Orlando Ballet

The Orlando Ballet has been in operation since 1974 and offers the opportunity for people in the community to enjoy ballet performances and for dancers to study ballet in Orlando. The ballet employs a full-time company of international and national dancers who perform a variety of different programs. The mission of the ballet is to " entertain, educate, and enrich the cultural growth of Florida through the highest quality of dance." Over the years, the company has expanded and taken on a variety of new roles. In 2009, the company gained a new Artistic Director with a professional history with Covent Garden, the Royal Ballet, the American Ballet Theater and the New York City Ballet. He has taught for several companies including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the ABT Studio Company. This is the only fully residential professional ballet company in central Florida. They perform at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre. The school affiliated with the Orlando Ballet teaches more than 1,250 students in four different locations. They have trained some of the best dancers in the world. Graduates of the program have gone on to dance in the Joffrey Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Hamburg Ballet and of course, the Orlando Ballet.