BalletMet is an American
ballet company and academy based in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
. 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.
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. The current company consists of 26 dancers and a second company of 6 dancers.
Artistic Directors
* Wayne Soulant (1978–86)
* John McFall (1986–94)
*
David Nixon (1995–2001)
* Gerard Charles (2001–12)
*
Edwaard Liang
Edwaard Liang (born c. 1975/1976 Also available a. in Taipei, Taiwan) is a Taiwanese-born American dancer and choreographer. He grew up in Marin County, California.
Career
Liang began studying dance at the age of 5. He entered the School of Ame ...
(2013–present)
Current Dancers
BalletMet's current company consists of the following dancers:
*Miguel Anaya
*TyLeigh Baughman
*Jessica Brown
*Leiland Charles
*Francesca Dugarte
*Zachary Guthier
*Johnathon Hart
*Jonathan Jordan
*Kristie Latham
*Lily Mangianruga
*Sophie Miklosovic
*Jim Nowakowski
*Rachael Parini
*Austin Powers
*Grace-Anne Powers
*Sean Rollofson
*Lisset Santander
*Alvin Tovstogray
*Caitlin Valentine
*Carly Wheaton
*David Ward
*Karen Wing
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Met, Ballet
1978 establishments in Ohio
Musical groups established in 1978
Musical groups from Columbus, Ohio
Dance in Ohio