BalletMet

BalletMet
Name	BalletMet
Founded	1978
Founder	Jayne H. Blanchard
Artistic director	Edwaard Liang
Headquarters	Columbus, Ohio
Venue	Battelle Theatre; Capitol Theatre

BalletMet is a professional ballet company based in Columbus, Ohio, presenting classical and contemporary choreography through seasonal performances, touring, and educational outreach. The organization maintains a resident company of dancers, a school for pre-professional training, and community initiatives that engage families, schools, and civic partners. BalletMet’s programming intersects with regional arts institutions, commissioning choreographers and collaborating with orchestras, museums, and civic festivals.

History

BalletMet traces origins to the late 1970s when founder Jayne H. Blanchard organized repertory performances in Columbus, drawing on connections with regional presenters such as the Ohio Theatre (Columbus, Ohio), Capitol Theatre (Columbus, Ohio), and touring networks associated with Kennedy Center. The ensemble expanded through the 1980s amid collaborations with guest choreographers from companies like New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and San Francisco Ballet. During the 1990s and 2000s BalletMet increased touring across the Midwest United States and formed partnerships with performing arts presenters including The Ohio State University and the Columbus Museum of Art. Leadership transitions paralleled programming shifts toward contemporary commissions, influenced by visits from artists linked to New York Live Arts, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival‒affiliated choreographers. The company weathered financial challenges common to regional arts organizations and pursued capital campaigns tied to facility upgrades and residency expansion.

Company and Artistic Leadership

The resident company comprises principal dancers, soloists, and corps de ballet drawn from international training pipelines including alumni of Paris Opera Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and Royal Ballet School. Artistic direction has featured figures with ties to major institutions: founders and successors with backgrounds at Joffrey Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Current artistic leadership emphasizes commissioning living choreographers and integrating repertory from luminaries associated with George Balanchine, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, and contemporary creators from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Paul Taylor Dance Company. BalletMet’s rehearsal staff and répétiteurs have professional pedigrees connected to Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twyla Tharp, and directors who staged works for American Dance Festival. Administrative leadership coordinates season planning with presenters like Lincoln Center and regional arts councils including the Ohio Arts Council.

Repertoire and Productions

BalletMet’s repertoire spans full-length classics, neoclassical works, and contemporary premieres. Season programming has included productions inspired by choreographers linked to Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Mark Morris, Alvin Ailey, and contemporary voices associated with William Forsythe and Alexei Ratmansky. The company commissions new ballets from choreographers who have created for New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and international companies such as Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Het Nationale Ballet. Annual family offerings and holiday presentations have been produced in collaboration with orchestras like the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and devised with designers from institutions such as the Cincinnati Opera and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Touring programs have visited venues on the Kennedy Center circuit and regional festivals including Columbus Arts Festival.

Education and Community Programs

BalletMet School provides pre-professional training and community classes modeled after curricula from School of American Ballet, Royal Ballet School, and other conservatories. Outreach initiatives partner with local school districts including Columbus City Schools and nonprofit organizations like United Way of Central Ohio to offer in-school residencies, adaptive dance programs, and scholarship-funded tuition. Community engagement projects have linked BalletMet with health institutions such as OhioHealth and social agencies including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio for arts-access programs. Summer intensives draw students from institutions like Juilliard School, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and regional conservatories; faculty often include guest teachers with affiliations to American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet.

Facilities and Campus

BalletMet’s headquarters include rehearsal studios, administrative offices, and costume and production shops located in downtown Columbus near cultural anchors such as the Ohio Statehouse, Greater Columbus Convention Center, and the Short North Arts District. Performance venues for mainstage seasons have included the Battelle Theatre and the Capitol Theatre as well as collaborative stages at Ohio Theatre (Columbus, Ohio) and university theaters associated with The Ohio State University Department of Theater. Technical facilities encompass scenic construction and wardrobe operations comparable to those found at regional companies like Cleveland Ballet and production partnerships with touring services affiliated with Ambassador Theatre Group.

Awards and Recognition

BalletMet and its artists have received recognition from regional and national entities including awards and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, and private foundations such as the Midwestern Arts Alliance. Dancers and choreographers associated with the company have been finalists or recipients of honors from competitions and awards platforms tied to Princess Grace Foundation–USA, Bessie Awards, and choreography fellowships connected to Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Critical coverage in publications tied to arts criticism, including reviewers from The New York Times, The Columbus Dispatch, and dance journals with ties to Dance Magazine, has documented premieres and touring achievements.

Category:Ballet companies in the United States Category:Performing arts in Columbus, Ohio