Oklahoma City Ballet
| Oklahoma City Ballet | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Name | Oklahoma City Ballet |
| Previous names | Oklahoma Civic City Ballet Ballet Oklahoma |
| Founders |
Yvonne Chouteau Miguel Terekhov |
| Principal venue | Civic Center Music Hall |
| Artistic staff | |
| Artistic Director | Robert Mills |
| Ballet Master | Ronnie Underwood |
| Ballet Mistress | Miki Kawamura |
| Music Director | Joel Levine |
| Other | |
| Orchestra | Oklahoma City Philharmonic |
| Official school | Dance Center of Oklahoma City Ballet |
The Oklahoma City Ballet is a professional dance company and school located in Oklahoma City. The company began under the artistic direction of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dancers Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov in the Science and Arts Foundation building on the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds,
Founded in 1963 by Ballet Russe dancers Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov, Oklahoma City Ballet has been the city’s professional ballet company for over 40 years. It is the resident dance company of the Civic Center Music Hall and As of 2014[update] had 30 dancers from around the world. Led by Artistic Director Robert Mills, the company produces 5 main stage productions per season in Oklahoma City and tours across Oklahoma and the surrounding states. It is the only ballet company of its size to regularly debut world premiere story ballets with original commissioned scores and also commissions new works from choreographers.
The Oklahoma City Ballet also participates in a number of community outreach projects designed to provide dance education and experience throughout central Oklahoma.
The company began in 1963 under the name Oklahoma City Civic Ballet, brought together by the foundation’s civic ballet committee and chief benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. John E. Kirkpatrick.
The Oklahoma City Ballet Society was incorporated in 1967 to support the company. That same year the Ballet joined the newly formed Arts Council of Oklahoma City and performed in the first Festival of the Arts, celebrating Oklahoma’s 60th year of statehood.
In 1970 the Board of Trustees formed a new group, Oklahoma City Metropolitan Ballet Society and with the generous support of Vernon Pellow, Sr. the company began as the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Ballet with Yvonne Chouteau staying on as founding artistic director. Ballerina and Oklahoma native Maria Tallchief worked together with Ms. Chouteau to audition dancers for the company.
Yvonne Chouteau was succeeded by New York City Ballet principal dancers Conrad and Joy Ludlow, who directed the Company from 1973–1979. The Ludlow’s founded the company’s affiliate school and joined Oklahoma City's Allied Arts organization. During this time the Company and School used studios on the campus of Oklahoma City University and performed at the Kirkpatrick Theater also on the OCU campus.
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