UGA Ballet Ensemble

The The UGA Ballet Ensemble, founded by Artistic Director Joan Buttram in 1993, is a pre-professional ballet company housed in the university's Department of Dance. Striving to maintain the highest levels of artistic standards, in performance and choreography, the ensemble works with nationally known guest choreographers, dancers and costume designers to produce full length story ballets, repertoire works and educational lecture demonstrations to Athens area audiences as well as regional, national and international conferences and festivals. In 2007 the company performed at the International Dance Festival held in Barcelona Spain and was awarded 2^nd place in the ballet category. In 2003, the ensemble proudly presented the choreography of Stanley Zompakos made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Art's National College Choreography Initiative. In May of 1996, the Ballet Ensemble was also honored to be chosen to perform at the 1996 National American Dance Festival Association at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Upon graduation, Ballet Ensemble members have entered the professional world of dance joining such companies as Charleston Ballet Theatre, Ballethnic Dance Company and Clayton Festival Ballet.