Robbins Sports Surfaces (Cincinnati) made its dance and performing arts business into a dedicated division, Robbins Dance & Performing Arts, and has hired former New York City Ballet principal dancer James Fayette as vice president of business development to lead it.
James Fayette, vice president of business development, Robbins Dance & Performing Arts
The company, which makes hardwood sports courts, said the new division applies the same biomechanics research behind its athletic surfaces to dance flooring, with systems engineered to reduce ground-reaction force and harmful vibration. Sale, delivery and installation are supported across the U.S. and Canada.
Fayette spent his performing career with New York City Ballet, retiring as a principal dancer, then joined the American Guild of Musical Artists, the union representing professional dancers, where his health-and-safety work included ensuring union dancers performed on resilient sprung floors. He later served as associate dean of dance at the Colburn School and managing director of contemporary company L.A. Dance Project.
"With expertise already earned protecting million-dollar pro athletes, Robbins is now bringing that same dedication to the well-being of performing artists at scale," Fayette said. "I get to lead a team built to ensure the safest conditions for dance and performance at every school, studio, university and theater, for generations of artists to come."
The company says its dance floors are already installed in hundreds of theaters, dance studios and K-12 schools, including at Jacob's Pillow (Mass.), Open Jar Studios (N.Y.), Ballet West (Utah), Wonderbound Contemporary Ballet (Colo.) and Canada's Alberta Ballet.
For more information, visit robbinsfloor.com.
