Richmond Ballet

Richmond Ballet is a ballet company and 501(c)(3) organization, located in Richmond, Virginia. It was named the State Ballet of Virginia in 1990 by then Governor Douglas Wilder.

Founding
In 1957, the Ballet Impromptu, founded by Robert C. Watkins Jr., Marjorie Fay Underhill, and Donna Comstock Forrest, became Richmond's first ballet company. Later, the Ballet Impromptu became the Richmond Ballet. Richmond Ballet existed for more than twenty years as a small, civic company until 1975, when School of Richmond Ballet was created. In 1980, Stoner Winslett became the founding artistic director Richmond Ballet and developed a professional company of dancers. In 1984, Richmond Ballet became the first professional ballet company in Virginia and was designated the State Ballet of Virginia in 1990, by then Governor Wilder. Richmond Ballet's educational outreach program, Minds In Motion, was founded in 1993. It features a movement curriculum that is taught to 4th graders across Richmond. In 2000, Richmond Ballet moved into a renovated facility in downtown Richmond.

Performances
In his 2011 article on American productions of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, the New York Times' Alastair Macaulay singled out the Richmond Ballet production as one of the best in the country. The company debuted in New York City in 2005 with performances at the Joyce Theater. In October 2013, during the company's 30th season, the Ballet premiered the contemporary work "Phoenix Rising", choreographed by Philip Neal, a former student of School of Richmond Ballet and dancer for 23 years with New York City Ballet. Richmond Ballet returned to The Joyce Theater in April 2007 as part of a tribute to American master choreographer John Butler, and again in 2010. In 2012 Richmond Ballet made its international debut when they traveled to London where they performed in the Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House. In 2015, Richmond Ballet embarked on a tour of China. While in China, they performed at the "Meet in Beijing" Arts Festival at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. They also performed in the cities of Jinan, Dezhou, and Shanghai. The Ballet toured to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in August 2023. In a typical season, Richmond Ballet presents repertory productions and story ballets, including Stoner Winslett's The Nutcracker to Richmond audiences. They currently perform their Studio Series productions at their Studio Theatre in downtown Richmond and their mainstage productions at Dominion Energy Center.

Commissioned works
Richmond Ballet has commissioned many ballets from choreographers, including


 * ...as an old shirt			Todd Rosenlieb (2008)
 * Always, at the Edge of Never		Colin Connor (2010)
 * Ancient Airs & Dances			Stoner Winslett (1986)
 * Astormix					Philip Neal (2001)
 * Attention, Please				Val Caniparoli (1999)
 * At the Edge of Thira			Chris Burnside (1997)
 * Avalon					Stoner Winslett (1995)
 * Between the Lines				Alan Hineline (2004)
 * Bouncing Light				Vladimir Angelov (2002)
 * Bow Out					Val Caniparoli (1995)
 * Chasing Cello				William Soleau (2013)
 * Cinderella				Malcolm Burn (2000)
 * City Life					Mark Annear (2016)
 * Closing Doors				William Soleau (2002)
 * Complete Trust				Malcolm Burn (1997)
 * Dark Hugs Me Hard				Susan Shields (2006)
 * Djangology				Val Caniparoli (1997)
 * Echoing Past (Das alte Jahr)		Stoner Winslett (1996)
 * Ershter Vals				Ma Cong (2009/10)
 * Estampie					Miriam Mahdaviani (1995)
 * Faces					Malcolm Burn (2003)
 * Gargoyles					Philip Neal (2012)
 * The Howling Cat (Imaginary Tango)		Kirk Peterson (2001)
 * Hymn					William Soleau (1990)
 * Inconsequentials				Agnes de Mille (1981)
 * Into The Air				Colin Connor (2005)
 * iNVERSION					Darrell Moultrie (2014)
 * La Belle Danse				Jessica Lang (2007)
 * Lift The Fallen				Ma Cong (2014)
 * Lines Squared				Jessica Lang (2009)
 * Luminitza					Ma Cong (2012)
 * A Maiden's Hymn				Jessica Lang (2003)
 * Mephisto Walz				Philip Neal (2002)
 * Misa Criolla				William Soleau (2008)
 * Now and Then				Mauricio Wainrot (1999)
 * Nuevo Tango				William Soleau (1998)
 * The Nutcracker				Stoner Winslett (1984)
 * Octavo					Gina Patterson (2011)
 * Orchestra					Stoner Winslett (1985)
 * Other Places				Stoner Winslett (1990)
 * Phoenix Rising				Philip Neal (2013)
 * Realms of Amber				Edgar Zendejas (2016)
 * Setting Sun				Chris Burnside (1994)
 * Silence					Gina Patterson (2008/09)
 * Solace					Philip Neal (2002)
 * Sojourn					Stoner Winslett (1988)
 * Stolen Moments				Val Caniparoli (2015)
 * Streets & Legends				Colin Connor (1997)
 * String Sketches				William Soleau (1996)
 * Surfside					Michael John Lowe (2002)
 * Swipe					Val Caniparoli (2011)
 * Tandem Spaces				William Soleau (1994)
 * Terra					Colin Connor (1996)
 * To Familiar Spaces in Dream		Jessica Lang (2005)
 * A Tribute (To Marcel Marceau & Bip)	Malcolm Burn (2008/11)
 * Triumph of Spring				Stoner Winslett (1988)
 * Vestiges					Colin Conor (2000)
 * Ciolin					Val Caniparoli (2006)
 * Vortex					Kirk Peterson (1999)
 * Voyages					Mauricio Wainrot (2008)

New Work Festival Pieces


 * All Something and Light			Julie Job-Smithson (2009)
 * Chance Favors the Prepared Mind		Todd Rosenlieb (2008)
 * Diversions				James Frazier (2009)
 * Dominant Curves				Sasha Janes (2013)
 * The Edge Of Place				Amy Seiwert (2013)
 * Eos Chasma				Melissa Barak (2014)
 * Exulto					Peter Quanz (2014)
 * From My Life				Nicole Haskins (2015)
 * Inventory					Matthew Frain (2015)
 * Lenton Rose				Rex Wheeler (2015)
 * Morning Overtures				Patti D’Beck & David Leong (2008)
 * Ninfee					Jacqulyn Buglisi (2009)
 * Polaris					Katarzyna Skarpetowska (2015)
 * Reiffe					Edgar Zendejas (2014)
 * Saideira					Darrell Moultrie (2013)
 * Shadows On The Inside			Gavin Stewart (2014)
 * Touched					Viktor Plotnikov (2008)
 * Vanish					Starrene Foster (2013)
 * Y Por Ti					Eloy Barragan (2008)

School of Richmond Ballet
The School of Richmond Ballet was founded in 1975. They train students ages 4 and up in ballet, with supplemental education in character dance, modern dance, and theatre dance.