About Boca Ballet Theatre

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In 1990, a determined group of families launched Boca Ballet Theatre Company with little more than a dream. Two years later, they secured the services of Co-Artistic Directors Dan Guin and Jane Tyree, who brought a wealth of professional experience and a compelling vision for the future of the organization. The following year, the School of Boca Ballet Theatre was established in support of the Company’s mission.

The Company has earned a position among the top civic companies in the country, while the School of Boca Ballet Theatre, one of the few non profit dance schools in the country, has garnered attention for its distinctive stair-step approach to training. During its year-long programming, Boca Ballet Theatre is committed to training aspiring dance students, presenting professional productions with world-class guest artists, inspiring the community through successful outreach programs, and providing service programs to meet dancer advancement needs.

 
Boca Ballet Theatre’s performance of Les Sylphides, featuring guest artists Mikelle Bruzina, Sarah Smith-Hill of American Ballet Theatre, and Shannon Smith.
 

Our Mission

To inspire, educate, enrich, and empower our youth and diverse community through outstanding dance instruction, compelling performances, significant interaction with the professional dance world, and impactful outreach programs.

Culture

Boca Ballet Theatre is dedicated to the preservation of ballet as a culturally and historically significant art form. For over 30 years, we have served as a living archive of ballet history with eight full-length classical ballets in our repertory. We believe that future innovation in the medium comes from a strong background in the history of dance through its various periods—from Romantic to Neoclassical and beyond. In this way, the Company is both backward and forward looking, choosing works that expose young dancers to classical ballets as well as innovative contemporary choreography.

We see it as our duty to preserve and share this cultural history not only with our dancers but with the members of our community who might not have the privilege or ability to visit the professional ballet companies that stage these significant works.

 

Community

Boca Ballet Theatre continues to promote the value of dance in our community, both through professional-grade performances and in outreach programs like BBT4PD and First Step, which are aimed at getting our community on its feet.

Our stage productions have solidified the Company as the cornerstone of Boca Raton’s artistic community. We are dedicated to demonstrating not only the artistry of dance but also its history and continued cultural value. In turn, the people of our community, recognizing the value of our mission, have given back to Boca Ballet Theatre through patronage, service, and attendance at our performances.

Our Volunteer Guild, comprised of dedicated community members, has brought together people from all walks of life who are passionate about fostering the arts in our area and contributing to the enrichment of aspiring young dancers. Without the generous support of our volunteers, our wonderful events and productions would not be possible!

 

Career

Boca Ballet Theatre’s performance of Swan Lake with guest artists Sarah Mearns of New York City Ballet and Shannon Smith.

We make it our mission to equip the dancers who train at Boca Ballet Theatre with the skills they need to succeed, no matter which career path they choose.

All students who attend participate in our program will walk away with self-discipline, dedication, confidence, and passion. However, for students who wish to continue their career in dance, we remain the premier school in the area for forging that path. In addition to providing students with the best quality of dance education, we also give students the opportunity to network with the nation’s top Artistic Directors, choreographers, and schools of dance through programs like College Dance Fair and our Summer Performance Workshop.

Many of our former dancers have gone on to dance for professional companies such as American Ballet Theatre. Others have gone on to star in television series on Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel.

 
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Connecting the stars of tomorrow with the stars of today

 

Guest Artists

Students at Boca Ballet Theatre have the opportunity to rehearse and perform with the professional dancers who serve as guest artists in the company’s productions.

While still in training, our students have worked with dancers from American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and National Ballet of Canada, to name a few. These invaluable interactions expose students to the talent and commitment of professional dancers while inspiring them to pursue similar paths in the ballet world. Such connections have led some of BBT’s former dancers to professional dance careers.

Guest Artistic Directors

Students who are accepted in Boca Ballet Theatre’s Advanced Summer Performance Workshop have the opportunity to take classes from master guest Artistic Directors from top conservatories and companies around the country.

Past guest directors include Lourdes Lopez of Miami City Ballet, Julie Kent of The Washington Ballet, Devon Carney of Kansas City Ballet, Stoner Winslett of Richmond Ballet, Peter Boal of Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Adam Sklute from Ballet West. This exposure is a fantastic way for students interested in pursuing ballet as a career to make connections with professional ballet companies they may audition for in the future.