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The evolution of Texas Ballet Theater has had many significant milestones. Led by founding director Margo Dean, the Company first incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1961 as Fort Worth Ballet. Over the years, the Company has presented a broad range of dance experience to its home community and around the state. During its history of more than four decades, the Ballet has enjoyed continued artistic growth, first as a civic company, then as a civic regional ballet, and finally as a professional producing entity.

In 1984, when Fort Worth Ballet was still a civic company, the supporters of the organization made a strategic decision to propel it into full professional status. The Ballet's leadership molded its artistic programming and aesthetic in the vision of George Balanchine, famed choreographer and ballet master of New York City Ballet. In 1987, Paul Mejia - a Balanchine protege - took the reigns as artistic director and began to add his own ballets to the Company's repertoire, supplementing the works of Mr. Balanchine.

During the 1990's, Fort Worth Ballet became well known nationally for its accurate and remarkable productions of the Balanchine repertoire. With the departure of executive director Mark Denton in 1990, the board recruited David Mallette from Houston Ballet, where he was company manager. With his arrival, the Company committed itself to statewide touring. During this time, the Company was seen in nearly thirty Texas cities, taking professional ballet across the state as The National Ballet of Texas.

Presently under the direction of artistic director Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., the ballet brings unprecedented talent, beauty and artistic expression to the stages of Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall, Dallas' Music Hall at Fair Park and the historic Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas. Texas Ballet Theater will become the resident ballet company for the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts when it opens in 2009.

online: http://www.texasballettheater.org/