History

In 1987, Jean Weidner founded the Sarasota Ballet as a presenting organization. Ms. Weidner's dream of a full resident ballet company was realized in 1990 with the appointment of Eddie Toussaint as the first Artistic Director. In 1994, Robert de Warren was appointed as Artistic Director, which provided an important cultural enrichment to the Sarasota community. In January 2007, the Ballet announced the appointment of its third Director, Iain Webb. Mr. Webb's background, experience in the dance world and close, personal relationships with some of the biggest names in the dance world have taken the Sarasota Ballet to a higher level of national and international recognition. The 2007 - 2008 and 2008 - 2009 Seasons have afforded the Sarasota Community the opportunity to see ballets created by some of the top choreographers of the 20th Century. Works that have rarely been seen in America, and never before in Florida, and already is receiving critical acclaim from the New York and European press.

Mr. Webb's vision for the company is to give the Sarasota Ballet its own unique identity and to carve a place in the history of the American dance world. Throughout his first season with the Sarasota Ballet, Mr. Webb has clearly demonstrated his ability to accomplish his vision by introducing ten ballets new to the Ballet's repertoire including great international neoclassic such as Sir Frederick Ashton's The Two Pigeons, Sir Kenneth MacMillan's dramatic ballet Las Hermanas, Grosse Fuge by the legendary Dutch choreographer Hans van Manen, a world premiere by renowned American choreographer, Dominic Walsh and is the first ballet company in the world to have a ballet by the Tony award winning choreographer Matthew Bourne.

The 2008 - 2009 Season was equally exiting and continued to raise the Sarasota Ballet's profile in the dance world with favorable reviews of the December performances of Sir Frederick Ashton's The Two Pigeons and Les Patineurs in The New York Times and London's Dancing Times. Other highlights included Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden, Renato's Paroni's Rococco Variations, Dame Ninette de Valois' Checkmate and The Rake's Progress, Dame Alicia Markova's Les Sylphides, Robert North's Troy Game, George Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15, and John Cranko's Pineapple Poll. The season ended with the world premiere of Dominic Walsh's The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . The Trilogy was a unique collaboration of two companies, The Sarasota Ballet and Dominic Walsh Dance Theater. Immediately following the premier in Sarasota both companies traveled to Houston where they performed The Trilogy.

Please click here to learn more about the company performances.