W. McKinney
Artistic Director
Adam W. McKinney has a diverse and accomplished background in arts leadership across the globe, having served as an arts organization director, tenured professor, choreographer, dancer, educator and activist. McKinney was most recently an Associate Professor of Dance in Ballet with tenure in the School for Classical & Contemporary Dance at Texas Christian University. There he taught courses in classical ballet, modern dance and choreography. He was the Co-Director/Co-Founder of DNAWORKS, an arts and service organization committed to healing through the arts and dialogue. Previously, he was the inaugural Dance Department Chair at New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe.
He has danced with some of the world’s preeminent dance companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Béjart Ballet Lausanne (Switzerland), Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet Company.
McKinney has led dance work with diverse populations across the U.S. and North America, and in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. A leader who is committed to making ballet and dance accessible to all, he served as a U.S. Embassy Culture Connect Envoy to South Africa through the U.S. State Department. McKinney has created community social justice and awareness projects including the interactive Fort Worth Lynching Tour: Honoring the Memory of Mr. Fred Rouse and “The Borders Project” at the Mexico/U.S. and Palestine/Israel borders. He was also honored with the NYU President’s Service Award for his dance work with populations who struggle with heroin addiction.
McKinney was named one of the most influential African Americans in Milwaukee by St. Vincent DePaul. He holds a BFA in Dance Performance with high honors with a focus on classical ballet from Butler University and an MA in Dance Studies with concentrations in Race and Trauma theories from the Gallatin School at New York University.
Nicholas Dragga
Executive Director
Nicholas Dragga began his tenure as the Executive Director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in November of 2023 and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive.
Nicholas is proud of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s artistic excellence, innovative programming, and ability to cultivate meaningful connections and partnerships. Nicholas has focused on aligning staff, solidifying the ballet’s financial health, and bringing delight to the patron experience. He looks forward to advancing the ballet’s mission and embarking on a comprehensive strategic plan that leverages the organization’s assets and strengths to further the entire region’s vitality, enhancing prosperity for all.
Before joining Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Nicholas served as the Executive Director of Ballet Lubbock, where he focused on program design, development, and the branding of the organization. During his tenure, Ballet Lubbock’s budget has more than quintupled, net assets have grown from $700,000 to over $12 million, and the organization moved into its new $10 million facility as part of the $154 million Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences.
He holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance and Composition from Texas Tech University and a Master of Science Degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University.
Lou Castelli
Director of Marketing
Lou Castelli comes to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre with extensive experience in performing arts administration in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. He spent ten years in various roles on the marketing team of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, where he managed the campaign launching Marvin Hamlisch as the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor. He then became Marketing Director at Pittsburgh Public Theater, where he oversaw the company’s move to the O’Reilly Theater. He spent more than 20 years at The Public, and most recently served as the theater’s Managing Director from 2018 through 2022. Lou was born and raised in Pittsburgh and has a large extended family. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in Oakland and Allegheny College in Meadville, with a degree in Communication Arts.
Cindy Rose Crain
Director of Finance & Operations
Cindy Rose Crain is the Director of Finance at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. In this position, she brings more than 25 years of diverse financial leadership experience spanning finance, operations and human resources across multiple sectors. As a CPA, her expertise includes financial reporting and analysis, budgeting and forecasting, optimizing operational efficiency, change management and ensuring compliance in both nonprofit and government settings. Cindy Rose has successfully led several change management initiatives, improving the efficiency, accuracy and transparency of financial processes in various organizations. She is passionate about working collaboratively with her teams to tackle complex challenges and achieve organizational objectives.
Cindy Rose holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from Clarion University of Pennsylvania (PennWest) and is a Certified Public Accountant. She began her career in Deloitte & Touche’s audit department and later demonstrated her entrepreneurial spirit by owning and operating two successful businesses for several years. Her professional journey also includes significant time in the nonprofit sector. Outside of her role at PBT, Cindy Rose enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, snowboarding and whitewater rafting.
Nicolas Gaudreau
Director of Development
Nicolas Gaudreau brings over two decades of nonprofit leadership to his role as Director of Development at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, combining a lifelong passion for dance with a proven track record in strategic fundraising and community engagement.
A former dancer and arts advocate, Nicolas has deep roots in the dance world, having held key fundraising roles at both Oregon Ballet Theatre and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. At Oregon Ballet Theatre, he served as Director of Development, where he significantly increased corporate sponsorships, improved donor retention by 20% and secured significant public funding—all while helping to shape the company’s audience engagement strategy. His work at Alvin Ailey focused on donor development across more than 100 annual performances and included securing key gifts to support The Ailey School and national outreach programs.
His commitment to public service through the arts is also evident in his academic and cultural institution experience. He previously held senior development roles at the University of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, where he secured transformative capital gifts and contributed to long-term strategic planning efforts.
Known for his community-centered approach and ability to connect donors to mission, Nicolas has led successful campaigns in both capital and annual giving, mentored development teams and advanced inclusive fundraising strategies. His thoughtful leadership continues to center the arts as a powerful tool for storytelling, healing and community connection.
Kristin McLain
Costume Director
Kristin McLain brings with her a lifetime of sewing experience, having learned from her mom starting in middle school. She began her time at PBT in 2016 with the building of PBT’s brand new Giselle. Staying on as a part time stitcher, then full time First Hand, and currently Costume Director, she’s work on many of PBT’s costumes old and new. Other prior experience includes study in Costume Design and Construction at the University of Pittsburgh, and various freelance design and construction work for a number of companies throughout the city. Additionally, Kristin is a versatile, visual artist and craftsperson, focusing on fiber arts, sculpting and watercolor paintings.
Raymond Rodriguez
Dean of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School
Raymond Rodriguez is the Dean of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. He began his dance journey at the age of six, attended the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan and trained in classical ballet at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) School on a full scholarship. Rodriguez later joined ABT as an apprentice before joining the Cleveland Ballet (Ballet San Jose), where he became a principal dancer and later took on the roles of rehearsal assistant, répétiteur, regisseur, principal ballet master, associate artistic director and managing director.
In 2016, Rodriguez relocated to Chicago to join the Joffrey Ballet as Head of the Studio Company and Ballet Trainee Program. In 2019 he was promoted to Academy Director. Under his leadership, the Joffrey Academy of Dance enjoyed many accomplishments, including the expansion of new studio space and presence in the South Loop neighborhood, a newly created Contemporary Ballet Trainee Program, the launch of Rita Finds Home -a new family-friendly ballet and the creation of the BIPOC Academy Committee (BAC) to help parents and school leaders better support students of color. His tenure saw many Academy students promoted into the Joffrey Ballet Company and others who accepted contracts with ballet companies worldwide.
Throughout his career as a principal dancer, he performed many diverse and challenging roles and successfully staged numerous ballet productions worldwide. He has appeared in various films and television shows and he is a current judge and Master Teacher for the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). Rodriguez also serves on the advisory board of the national dance publication Pointe Magazine and served as co-chair of Dance/USA’s school director’s affinity group.
Rodriguez is an ABT-certified teacher and an international guest instructor. In 2018, Rodriguez earned an MFA in Dance from Hollins University. He is the founding co-artistic director of Pointe of Departure, Cleveland’s classical ballet company. Some of the awards he has won include an Isadora Duncan Award (Izzie), Crain’s Chicago Business Notable LGBTQ Executive and the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture’s Outstanding Achievement in the Arts award.