Pros
The dancers are some of the best in the world and it was an honor to work with them. Many of the staff and crew are also wonderful people and colleagues. The facilities are great and there was definitely some pride in working for the 5th largest ballet company in the country. The benefits are pretty good as well.
Cons
The culture and environment at Houston Ballet is one that operates out of fear which results in a lack of trust, creativity, and respect. There are constant communication and information silos which create more work for everyone and a lot of dysfunction. These are systemic, ongoing issues within the culture of the organization, and they start at the top. With the current leadership, it is very much a top-down structure that I would compare to a dictatorship. The people in top positions do what they can to hire 'yes people' - those who they believe won't question decisions or rock the boat in any way. This makes the dictatorship even stronger. Those who do question too much either are let go or made so miserable that they leave. There is absolutely no regard for the well-being of the human beings who work at the organization, and a good work-life balance is difficult to achieve. The Board seems to care more about being on the arm of a famous dancer at the Ballet Ball than the well-being of the staff. Everyone is seen as replaceable, except apparently the people who are promoting this terrible culture. The idea of human capital seems to be a foreign concept. I can not, in good conscience, recommend Houston Ballet as a good place to work.