BERLIN — Sasha Waltz and Johannes Ohman, the joint artistic directors of the Staatsballet Berlin, announced this week they would step down at the end of 2020, though they’ve run the company together since only last year and signed on with five-year contracts.

According to a news release from the Staatsballett, Mr. Ohman is leaving to lead Dansens Hus, a contemporary dance center in his hometown, Stockholm. Ms. Waltz, a German choreographer who has long been based in Berlin and maintains a company in her name here, did not want to continue leading the Staatsballett on her own, the release said.

She will continue to work with the company through the 2021-22 season, after which she will return to independent choreography full time.

The Staatsballett, though one of Germany’s leading ballet companies, is still relatively young: It was founded in 2004 through a consolidation of the dance troupes from Berlin’s three opera houses. Its brief history has not been without controversy. Defenders of the classical tradition bristled at the hiring of the Spanish contemporary choreographer Nacho Duato in 2014, and his tenure remained troubled.