The Alabama Ballet is the state’s premier professional ballet company. The company has achieved national prominence as one of only eight ballet companies in the world permitted by the Balanchine Trust to perform Balanchine’s Nutcracker®. The Alabama Ballet promotes the development of classical and contemporary ballet through high-quality performances, dance education, and community outreach. Education and outreach activities include CityDance, which provides 16 weeks of dance training for youth from the city of Birmingham and Jefferson County. The Alabama Ballet is a 501(c )(3) not-for-profit organization.

The Alabama Ballet began in 1981 as an outgrowth of the Birmingham Civic Ballet, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Ballet and Ballet Alabama. Under the co-artistic direction of world-renowned dancers Dame Sonia Arova and Thor Sutowski, the company found status and recognition in the ranks of professional companies. Arova’s and Sutowski’s outstanding 15 year foundation set the stage for the leadership of Wes Chapman and Roger Van Fleteren, who came on board in 1996. Van Fleteren danced with the American Ballet Theatre as Soloist, performing title roles in performances such as Agnes de Mille’s The Other and Kenneth McMillan’s Romeo and Juliet.

In 2005, Tracey Alvey joined the artistic team as Ballet Mistress. In 2007, Wes Chapman was named Artistic Director of ABT II and Alvey was named Interim Artistic Director. As the season began, Alvey was named Alabama Ballet’s Artistic Director and Director of Alabama Ballet School. Under her direction, Alvey introduced major works to the company such as Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Jiri Kylian’s Sechs Tänze, Dennis Nahat’s Blue Suede Shoes, Christopher Bruce’s Rooster, and Agnes De Mille’s Rodeo. She continued a long-standing relationship with The Balanchine Trust® to stage George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® for twenty consecutive years. In 2008, Alvey introduced the prestigious Royal Academy of Dance syllabus to our school gaining our RAD certification and achieving a dance education milestone as the only RAD-certified Ballet School in the state. After sixteen seasons of excellence, Alvey retired as Artistic Director following our final 22/23 Season performance.

In May of 2023, Christopher Stuart was announced Artistic Director of Alabama Ballet. Stuart trained with Steve Sirico, Angela D’valda Sirico, Franco De Vita and Raymond Lukens and later graduated from University of North Carolina School of the Arts before joining Nashville Ballet. After his sixteen year career as a principal dancer at Nashville Ballet, Stuart was appointed Resident Choreographer at Charlotte Ballet before becoming Director of Charlotte Ballet II. A native of Sandy Hook, Conneticut, Stuart brings his extensive performing and teaching experience to the Alabama Ballet and has expressed a special commitment to the continuing excellence of the company.

To change lives through dance by promoting and fostering the development of classical and contemporary ballet through high-quality performances, dance education, and community outreach.

Alabama Ballet Center for Dance

2726 1ST AVENUE SOUTH
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233

PHONE: 205-322-4300

INFORMATION@ALABAMABALLET.ORG

Jenny Mann
Executive Director

Chloe Bowen
PR & Marketing Manager

Michele Swader
Office Manager

Margaret Wendorf
Finance Manager

Natalie Hunt
Director of Operations, Alabama Ballet School 

Isabella Cowles, ARAD RTS
Director of Curriculum, Alabama Ballet School

Executive Committee

Jeremy Retherford | President

Warren Giardina | President-Elect

Lindsey Druhan | Past President

Hailey Adams | Treasurer

Tom Fox∞

Bronwyne Chapman

Glenda Cochran

Jessica Kubat

Al Vance

Honorable J. Scott Vowell

Mary Pat Weiss

David Woodall

Board of Trustees

Bridget Drennen

Dr. C. Morgan Eiland∞

Suzanne Humphries Evans

Joy Grenier

Wyatt R. Haskell∞

Margaret Head

Jamie Hill

J. Johnson

Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Ray Jordan∞

John Lacey∞

Emily Lassiter

Dr. Lisa Mani

Allen Bunting Mann

Candice McKinney

Elizabeth Miles

Kacy Ireland Mitchell∞

Tyler Novak

Maggie O’Connor

Elizabeth Pilcher

Michael Sansbury

Jane Selfe

Garland Cook Smith∞

Stacie Tubb

Dr. James Wallace

Mallie Mitchell Whatley

Olivia Wiggins

Honorary Board Members

Betty Ferguson Brice*

Gage Bush*

Jane S. Comer

Penelope Cunningham*

Clara Gerhardt

Barbara G. Gotlieb

Dudley Reynolds

Tammy Towns

Support Group Leadership

Brooke Whatley, President of The Ballet Guild of Birmingham

Melissa McMurray, President of the Ballet Women’s Committee

* = Honorary Trustee Emeritus

∞ = Lifetime Board Member