BalletMet

BalletMet
BalletMet
General information
Name	BalletMet
Previous names	Ballet Metropolitan, Ballet Metropolitan Columbus
Founder	Daryl Kamer
Website	balletmet.org
Senior staff
Executive Director	Sue Porter
Artistic staff
Artistic Director	Remi Wörtmeyer
Other
Official school	BalletMet Academy
Formation	1978

BalletMet is an American ballet company and training program based in Columbus, Ohio.^[1] Located in downtown Columbus, BalletMet facilities include a black box theatre performance space, seven dance studios, administrative offices, and costume and scene shops.

BalletMet's professional company stages 60 to 70 performances each year in Columbus and on tour. In the past, the company has toured 28 U.S. states and internationally to Russia, Poland, Egypt, Spain and Canada. Edwaard Liang has led the company as the artistic director for over 10 years.^[2]

BalletMet operates a dance academy that instructs about 1,500 students of all ages yearly. Classes offered include ballet, tap, modern, and Pilates. The current Academy Director is Maria Torija, a former professional dancer with Berlin State Ballet.

BalletMet developed DanceReach, a series of educational and outreach programs serving nearly 30,000 people annually. The DanceReach program offers up to 60 scholarships each year to talented youth, many from minority and under-served groups, who could not otherwise participate in dance training.

The current company came into existence in July 1978, with a $200,000 grant from the Battelle Memorial Institute Foundation. At that time it consisted of three staff and 12 dancers, and soon hired Wayne Soulant as its first artistic director. By 1997, the company had expanded to 25 dancers.^[3] The current company consists of 26 dancers and a second company of 6 dancers.

Professional Company

BalletMet's main focus is an ensemble professional Company consisting of 25-26 dancers, depending on the season. BalletMet does not rank its dancers (ex. corps, demi-soloist, soloist, prima). The dancers are all members of AGMA. The repertoire is rooted in classical ballet techniques yet ranges greatly, often showcasing contemporary ballet work or postmodern influences in the same seasons as classics like The Nutcracker. This diversity of repertoire, unusual for American ballet companies, requires a strong ballet foundation and experience with other forms to perform successfully. Audience members thus enjoy a variety of artistic offerings each season.

BalletMet has an associated pre-professional company, BalletMet 2. BalletMet 2 performs with the Company in select shows throughout the season as well as in local schools as part of the Movement Makers initiative. BalletMet 2 dancers are selected during Company auditions.

Current Dancers

BalletMet's current Company consists of the following dancers:^[4]

Erica Alvarado
Miguel Anaya
TyLeigh Baughman
Jessica Brown
Leiland Charles
Iris Dávila
Francesca Dugarte
Zachary Guthier
Johnathon Hart
Matoi Kawamoto
Miguel Wansing Lorrio
Rie Matsuura
Sophie Miklosovic
Beñat Andueza Molina
Rachael Parini
Austin Powers
Grace-Anne Powers
Andrew Rossi
Alvin Tovstogray
Vincent Van Harris
Cooper Verona
David Ward
Victoria Watford

BalletMet 2

Amélie Freeman
Isaac Orrante
Gabriel Roush
Jordan Sheppard
Kyler Valentine
Claire Wessells
Lauren Woodward

Source:^[5]

Artistic Directors

Wayne Soulant (1978–86)
John McFall (1986–94)
David Nixon (1994-2001)
Gerard Charles (2001–2012)
Edwaard Liang (2013–2024)
Remi Wörtmeyer (2024-Present)

References

^ "Home Page". BalletMet. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
^ Tonguette, Peter. "BalletMet's Edwaard Liang celebrates 10th season as the troupe's artistic director". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
^ Zuck, Barbara (January 1998). "BalletMet: a renaissance in Ohio". Dance Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
^ "Meet the BalletMet Professional Company". BalletMet. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
^ "BalletMet 2 Dance Academy". BalletMet. Retrieved 2023-02-20.

External links

Official website

[1] "Home Page". BalletMet. Retrieved February 26, 2012.

[2] Tonguette, Peter. "BalletMet's Edwaard Liang celebrates 10th season as the troupe's artistic director". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2023-02-20.

[3] Zuck, Barbara (January 1998). "BalletMet: a renaissance in Ohio". Dance Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2012.

[4] "Meet the BalletMet Professional Company". BalletMet. Retrieved 2023-02-20.

[5] "BalletMet 2 Dance Academy". BalletMet. Retrieved 2023-02-20.

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North America	Alabama Ballet Alberta Ballet Company Alexandra Ballet Alonzo King LINES Ballet American Ballet Theatre American Midwest Ballet American Repertory Ballet Anaheim Ballet Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Atlanta Ballet Atlanta Festival Ballet Ballet Arizona Ballet Austin Ballet BC Ballet Des Moines Ballet Fantastique Ballet Hispanico Ballet Magnificat! Ballet Memphis BalletMet Ballet Minnesota Ballet Quad Cities Ballet San Jose Ballet Theatre of Maryland Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Ballet West Ballez Bay Pointe Ballet Boston Ballet Les Grands Ballets Canadiens California Riverside Ballet Carolina Ballet Charlotte Ballet Chicago Ballet Chicago Festival Ballet Cincinnati Ballet Cleveland Ballet (1935 · 1972 · 2014) Colorado Ballet Complexions Contemporary Ballet Cuban National Ballet Dance Theatre of Harlem Dayton Ballet Greensboro Ballet Houston Ballet Joffrey Ballet Kansas City Ballet Los Angeles Ballet Louisville Ballet Moscow Ballet (United States) National Ballet of Canada National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico New Jersey Ballet New York City Ballet Oklahoma City Ballet Oregon Ballet Theatre Pacific Northwest Ballet Pennsylvania Ballet Pittsburgh Ballet Royal Winnipeg Ballet San Francisco Ballet The Washington Ballet Tulsa Ballet Wonderbound
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