History

A Professional Dance Company

Southern Ballet gained momentum in 1980 with their first six professional dancers and an inaugural subscription series at the Carr Centre for a forty-week schedule. Russell Sultzbach, an Orlando native formerly with the Joffrey Ballet became the Company’s Ballet Master, helping to attract more professional dancers and prominent international choreographers from major dance centers. The Company grew artistically and premiered its first original full-length ballet, Fionula, to a commissioned score by Nelson Huber performed by the Florida Symphony Orchestra.

In 1982, Southern Ballet Theatre met growing public interest in dance demand for instruction by opening a ballet school. The Company was recognized by the Department of State as one of the outstanding performing arts organizations in Florida and selected to the States Touring Program. In 2001, the Ballet School received its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 1992, a series of outreach programs were added to serve the community and train future stars. A notable program, STEPS, was launched to train “at-risk” Orlando inner-city children utilizing the Kinematics OCPS math training program.