Ordway

What is Ballet of the Dolls?

Thu, Apr 12, 2012 3:53 PM by Hannah Arkelin

Ballet of the Dolls was founded in 1986 by Artistic Director, Dancer, and Choreographer, Myron Johnson. After 26 years of works that include 150 original ballets, this group of artists continue to push boundaries while also appealing to both theater and dance audiences of the Twin Cities.

For a company that started in Myron Johnson’s loft in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis, Ballet of the dolls has accomplished great things in the art community. The original company consisted of eight dancers, a costumer, a lighting designer, a sound designer and a marketing director who came together to explore a new way to tell amazing stories. This objective is also where the company’s name originated- dolls coming to life just like their stories.

After two seasons in the loft of their Artistic Director, Ballet of the Dolls gained a partnership with Ruby’s Cabaret which resulted in 250 nights of performances. In 2000 Ballet of the Dolls decided to make The Ritz Theater on 13^th Ave in NE Minneapolis their permanent home. The Ritz Theater opened its doors in 2006 after renovations, and has since become an established venue in the Twin Cities arts community.

This innovative dance company has a mission “to fearlessly create challenging and surprising dance work that brings a sense of discovery to audiences and artists alike.” Ballet of the Dolls understands what it takes to manifest original dance performances that do more than simply entertain their audiences- they inspire them.

Posted in Ballet of the Dolls, Theater Season, Dance

Comments

There are no comments. Be the first by adding your thoughts below.

Add your Comments

This blog is a group effort by Ordway staff, actors, artists, musicians, dancers and all those involved in the creative process of performances, programs and events at the Ordway to provide a behind the scenes look at what happens onstage, backstage and in support of the work presented at the Ordway. We also hope to  discuss pertinent topics in our industry.

The purpose of this blog is to engage with you in the blogosphere. We wish to let you know that our posts do not go through any official editorial process for spelling, grammar or fact checking, therefore errors may occur – please be kind! Every blog post is open for public comment, questions or suggestions and the Ordway chooses not to pre-screen these responses. That being said, we do reserve the right to remove any offensive, illegal, or inappropriate content at the Ordway's sole discretion.

As part of our new branding initiative surrounding the joy provided by performing arts, by posting a comment, question or suggestion you provide the Ordway with the right to use your submission for marketing and promotional purposes. (I know, I know, I promise to not make future posts as boring as this one!)

Phew! I'm done talking "legal jargon." Thanks for stopping by and reading our blog!