Houston Ballet

Ballet company in the USA Houston BalletGeneral informationNameHouston BalletYear founded1969 Location601 Preston St, Houston, TX 77002Websitehoustonballet.orgSenior staffExecutive directorSonja KostichArtistic staffArtistic directorStanton Welch AM Julie Kent (dancer)OtherAssociated schoolsHouston Ballet Academy Houston Ballet, operated by Houston Ballet Foundation, is a professional ballet company based in Houston, Texas. The company consists of 59 dancers and produces over 85 performances per year. It is the 5th largest ballet company in the United States (by number of dancers). History Beginning in the 1930s, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. spent a week during the Christmas season performing for Houston audiences for 11 years. This led patrons to express a growing desire for a resident dance company within Houston. The Houston Ballet has its origins in the Houston Ballet Academy, which was established in 1955 under the leadership of Tatiana Semenova, a former dancer with the Ballets Russes. In 1969, the foundation formed a professional ballet company under the direction of Nina Popova, also a former dancer with the Ballet Russes and the American Ballet Theatre. Direction From 1976