Executive director of the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek shares his journey

Cameron Morgan’s journey from a rural Alabama farm to executive director of the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek is a story of artistic passion, adaptability, dedication and just a touch of serendipity. At 31 years old, Morgan leads one of Colorado’s most prominent cultural institutions, overseeing a major capital renovation and guiding the organization through a new era. His path, highlighted by creative pivots and a deep appreciation for the performing arts, offers a window into the evolving landscape of arts leadership in America.

The beginning: pastures and performing

Morgan’s story begins in Alabama, on a farm located about an hour south of Montgomery. “We moved around a little bit as kids, but most of the time was in Alabama,” he recalls.

However, it was in the panhandle of Florida that Morgan’s artistic spark was ignited. When he was 7 or 8 years old, he started participating in community theater. The Florida Chautauqua in DeFuniak Springs offered workshops and musicals and Morgan quickly became a regular, performing in productions until he was 12. There was also a stint with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, performing in “Peter Pan.”

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A pivotal moment came when a friend, a graduating high school senior, failed to get into his desired college musical theater programs due to a lack of dance experience. Morgan took note: “If I want to do theater, I need to know how to dance.”

His sister had been dancing since she was 3 years old, so he followed her to her dance studio, beginning formal training at age 12.

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“It just became more and more of what I did and what I love to do,” Morgan says.

Homeschooled, Morgan was able to pursue his passions without having to adhere to a traditional school schedule. 

“It allowed us to fit more stuff in,” he explains. “I could do all of my schoolwork in the mornings and then go to the studio.” His high school years were a whirlwind of ballet classes, sports practices — he played baseball, soccer and basketball — and community performances. This flexibility enabled him to immerse himself in performing, setting the stage for his future career.

Performing for the world, around the world

Morgan’s love for performance led him to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned degrees in both dance and public relations. An academic scholarship made this possible, easing the financial burden and allowing him to pursue his dual interests. After graduation, he danced professionally with Rhode Island Festival Ballet Providence (now Ballet RI) for two seasons, but he was already looking ahead.

“I wanted to get to Europe,” he says, drawn by the vibrant contemporary dance scene in Germany.

Before making the leap overseas, Morgan took to the seas performing on cruise ships — a move that proved both financially and personally rewarding. Working on the cruise ships allowed him to save money and see the world. Performing on ships like Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, he traveled to 56 countries in seven months, gaining invaluable experience and perspective.

It was also aboard a cruise ship that Morgan met his future wife, Rachel, in 2019. Their relationship, tested by the unique pressures of shipboard life and the upheaval of the pandemic, blossomed into an engagement in the fall of 2023 and marriage in 2024.

“If we can survive a high-pressure environment like (the world cruise), we can survive anything,” he says with a laugh.

The couple is still experiencing pressure: Rachel is in her native Scotland, waiting to legally move to the United States to join Morgan.

On stage in Vail

The pandemic marked a turning point. With live performances on hold, Morgan transitioned to arts administration, leveraging his longstanding connection with the Vail Dance Festival. He had first come to Vail as an intern in 2015, returning each summer to support the festival and other Vail Valley Foundation (VVF) projects, progressing from intern to social media assistant to festival coordinator. The seasonal nature of his performance contracts allowed him to spend summers in Colorado, deepening his ties to the local arts community.

In 2020, as the world shut down, Morgan worked remotely for the festival. By spring 2021, he was offered a full-time position as operations manager for the Dance Festival, a role that expanded his understanding of the business and logistics behind the scenes.

He calls the summer of 2022 an inflection point — a time when he figured out what he really wanted to do. Morgan mapped out a 10-year plan: Finish another performance contract, pursue an MBA and eventually return to arts administration in a leadership role. He took another contract on the ship during the winter 2022-23 season.

As with all best-laid plans, it went awry — but in a positive direction.

