ABOUT VIRGINIA BALLET
THEATRE & ACADEMY

"Enriching the Community and the Arts with Professional Dance and Dance Education"

Virginia Ballet Theatre is building on a tradition that began in 1961 when Gene Hammett founded the Norfolk Civic Ballet to promote regional ballet, train young dancers and to provide a center for creativity in the Arts.

By 1987 when former student Glenn White returned to become Artistic Director, Hammett's studio had become the Tidewater Ballet Association and prospered. Glenn White, who had been a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet and founder of the Arpeggio Ballet in Los Angeles, convinced Frank and Janina Bove to move from California to Norfolk to build the Company.

In 1991 they renamed the Company Virginia Ballet Theatre, expanded its school and performance schedule and brought a new spirit of professionalism, excellence and community involvement.

Since then, Virginia Ballet Theatre has continued to expand to what has become a fully professional Company and Academy. Over 200 alumni from VBT have gone on to professional careers with such noted companies as The New York City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Twyla Tharp Dance Company, Cleveland/San Jose Ballet and The Nashville Ballet. Virginia Ballet Theatre will continue to strive to serve the Hampton Roads Community and Southeastern Virginia.

The Academy of Virginia Ballet Theatre boasts a professional faculty with years of combined performing, teaching and staging experience. In addition to Classical Ballet technique, the Academy offers classes in Modern Dance, Tap, Jazz and Character Dance. It is the goal of the entire faculty to provide a strong foundation of technique in these various dance forms, as well as to foster a love of movement and the arts. The ballet syllabus is eclectic, based on the best training methods of the American, Russian and French schools. In addition to a year-end school performance in June, students may have the opportunity to perform in the company's annual production of The Nutcracker. Other performance opportunities include The First Pointe Players
and VBT II, Virginia Ballet Theatre's junior company. It is our sincerest goal that all students, regardless of professional aspirations, achieve a life long love of dance in a nurturing and supportive environment.

Virginia Ballet Theatre's professional company is one of only two professional companies in the State, presenting a full season
of works by great masters such as George Balanchine, Lew Christiansen, Sir Frederick Ashton, Robert Joffrey, Agnes de
Mille, Erick Hawkins and Twyla Tharpe. The value that Virginia Ballet Theatre brings to the community is often underestimated. As the region's only professional ballet company we compliment the Virginia Opera, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Stage Company and Chrysler Museum by offering professional dance and education to fill a void in the tapestry of
Hampton Roads' cultural fabric.

Virginia Ballet Theatre strives to provide a tradition of excellence that Hampton Roads deserves by enriching the
community and the Arts with Professional Dance and Dance Education.