Spohr was succeeded by RWB principal dancer Henny Jurriëns who was formerly assistant to Dutch National Ballet director Rudi van Dantzig.[4] Jurriëns, however, died in a car accident in April 1989.[4] In 1990 John Meehan from American Ballet Theatre became artistic director but left in 1993 following the company's persistent financial difficulties.[4] William Whitener, formerly the artistic director of Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, was chosen to succeed Meehan.