“I got back from the ship in May of 2023, and three weeks later, Mike Imhof, the president of VVF, called me into his office: ‘Hey, are you interested in being considered for the executive director position at the Vilar?'” Morgan recalls, still sounding a bit incredulous. “I told him yes. I had a plan to get there — this was just faster than I thought.”

Imhof says that Morgan fit in well at the VVF, which hosts the Vail Dance Festival and manages and owns the Vilar Performing Arts Center. He describes him as a natural leader and excellent communicator.

“Cameron had worked for VVF in various roles since 2015,” Imhof says. “He is creative, bright, hardworking and organized. The performing arts, and being part of a performing arts center, was a personal and professional goal for Cameron.”

Morgan took the helm of the Vilar in September 2023. His appointment is a testament to both his talent and the trust placed in him by the organization. Morgan is quick to acknowledge the “series of fortunate events” and mentors who helped him along the way: supportive parents, community theater directors, inspiring teachers and colleagues who opened doors and provided guidance.

“The number of steps along the way…if any one of them had gone differently, this moment wouldn’t exist,” he says.

Now appearing at the Vilar Performing Arts Center

In his first 18 months on the job, Morgan is embracing the challenge of leading Vilar through a significant renovation — the largest capital project the center has undertaken in years — while also shaping its artistic and community vision.

“Cameron is already accomplishing so much at the Vilar,” Imhof says. “He led the process for the current Strategic Plan for Vilar; he has expanded and professionalized our Community Arts Access program; he has built an incredible team of professionals on the Vilar staff and he is launching capital projects that we have wanted to do for many years.”

He brings to the role a performer’s sensibility, an administrator’s pragmatism and a deep appreciation for the power of the arts to connect and inspire.

Morgan is particularly excited about broadening the Vilar’s reach and impact. His own journey — from small towns to international stages and now to executive leadership — mirrors the transformative potential of the arts. He hopes to make the Vilar a place where artists and audiences alike can experience that same sense of discovery and belonging.

Morgan’s leadership style is collaborative and grounded in gratitude. He emphasizes the importance of teamwork and community, both within the organization and with the broader public.

“None of this happens without the support systems and people around me,” he says. He sees his role as both steward and innovator, honoring the center’s legacy while looking for new ways to engage and inspire.

His background as a performer informs his approach. “I loved dancing, but also it was a vehicle to be on stage. That’s really what I like — the work and the artistry,” he explains.

Now, as executive director, he channels that same passion into creating opportunities for others, fostering an environment where creativity and excellence can flourish. It’s also a chance for a job and a life in the arts in a place where simply finding a place to live can be challenging.

As Morgan leads the performing arts center into its next chapter, complete with a new strategic plan, he says they’re figuring out what success looks like. In summer 2024, the Vilar hosted two times more shows than they have in its 27-year history; last winter brought record-breaking audience attendance numbers.

“We’re growing, we’re stretching, we’re expanding…strategically,” Morgan says.

It’s like dancing: “We’re taking definitive steps and if it’s in the wrong direction, it’s easy to course correct. But if we’re sitting here, we’re not going anywhere; the idea is that you’re not taking a step in the opposite direction.”

Morgan has several measures of what success looks like, but one goal is to share with others the childhood spark that ignited him: the understanding that art can make a difference in the quality of one’s life.

“Success to me is not that every single kid that comes through the doors from pre-K goes on to be a professional musician — though it’s really cool if they take that and go all the way,” he says. “But it’s really that they live a life enhanced because of the art.”

He remains mindful of the journey that brought him here — and the many hands that helped along the way. His story is one of resilience, adaptability and the courage to embrace new opportunities, even when they arrive ahead of schedule.

Standing on stage at the Vilar, introducing each performance, it’s easy to see Morgan’s charisma. His unique blend of artistic history, operational knowledge and youthful energy promises a dynamic future at the organization, bringing the community together to appreciate the gem in its midst and understanding that impact on an individual is just as powerful as big numbers.

But Morgan knows the journey is far from over.

“I’m just excited to see what’s next,” he says.