The Alabama Ballet is a

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

company in

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

The Alabama Ballet- Six Dances - Jiri Kylian

History

Prior to the establishment of Alabama Ballet, there were three smaller ballet companies in the state of Alabama: the Birmingham Civic Ballet, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Ballet and Ballet Alabama. In 1981, dancers Sonia Arova and Thor Sutowski decided to start a bona fide ballet company in the state and created Alabama Ballet. Fifteen years later, in 1996, Wes Chapman and Roger Van Fleteren became co-directors of the company. Nearly a decade later, in 2005, Tracey Alvey became Ballet Mistress and, two years later, Artistic Director.Todd Keith, ''Insiders' Guide to Birmingham'', Globe Pequot, 2011, pp. 92-9

/ref> After Chapman left, Van Fleteren became Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer. Moreover, Leslie Fillmer serves as a music composer for the company. One of its annual performances is ''

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...

'' as choreographed by

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...

(1904-1983). Indeed, it is one of only six ballet companies in the world licensed to perform it. The company has also performed choreographic renditions of ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

'' and '' Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde''. Since 1997, in conjunction with the Gorham Bluff's Institute, it has organized a summer residency in Gorham's Bluff, Alabama, overlooking the Tennessee River Valley.Michael Huebner
Alabama Ballet retreats to Gorham's Bluff
''

The Birmingham News ''The Birmingham News'' was the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States in the latter half of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st. The paper was owned by Advance Publications and was a daily newspaper from its ...

'', August 09, 2010Great Southern Gateaways
''

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

'', July 2007, p. 172Michael Huebner
Alabama Ballet offers elegant retreat from city atop Gorham's Bluff
''

'', August 10, 2010Alabama Ballet plans annual summer residency at Gorham's Bluff
''The Gadsden Times'', July 03, 2003 Additionally, the company runs a school for children ages 3 to 18.

References

{{authority control Dance in Alabama Ballet companies in the United States 1981 establishments in Alabama Arts organizations established in 1981