Palmquist has been at the Kennedy Center for 11 years, beginning as an intern after graduating from college. His tenure has seen touring performances from the Royal Ballet, the Kirov Ballet, the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, the Royal Danish Ballet, and others, including a national tour, in 2000, by the Bolshoi Ballet. He has also worked extensively with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, which the Kennedy Center funds and administers.
The Washington Post cites adding live music to the company's performances among Palmquist's goals for the Washington Ballet. This, he said, is "absolutely necessary if the company's going to continue its rise as a nationally important ballet company."
Palmquist will be the company's fourth executive director in the last five years.