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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 (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.


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 Sonia Arova ( bg, Соня Арова) (20 June 1927 – 4 February 2001), was a Bulgarian ballerina. Biography Early life Sonia Arova was born as Sophie Errio on 20 June 1927 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She grew up in Sofia, she went to a ballet sc ...
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'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchai ...
'' as choreographed by George Balanchine (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'' 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'' is the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The paper is owned by Advance Publications and was a daily newspaper from its founding through September 30, 2012. After that day, the ''News'' and its tw ...
'', August 09, 2010
Great Southern Gateaways
''
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
'', July 2007, p. 172
Michael Huebner
Alabama Ballet offers elegant retreat from city atop Gorham's Bluff
''
The Birmingham News ''The Birmingham News'' is the principal newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The paper is owned by Advance Publications and was a daily newspaper from its founding through September 30, 2012. After that day, the ''News'' and its tw ...
'', August 10, 2010
Alabama 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